Tennis is often described as a “Sport for Life”. It doesn’t matter what age you are; as long as you can move, you can play tennis. Whether you’re a complete novice,  like to have the odd game, or you’re seriously contemplating getting into club tennis, there are plenty of options available on the North Shore. Local tennis clubs always welcome new members, and they sometimes have complementary coaching included in the subscription price.

I’ve been a member of Takapuna Tennis Club for the past 6 or 7 years and enjoy a fairly low-key approach, with midweek ladies’ day my session of choice. It’s not at all serious and we have a good laugh. There are other adult sessions available on the weekend and in the evening, as well as the more serious interclub competition.

If you’d like to get the basics right first, you can contact TennisLife for private or group coaching lessons. But if you just want to get onto the court and have a hit around, you can usually get access via club members that are onsite, and play for an hour or so for a nominal fee (around $5, although club members always have priority).

Find your local tennis club here:

Albany

Beach Haven

Birkenhead

Campbells Bay

Devonport (Ngataringa)

Forrest Hill (Becroft Park)

Glenfield

Lake Pupuke

Mairangi Bay

Milford

Takapuna

Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is the latest thing in waterbased sport and recreation and it’s growing in popularity as punters realise the health benefits as well as the joys of this pursuit. What better way to enjoy a beautiful day on the North Shore than to paddle a long board around the bays? You can do it any time of year (some of the most beautiful, calm days are in the middle of winter), and you set your own pace.

Mark Jackson is a local boy who has spent the past 25 years perfecting and competing in this sport all over the Pacific. He has set up a business importing the special boards for SUP, and you can check out the goods on offer on his website. Mark has recently written an article on SUP in the first issue of Channel magazine which gives a good insight into the sport.

With the recent success of the All Whites in South Africa, there is a renewed interest in the beautiful game. Many New Zealand children learn to play soccer from a young age, giving them invaluable ball skills and improving their co-ordination.

Our youngest son spent a number of years playing for North Shore United and we really enjoyed travelling to different parts of the North Shore and greater Auckland to watch him play each weekend. We got to know the other parents, got to enjoy the bracing winter weather and encouraged our son in something he absolutely loved to do. As an adult, he still plays club soccer on the Shore.

You can watch a local club match, from teeny tots to First Grade senior level, usually free of charge. You may choose to support your local club, or find a game that promises to be particularly exciting. Winston Reid was a pupil at Milford Primary school until the age of 10 when his family moved to Denmark. Who knows what future football stars you might watch this weekend at your local sports field?

Click here to see the schedule of games for Glenfield Rovers

View the fixtures for North Shore United AFC

View Albany United fixtures here

View Birkenhead United fixtures here

View East Coast Bays fixtures here

View Forrest Hill / Milford fixtures here

View Takapuna AFC fixtures here