Auckland Deaf Society Inc

Sports, Social & Recreation is responsible for the sporting and social needs of Auckland Deaf Society Members. Currently, members are able to play a number of sports for the Auckland Deaf Society. Sports, Social & Recreation was formerly known as Combined Sports.

In the earlier days since 1937 Auckland Deaf Society members played friendly games! Competitions such as 500, Table-Tennis, Ping-pong, Indoor Bowling and Draughts. There was no official local organisation. It was the first time ever Auckland Deaf Society (known as Auckland Deaf Adult Society) members took part in the New Zealand Sports Convention held in Wellington in the year 1949.

During the year 1950 there was an encouragement to young members to form their 1st Indoor Basketball Team and it has celebrated 50th year Anniversary in the year 2000.

In 1957 members of the Auckland Deaf Society formed a "Sports Group", the main purpose of the group was to supervise all sports activities within the society, also to be responsibility for raising the necessary finance to assist sport persons to Attend Deaf Society Sports Convention held in other cities.

After a long period of time New Zealand at least became officially affiliated to the CISS (World Deaf Games) in 1955. John McRae was the first New Zealand representive from Auckland to get a medal at the World Deaf Games. In fact he got two medals; a silver and bronze for his efforts in Wrestling. The first New Zealand Deaf Amateur Sports Association team of 17 sportsmen were selected to represent New Zealand at the 10th International Deaf Games held in Washington DC and Auckland provided eight of that numbers, viz: Stewart Smith - Team Manager; Wallace Williams - Assistant Manager; Kath Smith - Chaperone; John McRae - Wrestling; Norman Norris - Athletics; Owen Gibbons, Peter Murray and Terry Siviter - Basketball.

Due to many kinds of Sports teams were increasing and the Board of Management of Auckland Deaf Society's overload and they had decided to form the "Social & Sports" Sub Committee in the year 1973.

In the year 1975 the formation of the Netball Club was by Janice Howard when she brought this idea from Australia. She organised two teams for the Deaf Sports Convention for the following Labour Weekends (in October). Also Auckland was the first New Zealand Netball Club that played against Australia in the Trans-Tasman Games.

After 10 years, in 1983 the “Social and Sports" Sub Committee was closed down. The Social side of the Society had been taken over by the Board of Management of ADS and a new committee that was called Auckland Deaf Society Combined Sports and Convention Committee were looking after the Sports side.