The Digital Bridge: Rethinking how young people find movement
What if the journey into movement no longer begins on a sports field?
That's the question Sport Waikato's Head of Innovation and Digital, Leanne Bats, has been exploring through the Digital Bridge - the idea that the way young people live, learn and connect has fundamentally changed and that technology could become an entry point into movement rather than a barrier to it.
"Our job isn't simply to get young people away from screens. It's to understand how digital engagement can become a pathway into movement, confidence, connection and wellbeing."
For decades, much of the conversation has focused on reducing screen time. While technology can compete with physical activity, Leanne believes it can also create new opportunities for young people who may not see themselves reflected in traditional sport.
"The world young people are growing up in is different," she says.
"They discover interests online, build communities online and increasingly shape their identities in digital environments. If we continue designing participation opportunities around assumptions that no longer reflect how young people live, we risk becoming less relevant to the people we're trying to serve."
The Digital Bridge doesn't suggest replacing traditional sport or recreation. Instead, it explores how digital experiences can become the first step on a pathway towards lifelong movement.
That thinking is already being tested through initiatives such as Gamefit, where virtual reality is being used to engage young people who are not currently participating in sport or physical activity. Early observations have shown encouraging signs, including increased confidence, greater engagement in physical education and, for some participants, a willingness to explore other sporting opportunities.
For Leanne, however, GameFit is just one expression of a much bigger idea.
"My role is to help Sport Waikato understand tomorrow's participation challenges before they become today's problems," she says.
"We need to keep asking what movement might look like in the future and be prepared to test new ideas rather than relying on approaches that worked in the past."
That same philosophy is also shaping PlayLAB, an interactive movement space currently under development at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge. Alongside other innovation projects, it provides an opportunity to better understand how digital experiences might create new pathways into movement.
"The future of participation may not always start on a sports field," says Leanne.
"For some young people, it starts online. Our job is to build a bridge between the two."
"The future of participation may not always start on a sports field," says Leanne.
"For some young people, it starts online. Our job is to build a bridge between the two."
Listen to the interview
Leanne recently spoke with RNZ's Checkpoint about the Digital Bridge and how Sport Waikato is exploring new pathways into movement for young people.
