APRIL 2010
HOCKEY TOUR WITH COLLEGIATE U14 TEAM TO EAST LONDON
LOAD UP NIPPERS TRAILER
DRIVE TO CAPE TOWN FOR NIPPERS NATIONALS
NIPPERS NATIONALS IN STRAND - SOMMERSET WEST
NIPPERS NATIONALS RESULTS
TRIP TO MTHATHA
ALLY PLAYS HOCKEY FOR A GIRLS TEAM AT OLD GREY
TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON
PRINCE ALBERT HALF MARATHON
MY CELLPHONE NO LONGER TAKES GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS
Friday 1st April: Ally goes to East London with the School Bus. They stay over at Clarendon Hostel.
Saturday morning First I am able to go for a training run from the beach. Barbara & I drive to EL. We collect the keys for their home from Mike Burger where they have offered to allow us to stay for the weekend. Then it is Hockey the rest of the weekend. Ally is playing for the U14 first team at Collegiate. We also see Anke Spies, Maryka Maritz and Lara Swanepoel who are all playing for the Pearson first team.
The Collegiate team plays five games: they draw two and win three with no losses. Unfortunately Ally is injured twisting an ankle and does not play in the final game against Woodridge. I miss this game as I have not taken a day off and have to go to the East London Office. They are all tough games with lots of action and fun. Pearson is the other PE team that we are supporting with Marius and Frannelie coming to join the parent support group. They too play five games and only lose their final game.
Results as we recorded them:
Hudson Park vs Pearson; 1-0
KHS vs Pearson Boys; 0-3
Collegiate vs combridge 3-0
Pearson vs Cambridge boys 0-1
Hudson Park vs Collegiate 0-0
Pearson vs Cambridge 3-0
Pearson vs Stirling Boys 1-0
Pearson vs Hudson Park 1-0
Claendon vs Collegiate 0-0
Dale vs Pearons boys 1-1
Collegiate vs Stirling 3-0
Pearson vs QGHS 4-0
Collegiate vs Woodridge 5-0
Selbourne vs Pearson boys 1-1
Clarendon vs Pearson I think that Pearson girls lost this match but forgot to write down the results in our hurry to leave for home.
The following Wednesday 6th April morning we leave early for Cape Town. We have the fully loaded Nippers Trailer behind us. The drive is slow although we are fortunate to have the 2lit Mercedes which pulls the trailer okay. However petrol consumption soars from a normal average of 8l/100km to 16l/100km. We reach Mossel Bay and the red light for low fuel warning comes on.
The Trevor Vaughn family is there. We press on and at Swellendam we take the pass to the R62 and complete the journey along the N1. It is exactly 740km from our house to Nicky's house along this route and the drive including stops has taken us 10 hours. There were a couple of road work stops along the N2 after Riversdale. Today is Charles DuToit's 50th Birthday. He is having a family gathering tonight and later in the week. We are not able to be with them for either of the functions.
We off load Michaels stuff at Nicky's house and then drive through to Cathy. Here we have to off load the boards and leave the trailer locked to their gate over night. We leave early Thursday 7th morning for Strand and are able to find parking. We off load the trailer, find our tent that Tracey has booked for us and set up camp for our small team.
The morning starts off with the Inter Regional competition. This is where the Summerstrand has in the East Cape team: Ally, Tristan and Anke. It is individual events and really has no significance except that the Nippers get to represent their "province". the problem with this is that it totally exhausts the Regional Competitors for later events.
The weather was against us and the Nippers. There was a Gale Force wind which must have gusted up to 80kmph. The sand blew into everything from Cellphones, camera's, eyes and mouth. It was most unpleasant and conditions could not have been tougher.
Some of the events that I recorded:
Taplin Relay:
Ultimately we were only allowed one team. The idea of putting Marion into the U14 team did not work out as the officials would not allow this as we already had one team in the competition.
Our team consisted of Anke; Ally; Tristan and Christian.
In the first heat: Anke run 4th; Ally swim 9th; Tristan BB; 9th and Christian Maliby 7th.
So the team made the finals:
Taplin Finals: Anke run 8th; Ally Swim 13th; Tristan BB 14th and Christian Malibu 16th. I think that we can be proud of this team for taking part in a really tough competition with strong opposition.
Surf Swim Finals;
Boys: Chrisian 11/30
Girls: Ally 16/30
Beach Sprint:
Boys: Tristan and Tiane were placed 3rd and fourth but I cannot remember the order.
Girls: While Anke was initially placed first there was a dispute lodged and the judges looked at the video on a computer and agreed that Anke was finally placed 3rd. This was unfortunate and a human error that Anke had to deal with.
The next morning she was looking her normal happy self and we were proud to have this courageous girl in our team. Earlier on Mieke had been placed 3rd in the U12 girls beach sprint so Thomas and Ursula went home very proud parents.
Body Board boys ind; Heat 4 Christian; 7th and Deluan 16/19
Body Board Semi Final: Heat Two: Christian 14/20
Body Board girls ind: Heat 1 Anke: 12/20 and heat 2; Ally 11/20
The cut for the next level was always 50% and so we had no Summies U14 in the finals.
Flags:
This is possibly one of the most character building events as the arena is surrounded by spectators including your peers. And one by one you are eliminated and have to walk out of the arena with a smile and your head held high.
Girls U14 Flags: The system works in a snake and there are 15 competitors with 12 flags until there are just 20 into the finals.
Round 1: Anke and Ally
Round 2: Anke and Ally
Round 3: Anke and Ally
Round 4: Anke and Ally
Round 5: Anke and Ally
ROund 6; Anke and Ally
This took the two girls into Semi Finals for Flags:
They both stayed in for the first 4 rounds and Ally was finally eliminated coming in the last round before the finals cut. So Ally was placed 11th overall. Not bad: 11th Nipper Girls in South Africa for Flags! Anke went into the finals against the top ten Flags girls in South Africa. The competition was fierce and Anke had to work really hard to take 3rd position in a contraversial finish where it appeared that she had the flag in her hand but her rival emerged from the flurry of sand with the flag.
During the Flags competition there was some kind of worry about the surface as one Nipper after the other injured themselves. Finally the competition was able to start again and our Nippers did Summerstrand proud.
Boys Flags;
Here too there were 15 boys and 12 flags in each of the rounds;
Round 1: Bradley; Christian; Taine; Tristan & Deluan
Round 2: Bradley; Tristan; Taine & Deluan
Round 3: Bradley; Taine; Tristan
Round 4: Bradley; Tristan; Taine
Round 5: Tristan; Taine.
Tristan and Taine then went on to work through a series of Semi Finals remaining for the entire session to qualify for the finals.
Flags Finals;
Tristan 9th
Taine 5th
Long run: Boys Tristan 10th; Bradley 37 and Christian 50 out of around 75 boys.
Iron Nipper: Heat 2 Deluan 16th; Christian 7/16 and Bradley 13/16.
Iron Nipper Girls: Ally 11/20.
Semi Final: Christian: 8/16
Final: Christian: 16th. This was the final event on the last day and Christian's last event as a Nipper. By this time he was totally exhausted having competed in every possible event including the Long Run.
Run-swim-run
Heat 1: Christian 11/32 and Deluan 27/32
Girls heat 2: Ally 11/32
Finals
Ally: 9/32 and Christian 14/32
This was Ally's last event as a Nipper and she finished just behind Simone from FH who had been a silent rival throughout the competition. It was one of Ally's Highlights as she was placed 9th Girl U14 Nipper in South Africa. And won points for the Summies team. It was a great way to complete her Nippers Career.
On the second day of the competition Nicky and Lene brought their 7 children to the beach. The children had a ball; Playing in the sand and surf and cheering Ally on. It was a stunning day for the beach and worth thr drive from the other side of the bay.
At the end of the third day there is a Dad's / Coaches swim. Here I forget that my mind has not caught up with my body. There is a 15 year difference. I am 60 while my mind forgets this and thinks that I am only 45. Thomas runs ahead of me. I run into the surf but am still diving into the waves when the first dad's are already rounding the first buoy. Ah so what? I am enjoying myself. I swim around the buoys and look up to see the marshalls bringing me the finish posts closer so that I dont have quite as far to swim. What an insult! But of course while the Dad's were having a great time swimming the Nippers thought that this was the funniest part of the whole carnival and laughing with glee watching these old men trying to avoid drowning.
This had been three really long tiring days: On the Saturday afternoon a number of parents had tickets for a Super Rugby game: Stormers playing Reds; Stormers had not lost a match yet this season but to the dissappointment of the Local Supporters the run of wins was to end that afternoon.
Barbara and I loaded up the trailer and headed back to Cathy's home. They had some friends over for a Braai that evening. I was not good company as I sat on a couch with a drink to join the children watching TV with my eyes closed.
The following morning; Sunday 10th we left Cathy & Saul at around 05.00am, Collected Michaels children; Jessica; Daniel and Joshua from Nicky's house and then with four children in the back seat and a trailer full of boards set off home. We took the N1 under the Hugenot's Tunnel and then onto the R62. Stopped for some breakfast in Robertson and then continued along the R62 past Ashton, Montague, Ladismith, Oudtshoorn and then to the Langkloof road. Finally 10 hours later (16.00) we arrived at home. This route is around 770kays -- 30kays longer than the way we had come.
We received final results during the week:
Roger obtained results for us:
Hi Guys
I managed to get the results from Lifesaving S.A.
U14-SS 6th not bad considering small team ,remember this age group for Summies won Nationals when they were U10 & U12!
U12-SS 15th
U10-no team=no points
Overall 1st- F.H. 558 pts, 2nd-D.S. 531 pts, 3rd K.B. 297 pts, 13th S.S. 71pts.
Best Regards
Roger.
Here are some of the Official Results:
Beach Sprints: Anke Spies 3rd and Tristan Jonas 3rd:
Flags: Anke Spies 3rd
Beach Relay: Tristan Jonas; Taine Finn; Anke Spies and Bradley Odendaal 2nd
U14 total scores: Fish Hoek first with 296 points; Kings Beach 4th 72 points; Summerstrand 6th 56 points
Overall Summerstrand was placed 13th out of 22 teams. Kings Beach was 3rd; East London 9th and Plettenbergbay 10th.
The following week I was in the Transkei. Barbara had the three little children to contend with. Patrick phones me to tell me that St John is playing Rugby at the Kings Park Grounds. Not the main field but one of the side fields. Friday evening Ally played her first hockey match for Old Grey Girls Team. They played at the NMMU Astro in Summerstrand against an NMMU team. We sat with Patrick, Terry Billson and Carmel and Terry's Parents: Beth & Brian; Also Robin Fourie whose daughter Rayne plays for the same team. Also there was Ally's Friend Kaytlin who always has a really busy game. Terry has brought some wine and snacks; so we make the evening into a small social group. Ally's coach is Dean Gow who finished last years Two Oceans 21 with me. He was Ally's Clarendon Park coach as well. This afternoon Ant Adler and a group of men are hiking up the Cockscomb hoping to Summit on Saturday morning. I had to miss this as I felt that I have been away from home just too much the last few weeks and still have a busy few weeks ahead. Julia is off on a Hockey Retreat with the Pirates Girls Team.
Ally and Natalie are pretty solid in defence hardly letting a ball through. Fron there we went off to Grey to watch the first team play against Paul Roos from Paarl. It was an exciting game to the finish with two short corners after full time but Grey was unable to match the one goal of Paul Roos.
Saturday Morning 15.04.2011;
I am up early for a run. It has been weeks since I have run and I really look forward to the beach this morning. This morning it is Pat and Ronel Scheepers; Sjani Human; Andrew Barton & Susan Burri. We leave at 05.30am and now I am really happy to be here. We jog up towards Walmer Boulevard and then meet up with some friends of Sjani: Laura and Anton. They jog with us. Anton announces that he is not a runner but proceeds to set the pace. Laura tells us that she is a Radio Presenter for Algoa FM. Now I have met three radio presenters and four if you include Neil Bissiker. Up Walmer boulevard and then along Strandfontein. Pat, Andrew and Susan head down Second Avenue and we continue to Admiralty Way.
It is a stunning morning and we are running easily but with Anton setting the pace there is no time to relax. He is happy to have run and is now keen to start this as a sport. We have a swim at Hobie beach after the run. Here we see Ron and Lynne Pask, Mike & Beth Roote and Brian Burnett. They go for a walk each Saturday morning and have tea on the promenade. It seems that Laura is a friend of Carl and Craig Pask. The 10 and 5 kay run goes past us and we wait for the runners to come past before leaving the Hobie beach Parking.
Saturday 16th April.
This afternoon Ally and I go to Rugby at Grey. It has been raining a bit but not heavily. By the time that we are at Grey the rain starts to fall. I have a sweat top and jacket plus a cap to keep the rain off my face. Really not too bad at all. The Thirds win against Paul Roos and the Second team loses. But by now the rain is pelting down and I am quite saturated. Ally comes over and we decide to go home. This afternoon she is going to stay over at a Friend: Natalie Billson. A little later something really extraordinary happens:
Barbara had a Corn Snake for the past three or so years. It came to us a tiny little worm and Barbara has fed and nurtured this snake to quite a sizable snake. The snake escaped somehow when we were in Cape Town last weekend.
Barbara goes to the pet shop and buys a new Corn Snake. She shows this snake to me and it too is the size of a long earth worm.
This this morning she brings the snake to show me again and I comment on how strange it is that the snake appears to have changes shade of colour. The snake I remember her showing me a day earlier appeared to have dark markings while the snake that she shows me today is almost Yellowish. But Barbara poo-poo's my memory as the snake has not changed colour it is my imagination.
Then later in the afternoon I am watching Rugby on TV while Barbara is reading a new Wilbur Smith book. I walk through to the kitchen for some coffee. I am bare foot after trying to dry out from the rain at Grey. I stand on something wet / slimey and look back -- there is the Snake that Barbara had shown me the first day. The one with dark markings slithering in the doorway. Barbara jumps up and looks in the snake box; There are two snakes. What happened when she bought the snake is that the shop owner took out a snake but they were all intertwined and he must have picked up two snakes by mistake and neither he nor Barbara noticed this. Now we have two Corn Snakes. What I find absolutely amazing is the fact that the dark snake escaped from the box; that I happened to be bare foot; that I happened to walk out at the very moment that the snake slithered across the doorway and that I did not squash the snake but looked back to find it still there in sight. A second later and it would have crossed over and been hidden forever.
Today; after months of correspondence, applications, stress etc we finally received Jacqui's Police Clearance certificate. This has gone on for probably over a year. Today I was finally able to scan a copy to Jacqui. This will surely take a huge weight off her mind as it was possible that Israel could have refused to renew her visa.
FRIDAY 22ND APRIL 2011
EASTER WEEKEND
TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON
CATHY AND NICCI COMPLETE THEIR FIRST TWO OCEANS WITHIN THE CUT OFF TIME OF 3 HOURS. THIS THEY BOTH DO WITH NO TRAINING BUT IN NEW OUTFITS.
Easter Monday: I had a run on the beach front. We did the normal course up Walmer Boulevard along Strandfontein and down Admiralty. I had to battle to keep up with the fast pace that Suzanne, Maryna, Ronel and Graham set. It was Maryna's birthday yesterday; Graham Richards joined us; Gerald is back after his operation 6 or 7 weeks back. Ronel; Sjani; Adrienne; Colin; Suzanne were there for most of the run. I had a swim in shallow water off Millers Point as the Hobie beach area is taken up with the Splash festival. Later on I dropped Ally off at her friend Kelly and the two of them spent the morning at the festival.
Monday 25th April 2011
Barbara, Dawn and Gail went to visit Avery Anne in St Francis Bay. I did some shopping at Woolworths for supper and met Jenny and Katherine Dean. Mike has been running very well in the mornings. I am not able to keep up with him right now. Jenny thinks that this is due to him completeing the Addo Run and being motivated. We have all entered the Baviaanskloof run again this year after swearing; "Never Again!" Katherine is looking well. This evening Dawn and Brenda come over for a Butternut soup supper. Ally has her friend Kerry stay over as they start the morning with Water Polo Training.
Tuesday 26th. As a result of the numerous public holidays, today is a school holiday. For the first time this season I wear a long sleeve T-shirt to running. It is not cold but there is a chill in the air. I run with Mike Dean; Kobus, Suzanne, Lynne and Rianna make up the fast group. Barbara, Dawn and Brenda head off to East London for the next few days. They are visiting Dawns friends in EL.
Ally and her friend Kerry go off to Movies this evening. They meet up with their friends at Walmer Park. Terry Billson drops them off later and the two of them push the couches together and they sleep in the lounge. I am sure that part of the reason for this is that Ally's Room is in such a mess that they are lazy to clean up her bed.
Wednesday 27th. Today is freedom day; RSA celebrates the first elections where Nelson Mandela cast his vote in 1994 -- 17 years ago. Barbara and Dawn are still in East London. I had planned a run but when I heard the cold wind I put that idea back where it belonged; Collected a cup of coffee and stayed in bed until around 9am reading and listening to the wind howling outside and rattling doors and windows inside.
Friday 29th April.
Today starts our Prince Albert Adventure.
See separate blog for this.
