On team selection day, we went to a field behind Waiuku Primary School, where the selection process took place. Del’s age group was 7 – 8 years, where they were placed in groups of 10 and asked to just kick the ball around. Not sure what criteria they were using, but the thinking was to ensure that parents do not selectively choose each others friends kids to be in the same team, or as they put it not to have too strong teams.
We were invited a few weeks later to sign up for the team he was selected in , meet the respective coaches, and get the uniform. Del’s team is called the Red Robbins. On the day, it turned out that a number of the teams in this age group had not managed to secure a coach including Del’s team. We were given assurance that one would be found prior to the start of the mini league. During the course of the wait, the organizing secretary Melisa sent out an email to parents to ask if they were prepared to take up the responsibility. With Del’s encouragement I sent email to Melisa forwarding myself for a consideration though with a condition that I would only be able to commence after 5 pm on any selected day due to work commitments. For some reason I disappointingly did not get a response.
As the days for the start of the training period approached, it was eventually communicated that Del’s team member would take up training with another team, the Green Geckos, until a coach was found. His mum took him for his first training session, and I joined them later immediately after work.Who would miss that!!.
Del looked bored during his first session, pretty much what he was not expecting, as clearly some of the kids had no idea how to even kick the ball. Everything moved slow, where they went through drills of kicking the ball to each other.
During the same session, I had the opportunity to talk to Melisa in person as she walked around to check how the teams had assimilated. I asked why she had not responded to my offer, which she alluded to being overly busy . Besides my time availability was not suitable for the age group, as by then, they normally are expected to have wrapped up training. After two more training sessions with the Green Geckos, Del’s team finally got their own coach, a teenage player in the Waiuku Football Club under 19 team, assisted by his dad. They had one more session prior to the start of the mini league on Saturday 4th May 2019.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
