I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to playing with fire but these guys know what they are doing. Don't do this at home kids. They use a very special fuel that doesn't combust and burn with hte heat of a conventional fire.
The children clearly had lots of screams in them as the fire sticks travelled through the air and around their bodies. I think I'll have a cuppa and a little lie down.
Last week Marina and I went to Domain Tce Park to see what the Better Balance sports options looked like for our tamariki. I had been to a couple of seminars with Sport Canterbury and we had been shown the research on what happens if children are channeled into a specialty sport too early. The fall off rate is phenomenal.
Greg was the main organiser and there were other volunteers or workers there from Sport Canterbury, youth leaders and Pasifika groups.
Every child was included.
There was competition and fun. We heard laughter and a lot of puffing. A great balance. The children played in mixed teams of boys and girls and across the 4 different schools.
As a school we had also looked at the costs of transport to Hagley Park and weighed that against the amount of time the children actually had to compete on the field or court. We know too that every year some children don't make the teams and to be regarded as a leftover as a child is appalling. Children soon get the idea that they are not as good as other children. The truth is, they may not have been exposed to the range of skills and sports that are going to motivate them.
We watched the children play a range of games from Modified Ripper Rugby to Ki o'rahi. I know it's a change from what we have always done, but what we were doing was narrowing the opportunities for many children. I'm very pleased that there are plenty of opportunities for the traditional sports too and it's lovely to see Pauline, Rachel Justine, Dave and Cath out on the courts and fields during and after school, coaching netball, football and basketball. Those children shine in their sport. Charlotte is a keen supporter and organizer of after school sport, and I know hundreds of children have now benefited from her mahi. Megan also spends many hours researching and organizing so that our tamariki have maximum exposure to sports opportunities. Thank you everyone.
