Go, our tough little heroes. I hope this doesn’t jinx you
Inervously write this piece ahead of the weekend. It’s about the importance of playing team sport but it’s also likely to focus on the joy of winning and the pressure of goal-setting. I will take the blame for the goalsetting.
Team sport is crucial to socialising our young people. It creates culture, disciplines like working with others, and lifelong friendships. Sport is about how to interact with others, coping with disappointment and celebrating winning. Teams. You go to war together. A bunch of people with the same mission.
It should be exciting and it should be fun.
Bonds will be formed and you’ll see people at their best and worst. Emotions don’t get more raw and real than when sport is involved.
So why am I writing this? Here goes.
Five years ago, after moving back to Auckland, I walked past the Bay Roskill Rugby League Club. I was actually in search of a local rugby club for my son, and dropped
in and spoke to local club legend Mike Smith.
I immediately liked him, it was close and despite being a rugbymad bloke and having played union for 20 years, I also liked league, so I enrolled my then 4-year-old boy. I knew it was tackle and not touch and that suited me.
The rest has gone so quickly. And I’m such an openly proud supporter of the now Bay Roskill Vikings under-9 side. These boys are solid young men who play their hearts out for each other every week.
I throw what I can at helping our brilliant and selfless coach, James Pule, who is old-fashioned in his approach. He has a plan and the boys listen.
His last plan was for the entire team to stay in my lounge for the night last Friday before a crunch game. ‘‘The coast is clear,’’ I heard the boys say as James left me to it.
Solo in charge of eight burping, farting and most importantly laughing young Kiwis – it was very cool, mostly!
But here’s my admission. Rightly or wrongly, I set the boys a challenge recently, as we are yet to lose. Three more games and if we win them all I’ll take them to fun park Rainbow’s End.
I hope it’s not terribly timed and I jinx the team. I’d feel damn awful. But I love this team and it’s a reminder about why team sport matters. These boys play for each other and this year they have played like little champions.
Last year’s big boys have become manhandling brutes. They think about the game and James has them playing a simple but winning pattern.
From left to right on the field our team is Lucas, Issac, Tom, Buster, Ethan, Malachai, Sean, Foosi and
Kutai.
And I hope it doesn’t put too much pressure on our young lads but if we win the last three games of this year we will have achieved the unthinkable if we take ourselves back to February and pre-season training.
It’s a remarkable testament so far to a dedicated and humble servant of the game and family man, in James.
His brother, Sam, takes the other under-9 team and is also a fine man and arguably takes the wider squad award for being at his best when looking in the mirror. A handsome man, we wonder if he ever took a tackle or tackled anyone over 49 kilos his entire life. I’ve seen him play. Yes, he runs, yes, he tackles. Hard.
Rugby gets all the accolades in this country but this league club is a huge family affair and the church plays a massive part.
It’s turned lives around and I can’t speak more highly of the people, their love for their children and their approach to the game. I’m friends with many families and their boys regularly spend time at my house.
With regards our team I’m so genuinely proud of these boys and their coach that I can no longer wait till the end of season to write about them.
Yes, I set this goal of going unbeaten and I’m sure some expert would say no, it’s too much pressure for young boys to deal with. Let them. And maybe it is. But I reckon it’s ok, they’re still having fun, winning actually matters still and my heart sings when I watch these boys play.
Proud doesn’t feel adequate enough as a word but right now this little team gives me a purpose. Boys, three more games. Let’s keep going. See you at Rainbow’s End?
These boys play for each other and this year they have played like little champions.