water is the winner in junior sport

Water continues to be a key feature of junior sporting sidelines thanks to local leadership by sports clubs who are dedicated to making water the easy choice. The Player of the Day initiative, which is part of the Go the H20 movement, was created to support sports clubs with a healthy, active alternative to traditional fast food vouchers, as a reward.

By joining the pro-water movement, sports clubs acknowledge that when our children are drinking water they’re not drinking sugary drinks. By denormalising sugary drinks where children are active and play, it makes a significant difference to their health and wellbeing.

Five years on, water-only sidelines in junior sport is the new normal for our children. The initiative has replaced approximately 20,000 fast food vouchers annually, with all six Councils across the greater Wellington region participating to enable healthy change.  

As we approach the winter sports season, the Player of the Day initiative continues to grow with Total Touch Wellington, Wellington Rugby League, Wellington Rugby Football Union, Upper Hutt Junior Netball, and many more local sports clubs coming on board and supporting this kaupapa.

We all want our children to lead happy, healthy and active lives. By encouraging and promoting water as the drink of choice, particularly in a sporting environment, it reinforces that water is the only drink children need before, during and after playing sport.

We’re proud of each and every one of our sports clubs who have joined us in the water-only movement promoting a healthy, family-friendly environment and supporting players and whānau to choose water.

Imagine if there was no demand for sweet drinks from our young people because water is the normal and desired drink of choice.