Katikati Youth Darts Club Launches This School Term

A Katikati woman has taken matters into her own hands by founding a youth darts club for college-aged students, inspired in part by the global surge of interest in the sport. Natalie Dercksen, who works at Shot Darts in Katikati, felt the town's lack of a darts club — despite being home to a darts manufacturing factory — was a gap worth filling. The Katikati Youth Darts Club meets on Tuesdays from 3.30pm to 5pm at the Katikati Rugby Club during Term 2, and is open to Year 7–13 students for a $20 registration fee. Each registered member receives a free set of darts to keep.

Dercksen credits the worldwide 'Luke Littler effect' with drumming up enthusiasm among rangatahi. Littler, a young British player who won the PDC World Darts Championship at just 17, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport's history, has inspired young people across the globe to pick up a set of darts. Several of Katikati's own top-ranked New Zealand players have volunteered to help coach the youth on Tuesday evenings.

Beyond the fun, Dercksen sees darts as a genuine skill-building activity that supports STEM learning — the maths involved in scoring, combined with hand-eye coordination and focused concentration, makes it a well-rounded after-school option. She has kept costs deliberately low so the club is accessible to everyone regardless of background. From Term 3, she plans to formalise the club and open it to adults as well. A have-a-go day is also in the pipeline. Whānau with interested tamariki can register by emailing natalie@shotdarts.com.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).