TEAM SPORTS AT SECONDARY-AGE

This is a long page for a currently complex topic that should be simple- i.e all NZ secondary-age domestic students should be able to compete in all NZ secondary-age student sports

On entering their secondary-age educational years, home educated domestic students discover there are fewer opportunities to play team sports. This is because the provision for these sports largely moves from clubs into the secondary school space, which is especially noticeable in regions with lower population densities. This is not an issue for primary and intermediate age home educated students, as team sports are largely club-based for this age group.

SSNZ Sanctioned Events for Home Educated Domestic Student Teams

HESSA will submit exemption requests to SSNZ for home educated teams to compete in SSNZ sanctioned events but these exemptions may not be granted as the current eligibility criteria state home educated domestic students are only permitted to compete as members of composite school sports team. 

HESSA strongly encourages home educated teams to request exemptions to compete in SSNZ sanctioned team events to allow us to better understand and highlight to national bodies the exclusion that home educated secondary-age students face to compete in student sport. 

HESSA members can request inclusion in SSNZ sanctioned events for home educated teams HERE

We will also notify the national sports organisation that a student team has requested entry to compete in a SSNZ sanctioned event for their sport. 

If you have questions please contact us

SSNZ Sanctioned Events for Home Educated Domestic Student Members of a School Team

The current eligibility criteria permit home educated students (who are HESSA members) to only compete in sanctioned events as a member of a composite school team at the Carnival and Cup levels where the home educated student has been a member of the team for the season and is not joining solely for the event. 

To enter a SSNZ Sanctioned event the school will need to complete a SSNZ Composite team application and forward the application form to HESSA for signature and confirmation that the student is a member of HESSA. We advise these are sent to HESSA at least 8 weeks before the sanctioned event. 

If you have any questions please contact us.

What to be aware of:

It is a privilege not a right to be part of a school sports team. 

Composite teams are not eligible to compete and win Championship events, making the inclusion of home educated students less attractive to schools whose focus is on winning.

HESSA is advocating for home educated students to be able to form attachments to schools for the purposes of sports, allowing school teams with home educated domestic students to be deemed 'host' teams. Host team status would allow the school team to compete at all SSNZ sanctioned events making inclusion. HESSA believes this would offer a genuine pathway for home educated students to compete in secondary-age student team sports. 

In 2024 SSNZ granted 1 exemption for a school team to be a host team with a HESSA member, allowing them to compete at a SSNZ Championship event.

Recommendation to  Schools

HESSA recommends that schools with home educated students in their school sports team request that the team be considered a host team for the purposes of the event,  especially where there is no other pathway for the student to compete in that sport at the secondary-age student level.   

Contact a Secondary School or College

Contact your local secondary school to see if they are open to including home educated students in sports teams. Inclusion of home educated domestic students in school sports teams is at the discretion of individual schools. 

We are looking for members with experience of working with schools to support developing an Approaching Local Schools for Team Sports guide for HESSA members - please contact us here

Supportive Schools

There are schools that are incredibly supportive of home educated students participating in sport and welcome these students as members of the wider community the school serves. We value the relationships that HESSA and its members are building with schools. These schools understand that some home educated students may choose to return to the school environment to complete NCEA and that early relationships through sport can support these students successfully entering their school in later years.

A Cautionary Tale

HESSA knows of an instance where a school team included a home educated student for 2 years as a member until the team was only granted composite team status, thereby excluding the team from competing for the trophy at an SSNZ Championship event. At this point, the home educated team member was dropped from the team because the ability to win was more highly valued than inclusion.

Advice for Home Educating Families

In light of this, we advise all home educating families entering into school sports teams to ensure that the school principal, sports manager, and coach are supportive of the student's inclusion in the team and understand that under the current SSNZ eligibility criteria, their inclusion may lead to the school team being unable to compete at Championship events or for the premier trophy at the event.

Regional Non-Sanctioned Competitions

Home educated teams are also excluded from many regional inter-school/college team leagues such as volleyball, table tennis, etc., as these are managed by regional secondary-school sports organisations like College Sport Auckland and Wellington College Sport. These organisations like SSNZ are set up and led by schools to serve school. Their approach to home educated students competing is largely informed by the SSNZ eligibility criteria.

Predominantly, HESSA finds that there are few club based secondary-age student leagues for home educated domestic student teams to enter.

HESSA is trying to engage with regional secondary-school sports organisations to support competitive access for home educated domestic student teams with limited success to date.

Lack of access results in students being lost to sport unless they are able to enter adult leagues (if permitted), with associated health and safety risks to youth, or find a school that is willing to let a home educated student participate in the school team.

Advocacy for Equal Sports Opportunities

We acknowledge that exclusion from secondary age student team sports and the lack of opportunities at club level in many regions is challeging for our home educated youth.

HESSA’s position that home-educated domestic students (1% of the national student body) should have a competitive pathway in secondary-age student sports and sanctioned SSNZ events is not unreasonable. It is realistic, achievable at minimal cost, and aligns with Sport NZ’s strategic goals for secondary-age youth.

HESSA continues to advocate for equal opportunities within the secondary-age student sport setting for 100% of the domestic secondary-age student body.