What started as a bold idea to improve the experience of young people in sport has become a nationwide movement.

This year marks three years since Positive Vibes Only® (PVO) was first piloted by Sport Waikato. While it began as a response to negative sideline behaviour, it has grown into a proven experience that is helping reshape sporting environments for tamariki and rangatahi across Aotearoa.

Developed by Sport Waikato, PVO is more than a campaign. It is an experience designed to encourage positive environments through visual messaging, education and practical tools that help coaches, officials, volunteers, parents and supporters understand the important role they play in creating great sporting experiences for everyone involved in sport. PVO celebrates what positive support looks and sounds like.

PVO was born out of a conversation between former Hamilton City Netball Centre Manager Clare Frankhouser and Sport Waikato to discuss the Upper North Island Secondary School (UNISS) Netball tournament and associated negativity experienced not only in past tournaments but at Saturday morning netball games.

“Bringing Positive Vibes Only® to the tournament gave us an opportunity to showcase how you can still have positive experiences and remain highly competitive. Working with Sport Waikato to develop the pilot and really drill down to the ‘why’ was really important,” says   Frankhouser.

The impact was immediate.

Feedback from players, coaches, officials and spectators showed a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, with participants describing the tournament as more encouraging, respectful and enjoyable. The success of the pilot quickly sparked interest from sporting organisations across the country.

Sport Waikato Sector Capability Manager Amigene Metcalfe says PVO was built on a simple belief.

“We always believed that the majority of people want to contribute to a positive sporting experience. If we could connect this belief across codes and really work together as a collective, then the impact would be even more powerful.”

Over the past three years, that simple belief has become a reality.

Today, the kaupapa extends well beyond the Waikato region. Regional Sports Trusts including Sport Manawatū, Sport Whanganui, Sport Hawke's Bay, Sport Taranaki, Sport Bay of Plenty, Nuku Ora (Wellington), Sport Tasman and Sport Northland are embedding the experience alongside regional sporting organisations, clubs, schools and major sporting events.

Sport Taranaki’s Innovation & Change Lead Rachel Berndt said that for their local sport codes, creating a positive environment for community sport to thrive has always been their number one priority.

For Metcalfe, the success of PVO demonstrates what can happen when organisations are prepared to tackle complex challenges differently.

“Seeing the growth and spread of interest in PVO throughout the country, without any advertising or promotion from us, is proof that people see value, want to be part of the change, and have been positively influenced by what they have seen or experienced. We are pretty proud of that!”

Three years on, PVO continues to gain momentum because its message is simple.

When adults choose encouragement over criticism, trust coaches to coach, respect officials and celebrate effort alongside achievement, young people are more likely to enjoy their sporting experience, build confidence and stay involved for longer.

As more regions, sports and schools embrace the kaupapa, PVO is helping establish a new standard for youth sport in New Zealand - one where great experiences matter far more than the final score.

And after three years, the movement is only just getting started.