Sports Clubs
The Millennium Institute of Sport & Health is committed to strengthening sport at all levels from grass roots participation through to high performance.
The four clubs that helped establish the
Institute are the
North Shore Bays Athletics Club,
North Shore Swimming Club,
North Harbour
Water Polo Club and
NorthSport Weightlifting.
Each club is a national leader in its respective code.
Together they have over 1600 members, supported by paid and volunteer coaches and administrators, all based at the Millennium Institute of Sport & Health.
Each sport has memberships covering their respective codes' competitive or recreational offerings. Membership entitles the athlete to use of the Institute’s facilities, as prescribed.
North Harbour Bays Athletics is New Zealand’s largest and strongest Athletics Club. It was the first winner of the New Zealand “Club of the Year?title, awarded from all sports. It caters for all events and all levels from Juniors to Masters.
Club members won 71 individual medals at the National Championships in 2007, including the extraordinary performances by Monique Williams in winning the sprint treble, and James Dolphin in winning the 100m and 200m sprints.
27 club members have been selected in New Zealand teams since 2006, with another 6 selected in their Pacific Island national teams. Members also set 42 new records for the club, including 9 each for Ella Pilkington and James Doyle.
The club prides itself on both its facilities and standard of coaching, which have contributed to its amazing success. North Harbour Bays Athletics has its origins in two clubs. The East Coast Bays Athletics Club operated in the 1950’s as a children’s only club, while the North Shore Club was established in 1973 to provide for senior club athletes.
In 1977 their respective presidents (Graeme Avery and Dave Norris) initiated a merger and the North Harbour Bays Athletics Club was born. Its athletes compete under the club title of Bays Cougars. Because the 300m track at Windsor Park was inadequate for its expanding membership, in the mid-1980’s the Club fundraised, built and subsequently maintained the $3 million Sovereign Stadium.
With the building of the Millennium Institute of Sport & Health, the Club generously handed over its major assets, including the stadium, to the Institute to form what is now the Sovereign Sports Super Centre. The Club’s 50th Jubilee was celebrated in 2004.
For those interested in learning more about the club or membership click here
North Shore has been the top club in New Zealand based on points since 1995. It is a club with a strong tradition of developing international swimmers and Olympians with 11 current World Championship swimmers. North Shore Swimming also has strong depth due to the progression from a 'learn-to-swim' programme to a junior squad in a competitive swimming club and beyond.
North Shore Swimming (NSS) has a long and successful history.
Starting in 1897 as Cheltenham Swimming, after World War I it
amalgamated with the Devonport Swimming Club to become the North
Shore Swimming Club in the early 1920's, making the club over 100
years old. The club was based at Takapuna until 2002 when the new
pool facilities at the Millennium Institute of Sport & Health were
opened.
Since its inception NSS has put over 30 swimmers onto Olympic, World
Championship and Commonwealth Teams. The immense growth of NSS
swimming is highlighted by the fact that 20 swimmers have made one
of these teams since the year 2000, and in 2007 NSS put 11 swimmers
onto the highly successful New Zealand World Championship team.
The club has over 400 members, with the club’s headquarters and training base at Millennium, and squads also training at the Takapuna Aquatic Centre, Northcote College, and Glen Innes YMCA. Whilst competitive success is a driving force of the club, encouraging the enjoyment of swimming is key to the club’s consistent achievement.
For those interested in learning more about the club or membership click here
Originally known as the Glenfield Aquatic Club when it was first formed in 1986, the young club was renamed in 1994 as the North Harbour Water Polo Club (NHWPC). The club has grown to become the largest club in New Zealand, and has been based at the Millennium Institute since 2002.
The NHWPC has some of the most recognised coaches and players in New Zealand which is testified by some of the successful results, with NHWPC currently holding 4 Northern Region titles and gaining 3 silver and 1 bronze placings in 2007, as well as holding 4 National titles and gaining 3 silver and 1 bronze placings in 2007. NHWPC also gained medal placings at 8 of the 9 nationals age groups entered (Boys and Girls).
NHWPC is well represented in New Zealand representative teams including 32 New Zealand representatives in the 2007/08 season, of which 12 were senior players, and coaches of the New Zealand Mens Senior team (for FINA World Championships 2007) and New Zealand Senior Womens Team for the Olympic Qualification Series (coach, assistant coach and manager).
Being the only club on the North Shore, NHWPC is the backbone of water polo in the region and is a vibrant, progressive, and enthusiastic club. NHWPC is committed to providing opportunities to develop players/coaches/referees to help them achieve and reach their goals.
For those interested in learning more about the club or membership click here
With the advent of the
Millennium Institute of Sport & Health, the concept of forming a
Weightlifting Club to be based at this facility was promoted in
2001. International quality training and competition equipment was
purchased to assist in the establishment of the club.
The NorthSport
Weightlifting club was formed to provide an opportunity for young
athletes to experience the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, and with
several top New Zealand Weightlifters is providing encouragement and
inspiration for new athletes to join the sport.
A number of New Zealand
Weightlifting representatives train at the Institute including Nigel
Avery, Olympian & 2002 Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist. Olympic
Weightlifting NZ Training camps are also conducted at this venue.
NorthSport
Weightlifting Club is encouraging new athletes to participate in
Olympic Weightlifting and experience the thrill of one of the
world’s oldest Olympic sports.
