The next hundred

Yes it has been a while since my 100th post. I recognise that those not on Facebook and Twitter appreciate some longer news so I am going to try to do another 100 posts and see where that takes us. At the original rate of one every two weeks it will be mid 2015 at the current rate of one every ten months I guess Luke will be finishing what I start around 2094. I thought we should start with a review of recent sporting events!

We are nearing the end of the hockey season. Craig's P1 Hutt Team tried their best through the season but struggled against bigger, better and older boys. They improved a lot but lost more games than they won. Craig has transitioned from being a goal keeper to playing centre forward. He has thrived on the change and managed to score the winning goal in the last game of the season. That game marked the end of 5 years of Jamie and Craig playing at Hutt and 5 years of my coaching at Hutt. We have had some great times there and made some good friends.

Craig was selected for the Wellington Under 13 Development Team again this year. They have had a really good start to the season and won all three of their quadrangular tournaments including the Hardy Cup. They are a good group of guys and I am enjoying them. We have won ten games in a row and on that run have scored 36 goals and not conceded any. Everyone will be out to beat us now so we will have to keep improving. The Curtis Cup is in Wanganui in a few weeks time in the first week of the school holidays.

Jamie has had a good first season in the Wellington College 1st XI. He did well to make the team and has worked hard on his hockey through the year. He was selected for the Wellington Under 15 Premier Team and played at the National Tournament in Timaru where they played well but did not really fulfill their potential. The school team played in the Rankin Cup which is for the top 16 schools nationally. They gave a good account of themselves but were disappointed to finish 13th equal which will put them back into the India Shield next year.

In the local competition Wellington College defended their P1 title, topping the league and winning their semi final and final on penalty strokes. Jamie has also been captaining the Under 15 Elite team which plays other school under 15 teams and draws players from our top three teams at Wellington College. We have the Miskimmin Cup on Monday which we have hopes of doing well. At the prizegiving this week Jamie was given the cup for "Best Junior Player" Reading the recent names he said that he had a lot to live up to.

Luke narrowly missed out on the 1st XI but has had a fantastic year with the 2nd XI. He was the vice captain and really developed through the season both in his skills and his leadership. Expectations were not high at the start of the season as they were overall a younger team. I was not sure about coaching them at the start of the year but am really glad that I did. They were a great group and we had good fun as well as achieving the most successful season the 2nd XI have enjoyed. We play other college 1st XIs and won the grading round of the local competition including a monumental win on penalty strokes over Paraparaumu College which went to a third set of strokes. We won the bronze medal at the Galletly Cup National 2nd XI tournament in Auckland and finished 3rd in the local competition.

Luke played really well in a number of games and at the Auckland Tournament scored a fantastic individual goal against Hamilton where he beat two defenders for pace and reversed a powerful shot into the roof of the net over the advancing goalkeeper. It was hard to say who was more surprised but I doubt he will score a better goal. He also scored the winner in the bronze medal match against Tauranga finishing a great team move with his first touch after a 5 minute suspension for over enthusiasm in the tackle! He and Jack, the captain were joint Most Valuable Players of the Tournament and Luke got the award for Best Forward for the 2nd XI and the Club Cup for Sportsmanship and Team Spirit. At the end of our last game, which we lost Jack and Luke both said a few words and I was very proud of them both.

Luke did his final Duke of Edinburgh Gold Tramp over 4 days. It was a more difficult expedition than they had anticipated but a fitting end to four years of endeavour.

I was talking to Luke's headmaster yesterday and he was commenting how it is not easy starting in year 10 but that Luke has persevered and has made an immense contribution to the life of Wellington College. He only has one more term and most of that will be exams.

Luke is not sure what next year will look like and will probably not decide until the end of the year. He is thinking about studying geography but will probably take some time out before that.

We are all looking forward to the Elgin cousins coming in a few weeks time and to having some holiday at the end of what has been a particularly long term. Ailsa has started doing a few days relief teaching at St Marks which she is enjoying.

We are all enjoying the Rugby World Cup. We have been to a few games but have also been trying to make the most of the opportunity. We have produced a rugby themed gospel "Godzone" which has had some media exposure and we are encouraging churches and student groups to give them to their friends, colleagues and neighbours. All the student groups are putting on events including "what is rugby" introductions for overseas students and some evenings with current and past international players. I have also been involved meeting chaplains who are attached to teams and looking at how sports ministry could grow of the back of the rugby world cup. Obviously we are hoping that Scotland will beat Argentina on Sunday!