Physical activity leaders (PALs for short) have one simple aim. More people, more active, more often.

The PALS go outside every lunchtime with orange vests on and run games. They run games for both Kakano and Kauri students. When it is wet, the PALs run jump jam in the hall. They run games mostly for kids who don't have anything to do or just people who want to do something different. Read below what the PALs thought on their 2019 experience. 

Name: Joey

Top moments this year: When my friends join in my games.

Challenges/ tough times this year: When people don't listen or when it is really hot and we have to run a game in the sun.

Advice for future PALs: Run a different game each week otherwise people don't join in because they get bored of the same game every week.

Name: Taylor

Top moments this year: Going to the PALS training at the event centre.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Coming up with new games to play every week.

Advice for future PALs: Do different activities every week then you will get more people.

Name: Hannah

Top moments this year: My top moment was when we were doing stilts and Hoola Hoops because we had a lot of people join in with our activity.

Challenges/ tough times this year: It was challenging when I would ask people to do something but they would just ignore me. It was also challenging when we would run an activity but barely anyone would come and play.

Advice for future PALs: Do a different activity every week so that people won’t get bored of the activities you do and people will want to join in.

Name: Matthew

Top moments this year: Going to the PALS training and making our own games, learning to run games with very little equipment and how to change the game.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Running activities for the kauri team because you struggle to get people joining in.

Advice for future PALs: Run simple games/activity they normally get more people involved. Pick a game/activity that should get lots of people involved and be prepared to change it or run the game with less rules.

Name: Sam

Top moments this year: Going to the PALS training at Lincoln Event Centre.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Doing my duty because towards the end of the year I didn't really feel like doing it but you just have to do it.

Advice for future PALs: Don't do the same activities every week.

Name: Carter B

Top moments this year: Going to the PALs training at the Lincoln Event Centre.

Challenges/ tough times this year: The challenges I had was doing my job when it was really hot outside.

Advice for future PALs: To make sure you do your job when it is your day to do it and be organised for what game you will run.

Name: Morgan

Top moments this year: Getting to play games with the little kids and going to the training event at the start of the year. Being able to run games that the little kids really enjoy and get involved with.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Running games for the Kauri team because no one really gets involved with them and it's really hard to play games that kauri like and will play without issues. Thinking of new ideas of games to do with the little kids.

Advice for future PALs: Play simple easy to run games that will get lots of people involved without as many issues. Just do your job and get out there doing something.

Name: Oli

Top moments this year: My top moment this year was watching the year 1 & 2 kids running around playing games that they love.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Playing games for the Kauri because kids don't get involved.

Advice for future PALs: Have fun doing the games that you enjoy.

Name: Felix

Top moments this year: My top moments for this year was when we got to go out and train with other teams and pals.

Challenges/ tough times this year: One of my toughest times this year was when we didn't get a lot of people for our game and it turned out really boring.

Advice for future PALs: My advice for future pals is to get stuck in and get involved.

Name:Rose I

Top moments this year: I got to be with my friends and I got to play different games like netball, capture the flag, touch and more

Challenges/ tough times this year: Was learning how to play most of the games because I didn't know how to play all of them.

Advice for future PALs: Do your duty and do different games each time, you will do Kakano 2 terms and Kauri 2 terms. You can pick your group.

Name: Marshall

Top moments this year: Was going to Lincoln to train to be a PAL leader. We got to make games and how to role model good participation.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Was getting people to listen and participate in your activity.

Advice for future PALs: You need lots of ideas and to be adaptable just in case you do not have the equipment for one activity so you can do another.

Name: Annabel

Top moments this year: My top moment was going to the pals thing at the Lincoln event center.

Challenges/ tough times this year: A challenge this year was when not many people would come to your activity, then you would just stand there.

Advice for future PALs: Do games that can have a lot of people involved in them.

Name Yasindu

Top moments this year: My top moments this year was that a lot of kids came and joined in our PAlS activities and the PALS event at the Lincoln event center.

Challenges/ tough times this year: A challenge this year was that lots of of time not that many people would come in and join in on our activity and it was kind of boring waiting for people to come and join in.

Advice for future PALs: Some advice that I can give you is that run a game that lots of people can get involved in.

Name: Dishti

Top moments this year: My top moments of being a PAL this year was playing touch with the Kauri team, and playing with the Kakano team with their skipping ropes and moon hoppers. It was really fun doing jump jam every Friday before SB started going to Te Hapua. The Kakano team had so much fun when the pals did Jump Jam, and the Kauri team was fun to do too.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Setting up pals after the bell rang for lunch time because we did not know what pals activity to do. So in my group we did two different types of activities, one for the Kauri team and one for the Kakano or Kauri teams.

Advice for future PALs: Try to think of a fun game that will get kids involved. Also, tell your group what your doing so you don’t fight over a pals game. Another piece of advice is to ask the teachers if you can leave five minutes before the bell rings for lunch break, if it’s a game with a lot of equipment, or if it’s a game with less or no equipment at all, you can leave when the bell rings.

Name:Rose B

Top moments this year: One of my top moments this year was getting to go to the PALs training at Lincoln event center. I really enjoyed this because we got to learn how to run games, create games and improve games. I also enjoyed running games for the juniors to have lots of fun and get their energy out.

Challenges/ tough times this year:One of the most challenging things for me this year was making our games fair and getting a lot of people involved. Also deciding which game to play or what activity to do.

Advice for future PALs:I would recommend being in a group with your friends or people you get along with and deciding what activity your gonna do before you do it. Also getting advertising what game you're playing so that you get more people involved and picking the right game for the age group.

Name: Zoe S

Top moments this year: getting to run games for the juniors and seeing how excited they were to get to play with the stilts of skipping ropes

Challenges/ tough times this year: a challenge that I have faced this year is not knowing what game to play for the kouri students.

Advice for future PALs: make sure you always do your duty because the teachers get annoyed when you don’t

Name:Luca

Top moments this year: When we got lots of little kids asking if they could join in.

Challenges/ tough times this year: When we had no one that came to our activity.

Advice for future PALs: Go convince people that have nothing to do, to join in

Name: Andre

Top moments this year: Getting to play with the year ones because they were really nice.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Remembering to do my PALs duty.

Advice for future PALs: Try to remember your duty.

Name: Carter W

Top moments this year: Seeing the juniors that I didn't know were at Oaklands and getting to know them. Also, going to the PALS trip.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Remembering to do PALs every thursday.

Advice for future PALs: Try not to forget to do your duty and just do it.

Name: Riley

Top moments this year: Running the PALs games with Sam and Carter.

Challenges/ tough times this year: Doing the games that we set up because sometimes kids don't listen and do other things and it ruins the game and also remembering to do PALs.

Advice for future PALs: Do the games because sometimes it gets hard, but you just have to do it.

Name:Issy Mckay-Hatcher

Top moments this year: Doing my duty with my friends and playing games

Challenges/ tough times this year: Picking the game because I always did the same game with my group

Advice for future PALs: Have fun and always turn up to your duty. Pick the right people to do it with.

Name:Tia

Top moments this year: My top moment this year was going to the PALs trip.

Challenges/ tough times this year: The most challenging thing this year was picking games because not everyone likes the games you pick and no one turns up.

Advice for future PALs: Be sensible doing your game.

Name Aidan

Top moments this year: My top moment this year playing with the juniors and having fun with them.

Challenges/ tough times this year: The most challenging thing this year finding the right gear because there was a lot of different gear to pick from.

Advice for future PALs: Don't do the same game and it's not just about you and your friends.