Jana Verbeek

"Growing up, I was lucky enough to be exposed to just about every sport under the sun, thanks to incredibly supportive parents who ferried me from A to Z for trainings and games. Throughout school I played hockey, touch and football, and when I headed to university, sport continued to be a big part of my life through Ultimate Frisbee with friends, picking up squash, and continuing to play hockey competitively.

As I’ve gotten older, my relationship with sport has evolved. I have come to appreciate not just the physical benefits, but also the life skills and values sport teaches. While competition once motivated me, I now value physical activity for the sense of community it creates and the opportunity to grow alongside the people you meet along the way.

I love being in a role where I get to share that same passion with kaiako and tamariki, helping create positive experiences that support a lifelong love of movement."

Jana helps build teacher confidence, challenge current thinking and practice, and provide teachers with the tools to use physical education, sport and physical activity as a vehicle to drive greater wellbeing/hauora outcomes for tamariki. She supports school leaders and teachers to better plan and implement the Health and Physical Education and Hauora Curriculum, identifying, developing and supporting opportunities for quality physical activity experiences for tamariki wellbeing.