Karate Rugby Karate Rugby Karate Rugby

We are nearing the end of Rugby season for our team (they have played their hearts out), BUT they have had no COACH for 4 weeks and it has showed NO one person would put there hand up and coach these boys 2 dads did but one works shift work another could only do every other thurs and not tues AND NEITHER of them could front on a SAT, (one cant drive for gods sake!) then no one would turn up THEN one QUIT because he wanted FULL AUTONOMY (some players are brilliant one has already been poached for RBHS Rugby Academy) 4 are in the King Country Rugby Development side and there are 5 - 7 players who have MEAN skills (my new bestest word!) the rest have GREAT SKILLS but need guidance and commitment and their SKILLS BASE built up!. I am desperately trying to secure FUNDING and COACHES for next season BUT dont know why the schools dont DO MORE these are some of the naughty boys YES ADMITTEDLY but they DEFINITELY need strong leadership, continuity, boundaries, and a person who has Mana and Respect (alot of parents want me too step up) BUT I have this thing where AT 13/14/15 yr olds THEY NEED MALES there not a mum/female/organiser (which I am brilliant at) coaching I dont know ALOT of teams refer to me AS THE COACH because they havent seen the OTHER MEN ever on a saturday and YES the boys cetainly listen to me thats for sure THERES no mucking around WHEN Mother of the Brothers is there (their team haka has BROTHERS featured very strongly in it! hence my nickname).

I am in awe of these boys they are a ramshackle lot with drive and determination BUT their commitment levels and stickability need working on AND A PASSION for the game only comes from a strong switched on coach! Who can keep them focused and on track.

Now I do realise that it is a HUGE commitment to say yes yes I will coach the team BUT if you as a person say you are going to do it WHY then would these men NOT COMMIT to it THEY (we ) all knew the time frame of the season it was clearly marked out and FORMS were given out outlining grades times and length of season, THESE boys will flounder IF left and drift away AND YES some will definitely be in more trouble (and already are) if NO ONE SCOOPS them up and sorts them! (I soooooooo want to Blindside some of these boys the "fixer" in me is very maternal towards some of these boys...

Then there is Karate! Karate over 4 days 3 hrs last night 3hrs tonight 5 hrs tomorrow and 8hrs Sunday (competition day NZ NATIONALS!) Rugby will be finished AS of tomorrow 12noon and then ONCE this weekends over we are taking a chill pill for a week or two. Karate is great for Samuel and can be and probably will get him places (ie tournaments and travel etc) Samuel just completed his Year 9 Speech and is in the finals (once again last year he got 2nd by 1/2 a point in Yr 8) his speech was on Karate something he is clearly passionate about and IT SHOWS, he is growing before my eyes HIS new Gi that was purchased by his Sensei 1 week before AUSTRALIA trip is creeping up already (too short) thats been just on a MONTH! He now wants to add a bit more height so he can play 2nd row in rugby a s a FRONT lineout jumper!!! (yup get him!).

So it looks like my years of Rugby and or Karate aren't ending any time soon!! Oh joy maybe a coaching seminar HAS my name on it! AND that said A NEW JOB as I now want to at least put my hat in IF ASKED (which means afternoons twice a week and Sat off in Rugby season!) OR some kind person will sponsor the team (they even had to play in 2nd hand uniforms that weren't the best and most of the team shorts were A: too small B:or ripped from previous teams!) my thinking is if you treat a team shabbily and poorly and with little regard WHAT can you expect back THIS GROUP of boys will go through the grades together until school finishes I PRAY something changes soon!!! (I am very protective of these boys and defend them too the hilt when I have had too THE PRINCIPAL and I have already had words STRONG WORDS), some of their family situations and circumstances ARENT great and don't make for pretty reading at all! they are a collective group and a big group and most are all friends(15 of the 24) and knock around together WE ARE trying to steer them into Waka Ama and Kapa Haka to give them Whanau and togetherness and a sense of family and belonging I have also put my hat in for HELPING with Waka Ama and Kapa Haka. Which I am thrilled about (I know both the Te Reo Maori teachers and they are thrilled I am there too!)

It is a vicious day out COLD SUPERWINDY and miserable YAY we get too stand in it tomorrow for RUGBY!

After this weekend I will definitely WORK on some PHOTOS!!!!

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Ciao

Well survived the COMEDOWN of excitement..

of the Australian trip BUT only just!!! ONE very full of himself LAD and he has grown another 4 cm in like a month HE is towering over alot of people and played his FIRST ever EVER position in rugby as 2nd row in the lineout AND made every jump and every pass WAS even more so full of his own importance! eeeekkkkk (I am growing a monster!)

I will try hard to post some pictures soon of aussie BUT I am having problems resizing photos and downsizing grrrrr it is doing my head in, not much else to report Samuel is hard in training for the NZ National CHAMPIONSHIPS in AUG 13th - 15th!!! Iam hoping he A: goes up a dan(from 1st to 2nd) B: does well and improves on his last efforts to feel MORE important( oh yay) C: gets choosen fulltime for the NZ team!! or is strongly indicated for the TEAM Takahashi Shihan is here for the Nationals and is here in NZ Samuel will get the luxury of another 5 days training ACTUALLY I will post his KARATE REPORT he did on the trip for the NZ Magazine Karate Kicks Butt!!! (lol nah I dont know what it is called I'm just being silly!)


Queensland Trip Report 2010

Well for 7 weeks now I have been fundraising, and after writing countless letters, organising sausage sizzles and walking around Taupo selling raffle tickets I have finally raised enough money to head over to Australia. And it should have been easy but no I went and fractured my toe, which meant no Karate, Rugby, Rugby practice or school sports even for 7 weeks. And I only got medical clearance to leave 2 weeks before competition day. Right away I got set packing my bags. Togs, clothes, sunnies jandals camera, ah oh yea and my Karate Gear. Then there were the phone calls and e mails to Grant Stove organising the finer details (poor Grant mum is such a worrywart).

On the day of the flight I am not nervous at all, and as the plane taxis down the runway, lift-off! We are on our way! Heading through Brisbane customs (must not laugh… at accent) and then we head out into the wonderful world of… Motorway? Yep 5 hours on a plane then another 4 ½ hours driving, past places like Gin Gin and Gympie and Moojimbia and I thought that NZ place names were strange. We finally made it to Childers and had met our host family we were just starting to relax when I get told that I had to get my Gi on. What!? We have training today?

Another 4 long days of training with Takahashi Shihan ensue. Which include blood, sweat and breaking sticks. Learning new Kata, improving old Kata going over and over basics and improving Kumite skill. And the BUNGEE CORDS who bought the bungee cords? They were just wonderful! Added tension to your arms just to make the hard training harder. But it was worth it, I have come home more STRONGA! FASTA! MORE TWISTO! Ah yes very good.

Saturday competition day already? First of all the Kyu grades battle it out in Kata and Kumite. Working up to brown belts then team Kata then finally it’s the black belts turn. I had to do Heian Nidan as my knockout Kata. Not my favourite but I still tried. And with my Kumite I thought I would do better than I did but oh well I will just get them next time. The finals done everyone was lined up Australia one side NZ on the other, the all important haka begins TARINGA WHAKARONGO! TARINGA WHAKARONGO! KIA MO! HI! Oh yea those Aussies were scared. The fighting was intense a blood nose, sore bones, bad bruises and a hospital bound person. Knock em down! NZ win TEST MATCHES 5-4 woohoo.

After the competition we get our good clothes on and head to the Isis club. A great end to an amazing week. Good food, good company and lots of dancing. There was a lively band playing old schools songs and a game of ball rush going on outside on the field. The last day was an early start and after saying goodbye to our host families it’s another 41/2 hour trip back to Brisbane airport. But the trip was made more enjoyable with techno music blasting from our phones we were a mobile rave! The music reverberating in the minds of the slightly hung over Sensei’s, a few laps around the airport shops it’s finally time to board our plane, it was great fun in Australia and I had an awesome time but it is wonderful to be heading back home. As the plane is coming in to land the captain announces its 3 degrees down in NZ. 3 degrees! Yep we are back home. Thanks to Grant and Mark for organising a great trip. and to anyone considering heading away on these trips, do! It is a fantastic opportunity

Samuel Mason, Taupo

And a kiwi has landed!!

Yay got one very excited tired boy home... HE HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST!

Although he was tired he yakked all the way home!! I didn't recognise him when he came out his hair was spiked up and he had FRIGGIN DJ Dane Rumble shades on FUNNY!

I left Taupo at 9.45pm MET a lady on the way at Cambridge to drop off 38 Animorph books she bought off me through Trade Me (like EBAY), arrived Airport 11.40pm flight arrived 15 minutes past midnight EARLY! and only had to wait 10 mins.

We just got in car and drove, we stopped Tokoroa for MCDONALDS as Samuel hadn't eaten since 6pm and WAS STARVING we ate on the side of the road by the MOBIL garage (TOKOROA!) it was flippin freezing DEW and ICY grass all the way we are going to be in for a boomer frost.(we were in the car though).

Got back at 3.15am Samuel had quick shower to freshen up and wash hair he felt stinky and yuck, emptied training bag whilst he was in shower, then tackled the small suitcase 2 small loads washing one on now and I'm waiting till it finishes 10 mins time to put next load on(and we are done!) and well he's in bed now tucked up I had turned electric blankets onto 2 before I left and had oil heater timed to come on at 2am to take chill off air (although I have a nightstore I had seen that we are going to be -3 !).

Strangely I am not tired funny that but I am in pyjamas and I am heading to bed probably wont drop off straight away but bet I will be tired later on today IF I don't sleep! I do however have to go to work at 3pm.(must remember to set alarm!).

Thanks to everyone who helped in getting my son over there and thanks for the well wishes ONE HAPPY MUMMY now son is home!

EVERYONE have a good day whilst I'm sleeping!

Ciao

Traveling home again................

Samuel is on his way home they are leaving Childers 2pm after morning training and their flight leaves 9pm.

I spoke to him this morning he sounded fine a bit bummed HE LUCKED out in the kata and kumite fight rounds (knocked out in first rounds) not KO knocked out just eliminated. BUT in the all important NZ Australia test matches he WON his bout!!! IN FACT NZ won the entire test match match ups!!!

The boy at training he has been beating frequently over last 6 months he blardy lost too, HIS words I sucked BADLY!

He did however factor into that conversation the night before he had had fish n chips for dinner AND at midnight was helicopter vomitting and managed to redecorate the entire toilet!!!! (blurk) I spoke to the billet mother and she don't worry he was fine after we got him to the shower and cleaned up and back into bed etc, he said he felt weak though so never mind A WEEK of training and then intense fighting has probably taken its toll poor little bugger.


At least now he knows what is involved and what to expect he said his words "There was black eyes blood noses and A ZONED out before he hit the mat fella!!! was intense mum intense!

I have missed him terribly only text him 6 times rung twice SO I think I didn't do too badly in the scheme of things .

He has a CD of pictures to bring home with him so that will be cool when I get them loaded I will have a photo display up.

I am off to have a nana nap now as house is warm and I am tired I worked this morning only 4 hours in an emergency WAS not happy being woken up I can tell you!

Enjoy rest of the weekend.. my cellphone and landline will be off over the next 24 hours (due to coverage and SLEEPING) so IF anyone is trying to ring THEY wont get me!

Ciao

Rang Samuel and A PHOTO at last...

IF you click on the photo you get an idea of how TALL my son is getting he is nearly 14 the other boy at FAR LEFT is 15 and Samuel nearly reaches the DAD at the BACK !!!! I also hoped to send him away with his old Gi to wear so to save his NEW Gi for competition days Sat/Sun in 2 weeks his old Gi has gone from fitting to NOT FITTING too short in legs and arms, but he took it so he had a spare anyhoo.DUHHHHHHHHHHHH I forgot I had already put this up (gee I must be tired!)

I managed to get billet information we weren't supplied with any before they left, the billet parents have family in New Plymouth and she the mother knows Taupo well (she was thrilled with the mountain and lake scene coasters she could name all the mountains and that impressed Samuel). She has a 13 yr old boy too and older children 19 and 21. SAMUEL is having a ball training is relatively easy he says, AND THE BILLET parents have a PET SNAKE!!!!!! they get to hold it tonight when the DAD is back from his job (works in the mines).

He is managing his contacts ok, woke up yesterday came out in shorts and singlet and the host mother was like OMG its freezing he said why whats the temperature she says 10 degrees he said "heck it was -5 at our place last week and -3 and -2!!" he said its warm but not stinking hot so that's good.

The billet family are in charge of the canteen and food at the tournament so SAMUEL is in pig heaven!! they also had Wii, PS3, and a pool he will be sad to leave me thinks!

I said I would ring on Saturday night once the first day of tournament rounds is done.....

So I can relax a lot now it peed me off that our NZ guys couldn't or didn't supply billet information when I asked last week I mean your child traveling overseas and you don't know to who or exactly where they were going to be based!

I am still in me pj's YAY

Ciao.

Got a text yay

Heard form le said child he text me late last night a long text flight ok trip up ok food ok im ok (lol) and bits inbetween.

Mary H he has his own cellphone I acquired one through friends (for him to keep) before the Aussie trip so at the very least I could ring him.

Had a good sleep after the Monday night debacle! Just only got up 30 mins ago as I work int he afternoons 2-6pm Tues/Wed/Thurs got spoilt for dinner at my friends house Roast Pork! all the trimmings.

Am off to town son too mooch.

If I could warm up!!!

Have a good day.

Ciao

One kiwi off to KICK AUSSIE BUTT!!!

Well I am back home in Taupo, we drove up to Cambridge (10mins or so from Hamilton Airport) stayed at Cambridge Motor Camp arrived 8pm by the time we unpacked made beds (you had to take own linen only $50 for the two of us) in the same CABIN NEVER AGAIN, gawd my son is a restless noisy arse sleeper rustling scratching farting snoring sheesh!!!! I was awake at 12.30 pm 2.20am 4am up at 4.50am at Airport 5.30am!!!!!!!! and just as well shyte it was busy people everywhere. Had breakfast there well something light anyhow. Took 2 photos and said our goodbyes I cried a little (choked back the sobs I am such a friggin booby when it comes to my son!).Traffic was awesome on way up and back was worried last night though as there WAS alot of FOG on the way there and THE SENSEI drove up from Turangi 3.15am this morning he said there was alot of FOG too!

Arrived back in Taupo 8.30am AND HOW IN THE HELL does one manage to make ONE WHOLE LOAD of washing overnight!!! I forgot to take a towel and had to dry myself with my PYJAMAS (ohhhhh yuck!) I then washed sons pyjamas too and the sheet I took that covered the windscreen incase of frost! (was none but it rained a little!) emptied car of sheets blankets (small oil heater that we took to make the cabin cosy!) and dressing gowns Large bag of washing! and am airing car out.

So with that I am now off for a nana nap once washing is finished I am SHATTERED completely shattered!

Sun is out and I am blardy going to bed again!!

Have a great day.

Ciao