Sport New Zealand boss Peter Miskimmin has hailed the NZCT AIMS Games currently taking place in Tauranga, and says the event 'ticks all the right boxes”.

The week-long tournament has attracted more than 8000 intermediate-aged children to the Bay of Plenty this week, with 19 different sports taking place.

Sport New Zealand chief executive Peter Miskimmin believes the NZCT AIMS Games offers something for everything. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.

And Miskimmin is hugely impressed with this year's games and the buzz that they're creating.

'It would have been so unbelievable to have an event like this when I was at school, but we weren't so fortunate,” Miskimmin says.

'I grew up playing many sports and any sport that got me out of the classroom was a good sport. What's unique about this is all the codes coming together to one event. It's a real celebration of sport here.”

And while the number of children playing sport in New Zealand is considerable compared to other countries, Miskimmin says it's hard to encourage children to play sports in a technology-focused century.

Anything that provided children an opportunity to be involved in a sport is a good idea, he believes.

'One, they challenge themselves, and two, they play for their team and represent their schools.”

The head of New Zealand's main sports funding provider knows a thing or two about competing – he's the former captain of the New Zealand hockey team with 150 caps two Olympic Games under his belt.

Miskimmin spent Monday watching football, netball and hockey on the second day of the Games, after attending Sunday's opening, where he described the energy as 'fantastic”.

And he wants caregivers and parents to make sure participants spread that energy across the entire week. 'That will give them memories forever,” he says.