Marg’s bid to foster Maori sporting success | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Christchurch sports personality and former Silver Fern Margaret Foster says young Maori athletes need to know about their roots to succeed - and she's helping them do it.

Along with husband Anthony Beks, who represented New Zealand in swimming at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Foster has started a mentoring programme to help up-and-coming Maori sports stars reach their full potential.

Whakahihiko He Tangata: Aspiring Young Athletes Wananga aims to work with athletes by combining mental and physical training with cultural values.

The first three-day workshop was held earlier this month.

Foster, who is Ngai Tahu, came up with the idea while working for the Ministry of Maori Development, after recognising the benefits of a more holistic approach to training.

"There seemed to be a need for a programme that matches the Maori potential with values - including whanau," she said.

"It's important that these athletes moving forward can feel proud of being Maori and knowing where they come from."

A group of 12 secondary school students from around Christchurch have just taken in part in the first workshop, held at Lincoln University.

Students stayed overnight in the whare and during the three days took part in a programme taught by sportspeople from a range of backgrounds.

Topics covered included forming goals, competing at a national level, mental strength, nutrition, recovery, meditation, and Maori history, leaders and values.

Foster said many of the tools in the programme were inspired by her own sporting experience, including the importance of determination and writing down goals.

A Silver Fern from 1992-1997, she has also been the New Zealand A coach, a national selector, and was the Flames coach for seven years.

The team competed in three finals under her leadership.

Foster said an awareness of history from a young age and making it a part of sport was important.

"This is what makes us New Zealanders."

One key aspect of the programme was preparing the young athletes to deal with disappointment during their careers, as young people were often protected from this reality, she said.

"We're a little bit cotton-woolled in society," she said.

Foster has had her own share of challenges, both in her sporting and personal life.

After seven years of coaching the Flames, she lost out to Helen Mahon-Stroud for the appointment of coach for the Canterbury Tactix in 2007 for the new trans-Tasman competition.

She has also battled breast cancer.

After first being diagnosed in 2006, she received chemotherapy and was given a clean bill of health, only to have a further scare last year.

Now assistant coach to the Southern Steel, Foster said she will also continue to facilitate the inspirational workshops three to four times a year.