Category Archives: Sporting

Sep 8 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the last Tournament – Aftermath


The Final Federation Cup Hockey Tournament for the #1 Daughter is done and dusted.

After the two games on Monday the dye had been cast and the girls were then in the bottom half off the draw – the bottom 8, which was confirmed after a further loss on the Tuesday.

Wednesday’s game, against, surprisingly Whangarei GHS, meant that the loser would effectively be relegated from the tournament the following year.

It didn’t go well, the Rangitoto girls turned up to play in a very terse, nervous and sombre mood. And this translated to a ponderous and withdrawn match that they lost easily to a very motivated Whangarei team.

Thursday then, nothing to lose and a match against Kristin School, who, ironically are the closest school to Rangitoto College in Auckland. They have “the wood” on them and 1-0 doesn’t really do justice to a match that Rangitoto dominated for he large part

And so to a final game, in the pouring rain, and #1 seeding for the Marie Fry tournament next year, and a comprehensive 5-2, smiles and high fives all round.

  • Mon 3rd Sep  Round 1 Pool C Rangitoto College Craighead Diocesan  LOSS 0 – 2 
  • Mon 3rd Sep  Round 2 Pool C Rangitoto College Villa Maria College LOSS 2 – 4 
  • Tue 4th Sep    Round 3 Pool C St Cuthbert‘s College Rangitoto College LOSS 3 – 0 
  • Wed 5th Sep  Crossover Round 4 Whangarei Girls’ High Rangitoto College LOSS 4 – 0
  • Thu 6th Sep   Crossover Round 5 Rangitoto College Kristin School WIN 1 – 0 
  • Fri 7th Sep   Final Round Rangitoto College Palmerston North Girls WIN 5 – 2 

Final Results and Placings

  • 1 St Cuthbert’s College
  • 2 Wairarapa College
  • 3 Diocesan School
  • 4 Rangi Ruru Girls
  • 5 Villa Maria College
  • 6 St Margaret’s College
  • 7 Epsom Girls Grammar
  • 8 St Hilda’s Collegiate
  • 9 Whangarei Girls’ High
  • 10 Craighead Diocesan
  • 11 St Matthew‘s Collegiate
  • 12 Christchurch Girls High
  • 13 Rangitoto College
  • 14 Palmerston North Girls
  • 15 Kristin School
  • 16 Gisborne Girls High
Related articles
Aug 29 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the last Tournament


Next week my daughter will be playing for her College team at the 2012 Federation Cup Secondary School Tournament in Carterton. It will be for her, and many others, the final schools tournament they get to play in. Of course there is always faint hope of age grade representative teams, and other honours, but this one is a final hurrah before she embarks into the real world!

Rangitoto College are this year seeded #6 based on the 2011 tournament results. The Federation Cup is for the top schools Hockey teams, and is pretty mercenary, the bottom 4 teams drop out of the tournament the following year, and the top four teams from the  Marie Fry Trophy Secondary School Tournament are added, this year: St Hilda’s Collegiate , Craighead Diocesan, Christchurch Girls High, and Gisborne Girls High. The Schools that now play in the tournament below -The Marie Fry Trophy Secondary School Tournament –  are : Westlake Girls High, Hillcrest High School, Tauranga Girls College,  and Nelson College for Girls, and they go in as the top 4 seeds for that.

The Federation Cup  is played in a tournament format of 16 Team 4 teams per pool, and then Quarter Finals, Semi Finals and Finals.

In recent years, since they qualified after the 2007 Marie Fry Trophy Tournament,  Rangitoto College have finished 8th (2008), 4th (2009), 2nd (2010), and 6th (2011).

This year then the seeding and pools look like this

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D
Wairarapa College Diocesan School St Cuthbert’s College St Matthew’s Collegiate
Whangarei Girls’ High St Margarets’ College Rangitoto College Rangi Ruru Girls
Epsom Girls Grammar Kristin School Villa Maria College Palmerston North Girls
Gisborne Girls High Christchurch Girls High Craighead Diocesan St Hilda’s Collegiate

And seedings

Team Division Seeding
Wairarapa College 1
Diocesan School 2
St Cuthbert’s College 3
St Matthew’s Collegiate 4
Rangi Ruru Girls 5
Rangitoto College 6
St Margaret’s College 7
Whangarei Girls’ High 8
Epsom Girls Grammar 9
Kristin School 10
Villa Maria College 11
Palmerston North Girls 12
St Hilda’s Collegiate 13
Craighead Diocesan 14
Christchurch Girls High 15
Gisborne Girls High 16

And for me? A Few days in Carterton where there is plenty of Wine to drink ! oh and I’m urged to consider these activities whilst there, inbetween games:

  • Paua World, a terrific paua factory and store
  • The Parkvale Mushroom Factory
  • Vineyards at Gladstone
  • Stonehenge Aotearoa
  • Country gardens – like Daysh Country Garden at Clareville and Assisi Gardens high in the Gladstone hills
  • and as a bonus
  • For an outdoor adventure hike in the Tararua Forest Park and the Waiohine Gorge, which has an brilliant swing bridge.

All of which could happen.

Jul 6 2012

The facination of the media for Redemption


re·demp·tion:

  • An act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed.
  • Deliverance; rescue.
  • Theology. deliverance from sin; salvation.
  • Atonement for guilt.
  • Repurchase, as of something sold

One of the online media sites in New Zealand,  Stuff.co.nz, uses “redemption” at the drop of a hat.

A quick search returns About 2,590 results on their website which is a little on high side don’t ya think?

Redemption and Sport return 2,090 results !! which is a little on the high side don’t ya think ?

The other online site The New Zealand Herald returns only about 1,000 results. Redemption and sports gets a paltry 70 results.

So either the Journalists at Stuff are a Pious bunch who have some intimate knowledge of the religiosity of the people they are writing about,  or someone at these media outlets doesn’t think “Redemption” means what they think it means.

In the context that the media use it, mostly, it’s for sport. And what they don’t divulge is what it is that they are seeking or  receiving or asking redemption for?

A Redemption from what wrong or misdeed that they’ve done, aside from being an abject failure at their earlier attempt at something. They are mostly professional sportspeople, they’ve been paid, or are getting paid to do what they do. It’s not like they have to give the money back for their failure.

Are they seeking to apologise and show they are worthy of adulation and adoration, and the cash that they comes with it, and to prove that we should throw more money their way?

Worst cases are they don’t get paid as much next time, or they don’t get another opportunity. Either way it’s not a redemptive situation is it?

Sure as an individual it could be that they are trying to redeem their good name then, regain their cachet with their adoring public, from who they crave admiration, seek redress to the bad publicity that comes with some act or other on or off the sporting field. But that does not excuse the media for running over 2000 stories of redemption under any circumstance that I can think of.

If I’m wrong however I’ll seek redemption at the earliest opportunity

Related articles

13th July : Today the NZ Stuff website ran another story about redemption and sports 

 

Jun 27 2012

Sporting your life vicariously – the one where they end in tears.


It’s down to the final few games of College hockey for Ms17 (MS18 in 37 days she informs me), and last night was the final of the local secondary schools tournament.

I’d forgotten how intensely competitive Ms17 is, her not playing grade or club Hockey this year has meant that I’ve not seen her play since the pre-season ANZAC tournament thing a few months back.

Last night, having lost 4-0 MS17 arrived in the clubroom clearly very upset. At a point midway int he second half, the coach had changed the on field formation taking off one of the ‘inner’ (and captain) and a ‘striker’.  Now either this didn’t register with MS17 (who plays at ‘back’) or wasn’t communicated very well on field. It did lead to some dis-array as the opposition made a bit of hay and mayhem as positionally the team were all set up wrong.

She says that after the game she approached the coach, Dave, and says she said that “it would have been nice to know about the changes” and had received not the reply she expected along the lines of ”get over it”.  Which is where, it seems, she loses composure.

In the clubroom she tells us that although she really enjoys the school hockey she hasn’t gotten over the fact that Dave, the coach, and age grade selector, had told her in the past that “she wasn’t fit” and that “she couldn’t hit a ball” and that her “grade level opportunities were limited.” Coupled with the fact that he’s chosen s strange combination of co-captains, one of whom is clearly not a teams player makes Ms17 a bit tetchy.  That the co-captains are picked at age Grade level might be why they are co-captains, and that MS17 chose not to trial for the teams may also be the reason.

It’s clear though that there is a lack of something in the relationship that MS17 expects with the coach/selector, and it’s clear that she lacks the tools to be able to deal with and get the answers / feedback / input that she’s looking for. It’s all very challenging.

I’ve no idea how to fix this, but I’ll work at it though.

Related articles
Apr 29 2012
Gallery

From the St Cuthbert’s ANZAC Hockey Festival.

Anzac Hockey 1

This gallery contains 9 photos.


I wrote about the saga of the School Uniform blazers. These are just a few of the picture I took of MissPdubyah at the St Cuthbert‘s ANZAC Hockey Festival which is a secondary schools pre-season 3 day event, attracting visiting … Continue reading →

Mar 4 2012

Growing up and letting go – sporting your life vicariously – Update


Well it seems I lost the good fight to Keep daughter into playing Hockey this year. Having had all the advantages, support, encouragement and backing of many people, having had access to some of the best mentors and role models, and playing with some of the finest élite players we have in the best team for the best club, it seems isn’t enough. I tried.

Feb 20 2012

Growing up and letting go – sporting your life vicariously


At 17 it’s come down to a battle of wills.

Miss does not want to play club hockey this year. We already agreed that the representative competitions weren’t going to be a feature, it still  seems to be about favouritism and who knows who, who’s the coach and who’s the manager, I’m not saying that the daughters of the various “officials” get picked, it might be the other way around, that it’s accidental that the players are picked then oh can mum or dad be the coach/manager/etc.

Anyway we long ago decided that it wasn’t fair or proper to insist on Miss participating in a short season of representative grade hockey, and frankly it’s a cheaper option.  She has played for various A grade and occasional B grade teams over many years, and this year enough is enough, there wasn’t going to be enough excitement in it. Besides which it could encroach on earning opportunities and a part-time job

School Hockey is fine, we’re down with that, and I think she was hoping to be captain of the 1st XI this year, secretly if not openly. It may come to pass, she has a reasonable chance, but then it’s down to the coach. And the coach is the same one that coaches the rep team. We’ll see how that plays out.

But club hockey is another thing altogether. She played for the championship winning team last year, as probably the youngest team member, alongside a couple of very good current and ex black-stick and junior black-stick players, acquitted herself well, scored a couple of goals and generally seemed to enjoy it.

This year though after the summer break it seems that the fun isn’t there any more.

And this is where, as a parent, it gets tough. I think we’ve been pretty fair and even in pushing and insisting on sports and achievements. Not to the point of forcing her to play, but making sure that we supported and encouraged where possible and supported the decisions that she wanted to make. It’s cost us a fair bit of money too, it’s not cheap, kit, travel, turf fees, club fees , physio visits, gym memberships etc.

With age and experience I’d prefer that she continued, at least for this year, at least untill she went to University, or got a job, and then I’d be happy to let it go. Accept that adulthood and decision-making has arrived and needs to be respected. I’ve even suggested that she start the season and then decide.

On reflection though this would be quitting, and I’ve never let my children quit half way through a team commitment.

So I have a quandary, give up and let go, or push because that’s what I’d like to see happen.

Oct 3 2011

Living your life vicariously – the sporting edition


Daughter in her now famed "red shoes" from a few years backI may have covered this already. But daughter shows a surprisingly good aptitude for field hockey. She’s been playing years and has gathered a fair number of player of the day’s, player of the year, most improved, and best team member awards. Some of them against ‘international’ teams (that’s other school teams on the world tour) but still hey they chose it not me.

She’s also a farily well thought of umpire and has picked up a number of age grade awards and medals and is a New Zealand grade umpire, and she umpires at a high level.

So fair to say we think her achievements are pretty cool, and that we pretty proud of her.

This year was rather difficult however, she wasn’t picked in the Under 18A team, the reason given was fitness, which turned out to be pretty accurate, but she did get to go umpire the same tournament as the youngest umpire. Yeah we’re proud.

The U18 team did go on to win the tournament,  despite being a player short through injury – daughter having pulled out from the “b” team wasn’t considered as a replacement.

And as with all age grade sporting codes it’s come down to not what you do it’s who you know. There was some very contentious decisions to take average ability players into a U21 team, and there is a very clique-like “elite” sports clinic that is by invitation only.

There is also currently a “Senior” squad that is made up of “up and coming” players again by invitation only, and daughter although made aware of the team invitation (she was copied by email), wasn’t invited.

Seems she’s offside with at least one of the selectors.

But we’ve always said that it’s her choice to play or chose to play or not, and that we’d support her decisions and actions.

Today though the “Senior” squad finds itself a bit short and they’ve come cap-in-hand to get her to play against a Queensland team. And this is where it gets interesting since I’d like her to play to prove a point and to have some fun, and she is saying no.

It’s not easy living your life vicariously!

Oct 2 2011

RWC – how to watch a game


I was at Eden Park for the England V Scotland game. I was an invited guest in a corporate seat. It was an awesome seat and an awesome view.

There were 12 of us, I was the only one supporting England. Someone was going home upset.

Seems that New Zealanders have a ‘we support the All blacks and anyone playing against;

  • England
  • Australia
  • South Africa”
thing going on. Last night the number of Scottish fans was enormous, and it did look as though at one point Scotland would get one over the old foe. The English contingent had a couple of desultory goes at “Swing Low” but it was nothing compared to the old standard two syllable chant that New Zealanders are so go at, Scot-Land, Auck-Land, Alll-Black, Har-bour, Moo-Loo. Made me smile.
Anyway Scotland couldn’t keep it up, and England had a whole 15 seconds of brilliance to steal the game, and a place in the quarter finals. And at this point the humor returned to the crowd and it became good-natured and friendly, jelly and hyde from the foaming mouth ranting of the previous 78 minutes. Pleasant enough in itself but a glimpse at the card side of the way we support teams.
My predictions from earlier are a mixed bag, I picked McCaw to be injured, got that Wrong, I did pick Ireland to beat Australia. And we’ll see how the other couple of guesses work out before I call myself psychic.
Sep 16 2011

Build it and they will come.


Or Not.

I’m talking about “Party Central” on the wharves in  Auckland.  A structure designed to hold 12,000 people with an invited audience of the whole city. And what happens when you get it right, a confluence of good weather, fireworks, media hysteria, and the opening of a global tournament? Well you get chaos.

And when the opening hype is passed and the finger-pointing is dying down what happens next, Well in my opinion untill the closing games, the Semi-finals and finals it’s going to remain pretty much under used, under visited and an embarrassment.

It so is.

Daily programme for Party Central

Sat 10 Sept -FAMILY WEEKEND – Carnival
Queens Wharf will come alive   for the first family-friendly weekend with a  programme of Carnival fun throughout the day. Expect colourful characters, great  live music and dance performances to entertain the entire family. (emphasis added)
LATE NIGHT AT THE CLOUD – P Money

Sun 11 Sept – FAMILY WEEKEND – Carnival
Mon 12 Sept – THE CLOUD & SHED 10 – Going Global Music Summit

Gosh, must leave work early for some of that.

The posturing of the Minister for RWC, the Auckland Mayor and the transport company are all for nix. They’ve overextended themselves but won’t have to pay with anything other than a public dressing down. The transport system will still be borked, they’ve even said “don’t take trains take buses” which is how confident they are after years of planning. seriously years.

So whilst we have a micro-focus on health and safety that prevents any more than 12,000 people in party central, we have no overall concept of what’s going on outside the gates, and it’s not like Auckland doesn’t have large gatherings, yearly, such as Concert in the park, and the Santa Parade.

I’m ashamed that they’ll put Auckland’s name against the debacle, when it comes down to a handful of inept bungling self-serving form a circle and give ourselves a pat on the back cronies who will end up with civic awards and accolades because we’re too stupid and lazy to bring up the unsightly mess again.