Wellington College has reassessed its purpose and this case study shares insight into key changes the prominent school has made based on Sport New Zealand research and some inspiration from Simon Sinek.

It starts with why. Simon Sinek’s 2009 TED talk has been viewed forty million times. The secret, he says, is to start not with ‘what’ you do, but with ‘why’ you do it. So, here’s a question: ‘Why do schools have sport?’ Because they don’t have to: what they have to do is teach the curriculum and sport is not part of the curriculum — it is ‘extra-curricular’. So why do schools have sport?

Wellington College considers sport ‘one of the golden threads of the Wellington College tapestry’ that, ‘when woven with academic achievement, music, the arts, service and leadership, enhances the overall picture of who we are.’ “Who we are,” says project leader David Cournane, “goes beyond just academic. Our purpose is to develop well-rounded young men who are contributing and valued citizens.”

Starting with that ‘why’, Wellington College has been reviewing its sporting programme. Not because it was considered broken, says David, but more to explore how it could be better. An external management consultant led the process. They drew on Sport NZ research and their own internal research, as well as consulting widely within their own sporting community.  Their overarching conclusion? 

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Article added: Tuesday 19 November 2019