K.I.S HOCKEY @ THE AIMS GAMES
TAURANGA - 20XI
Blog - SEVENSaturday 3rd September 2011
KIS HOCKEY@AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
Well today we headed back home to Whangarei. After eating all the leftovers for breakfast i.e. cereal, barbecue, ice cream and home baking (that Mr Epskamp hasn't scoffed especially the ginger crunch) we found out our surprise, we're going to . . . RAINBOWS END!!!
Most of us had been to Rainbows before but a few hadn't and we all got pretty excited. We all went to the Fearfall, Power Surge, Corkscrew Coaster and the Invader. Most of the girls wanted to go on the driving rides like the Karts and Bumper Boats. We spent about 3 hours having fun but before we left, Barb Mr Epskamp and Papanui made us all go on the Invader, even the ones who are really scared of heights! Of course it was all for Papanui so he could get some video footage hahaha.
We headed to Burger King to get dinner (we meet an ex-KIS student there, HanNah Ross who was heading back to St Cuth's after playing soccer against Northland). After eating, we were finally on our last leg home to KIS. On the way we ate all of Papanui's so called "Old Man Lollies". We arrive at school with all our parents waiting for us. It's dark, we're exhausted and happy to be home, but I already miss Tauranga. This trip has been AWESOME!!!
Many thanks to our "Parent Helpers" who came and helped us: Tina, Helen & Greg, Julienne & Shane, Madi's grandparents. Our "Support Team": Coach Barb Michelsen, Manager Andrew Epskamp, Natalie Rolton and 'Camera Boi' Papanui Polamalu. Also a huge thanks to all of our parents and finally thanks and well done to: Emma M, Mackenzie J, Ella PC, Kate S, Sharnaye L, Elice D, Paige B, Nikita G, Jess P, Madi D, Sarah B, Eylish R, Lucy S, Kate R, Rebeca M & Chloe B.
And that's it our hockey trip to the 2011 AIMS Games . . .
But before we finish, we must explain . . . the
Kamo Intermediate School Hockey's - THE TRADITION
Well what is THE TRADITION? Hmmmmm, Let's try to do this quick, it is all the quirky, funny little things that Barb and Mr Epskamp and co. come up with that makes going on these trips so enjoyable. "Doofus Of The Day" where you get to wear some Absolutely fabulous glasses and a hat, but only if you do or say something not so clever or clumsy then you get nominated. If you get the DOTD then you MUST wear it not matter what. Roundabouts (going around the roundabouts twice while beeping the horn). Bunny hops, Mr Epskamp and Papanui always do the shopping together (weird) and making sure you don't mess with a winning streak! If you did something and you win, you have to keep doing it till you lose. We could tell you all the things that happened this year, but shhhhhhh . . . What happens on tour, stays on tour!!!
Blog - SIXFriday 2nd September 2011
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
It's a great day. Sunny sky, no rain, but there is a bit of a breeze. Our final is on at 10am and most of us are up for breakfast by 7am, but some sleep in a bit longer.
We're ready to go by 8.30am and have a bit of a team talk. I think Mr Epskamp is nervous because he is not his usual chirpy self. Barb is, well, Barb. A few more parents have turned up to watch the final. We finally hop in the Mini-Vans and head to the Blake Park for the last time.
When we get there we see the Whangarei Intermediate Hockey team there. They have brought everyone who could make it, to cheer for us. Thanks W.I.S.
Also on when we get there is the Boys Hockey Final between Cobham (Christchurch) and Northcross (North Shore). It's a great game, fast and there are some huge guys playing. Cobham win on Strokes. We warm up and head over to the turf.
AIMS FINAL: vs Otumoetai Intermediate
We're all really nervous. They look really big, well a couple of them are. Their centre-half is pretty good. We get a couple of early chances, but the goals we got earlier during the tournament, just aren't going in today. They are almost in but we scramble it away, we're not so lucky the next time and they score. 1-0 to them. Things just aren't going our way and we miss another good chance (we thought it was over the line). Unfortunately for us they get theirs and it's now 2-0. It's halftime.
Madi's dad has started doing his lap around the turf. Barb puts the "System" in play and we're on for the second half. They score again and for some reason we start playing better. I think we've got nothing to lose. We get a few more chances and actually get about 3 P.C's but the game is over. 3-0 to Otumoetai. Congratulations.
This is when something really funny happened. When we come off after losing the final, apparently Mr Epskamp and Barb have brought Champagne (actually sparkling grape juice) and he started squirting us with it. Papanui had to hide behind Barb to save his cameras. We couldn't stop laughing and getting soaked. The President of Otumoetai came over to us and accidentally got grape juice him as well oops. The other teams actually give us a guard of honour and we get to have another ice cream.
After we get cleaned up, we head to the Queen Elizabeth Sports Complex to the Medal and Closing Ceremony. We have to wait but we finally get up and are awarded our Silver Medals. Emma and Mackenzie also get selected to the tournament team so that's a pretty big deal. After the ceremony we get photos, go on the playground and then we get to pick where we go shopping. The majority pick Bayfair Mall so we go there for a couple of hours. We then have a barbecue for dinner and all the parents join us. We give out gifts to the parent helpers and Mr Epskamp and of course Barb, they all deserve them and thank you so much for all your help.
All in all we are really stoked to have won the Silver. It's been a great day, we've had heaps of fun and some good food. Tomorrow we off home but Mr Epskamp said there's a surprise, hmmmm can't wait.
Blog - FIVE Thursday 1st September 2011
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
Well it's Semi-Final Day here at AIMS. In the first Semi-Final at 10.30am, Cobham Intermediate (who won Silver last year) are playing Otumoetai Intermediate (Bronze medalists last year). We are playing Tauranga Intermediate School (which is the largest Intermediate in New Zealand) in the second Semi-Final.
After breakfast, Barb and Mr Epskamp took us for a stroll along Mt Maunganui beach just to keep us relaxed before our game at 12.10pm. When we get to Blake Park, we watch the 2nd half of the Cobham vs Otumoetai game. It's 1-1 at full time so they go to strokes. Otumoetai win 4-1 and are in the AIMS Hockey Final.
SEMI-FINALS: vs Tauranga Intermediate
We get on top early and get a goal after 10 minutes to Madi. We have a few more chances, but we can't get them in the goal (earlier in the week they were going in for us). Tauranga are big and strong and come back to score an equalizer 1-1 and it stays that way till halftime.
We can feel all the tension building especially with all the parents who have made the trip down to watch us today. Madi's father has to do a lap around the field because he's so nervous he can't stand still. Apparently Barb is so nervous that our Camera Boi has stopped taking pictures and she has told him to help with our defense.
The second half starts and it's just like the first half. We get chances but can't put them away. Our backs Elice (Missile) and Sharnaye are having a great game. But it looks like we're going to strokes. We break with a minute to go, Mac gives a great pass to Jess and she shoots, it goes through the goalies legs, it's in!!! We've scored . . . with 20 seconds left on the clock . . . We have never seen our parents and supporters jump so high. We have to hold them out . . . . . . . The whistle finally goes!!! We've WON!!!
We are in the AIMS Games Girls Hockey Final!!! We are stoked. Nothing like waiting till the last minute. I have never seen bigger smiles then on the support crews faces. Our parents are ecstatic. Papanui (aka Camera Boi) hasn't taken any photos of the second half because he was to busy yelling. Rebeca says she's too young to be stressed like this. Everyone is hugging everyone else. Mr Epskamp says we can go and have another ICE CREAM!!! I like winning if you get this for a reward.
Our gold medal winner, Callum and his family have come to watch and are celebrating as well. He shows us his silver and 2 golds and we want to do just as well. We go back to our apartments and have spaghetti bolognaise that Jess's dad has cooked for us (he use to be a chef in the army apparently). We eat heaps and then Barb has some more team building games, before it's light out and we're off to bed.
After 7 games in 4 days we're pretty tired. But tomorrow we play the FINAL against Otumoetai Intermediate and they're tough!!!
Blog - FOURWednesday 31st August 2011
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
Everyone's tense today. This is finals hockey, or so Barb, Mr Epskamp and Papanui keep saying. We are in the top 2 of our group but need to win to finish at the top of Group D. But we're playing one of the top 3 schools in Auckland, St Cuthbert's.
GAME FIVE: vs St Cuthbert's
St Cuths are a good side and Barb's daughters ended up playing there when they went there for high school. They have a good coach and they beat us last year. We start well and our munchkins get an early goal. Our defense has been playing great and Elice and Sharnaye are stepping up. we lead at halftime 2-0
In the 2nd half it gets a bit rougher because they are trying everything to bussle us off our game. Mac ends up going down on the sand again and tears the skin off her knees. But she's not coming off. we score again and that's it, we've won!!! We finish top of our group and were in the Quarter-Finals. We play Kristin School, the 2nd best team in Auckland at 4.20pm this afternoon. Everyone's happy, even Mr Epskamp because he shouts us all an ICE CREAM!!!!! We like winning . . . Ice Cream.
We do hot and colds in the sea again and then because we have a bit of a wait, we're going Ten Pin Bowling!!! We go in groups of 5. Paige forgets to bowl the ball and it goes backwards (she should get the hat), but Mr Epskamp does the best by going too far over the line and slipping over. He can't even get up properly and we can't help it but laugh (I think he did it on purpose). So Mr Epskamp gets the hat and glasses.
QUARTER-FINALS: vs Kristin School
Now this is tension. Knock out hockey, if you win you go up to the top 4 and the Semi-Finals, if you lose you go down to the 5th-8th playoffs (we were there last year). The game is really tight but we seem to be getting more chances. Finally the munchkins strike again, we're in front 1-0. It's halftime this is tough.
The 2nd half and they are playing well. But we're stepping up as well. We strike again and it's now 2-0, yes we could be away. Their coach takes their goalie off and have 11 field players but we hold them down their end and get a PC at the finish. Emma just misses the goal but it's over!!! We're in the top 4 of New Zealand. We find out we're playing Tauranga Intermediate tomorrow (they are the biggest Intermediate in New Zealand with around 1400 students).
AIMS GAMES with Madi & Jess31.8.11
Hello Everybody,
We are in Tauranga at the NZCT AIMS Games Tournament for 2011.
There are 4620 student athletes, 800 Coaches and Managers, 120 schools. 24 hockey teams.
We are
doing so well. Our First game was against Otumoetai Invitation team and
we won 4-0. Later on that day we played Pongakawa and won 11-0. The next
day we played Bethlehem College and won 5-1. Then we travelled to
Bethlehem College to play Maeroa and won 8-0. Today we played St
Cuthberts. We fought hard to become first in our pool and we won! The
score was 3-0.
Instead of taking only a hockey team, We took two gymnasts and two swimmers.
Callum.P has got two golds and a silver already and we are waiting for more from all the rest of competitors.
Madi and Jess!! :D
Blog - THREETuesday 30th August 2011
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
We got up early for breakfast again, everyone is usually at breakfast just after 7am. We have an early game against Bethlehem College on the Sand Turf at Blake Park, before going to Bethlehem College to play Maeroa Intermediate from Hamilton. We're worried about Bethlehem, they sound like a good team. So we are off to play.
GAME THREE: vs Bethlehem College
We are playing in the Black shirts today, as we have a fast turnaround between the 2 games. Bethlehem were tough. We got our first goal scored against us on a PC and we're trailing 1-0. Their centre half is good and on a later PC hits the ball into Mac's ankle. Our team comes back and we score 2 goals in a row to lead 2-1 at halftime.
The 2nd half and on comes Mac (she hates subbing), we play pretty good hockey and score 3 goals to win 5-1. Ella played awesome and Mac has scuffed up knees from getting tackled on the sand so she has to look after those as well as the ankle.
It's fast in the Sea for our colds and then a quick hot shower before having a quick lunch and we're off across Tauranga to Bethlehem College.
GAME FOUR: vs Maeroa Intermediate
Barb and Mr Epskamp tell us we need to pick up our intensity if we want to do well. Maeroa is a junior team and Papanui knows one of their players (apparently he's been fraternizing with the enemy). They have a couple of good players and Barb is worried about Mac's ankle. But we start really well, and we lead 4-0 at halftime.
We put on our bench and score another 4 goals to win 8-0. It's a pretty good win and everyone seems happy. We drink the replace, eat our pink jam buns and we're off to do Hot & Colds in the paddling pool. It's not as bad as we thought, but it still pretty cold (at least Freddi didn't cry like her sister last year hahaha).
We've found out that Callum P has made it to 6 swimming finals, and is the favourite in 3 races, while Meg S has made it into 1 final as well. Some of the parents are going to watch and hopefully take some photos.
We have a nice roast for dinner, pork and lamb. Papanui gets the pork bone and Cake gets the lamb one. After a nice dinner, Mr Epskamp says that we have a chance of finishing in the top 4 and we can even go all the way to the Final but tomorrow we play St Cuth's and last year they beat us 1-0 on strokes to knock us out of the top 4. The ones who played them last year, really want to do well. So after a nice dinner, we're of to our rooms to watch TV and then get to bed.
We find out later that Callum has won 1 Silver Medal and 2 Gold Medals!!! All his medals are from the backstroke, silver in the 50m and the 2 golds in the 100m & 200m. That is awesome, Kamo Intermediate has the best Backstroke swimmer in New Zealand!!!
BLOG - TWOMonday 29th August 2OXI
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September 2OXI
Got up at 8.00am for breakfast. Then went and had a quiet walk up and down the beach across the road. We had some morning tea before going to get ready for our first game against an invitational team from Otumoetai.
GAME ONE: vs Otumoetai Invitational
Mac decided she would wear the "DOTD Hat & Glasses". We didn't know what the Invitational team would be like. Barb gave us our team talk, then we went over to the fields and warmed up before getting our stuff and heading to the dugout. We would be playing on the "SAND TURF" yuck!!!
We didn't start as well as we wanted but lead 2-0 at halftime. The 2nd half we had lots of chances but couldn't get them in but we won 4-0. Then we had warm downs before drinking the "Replace" eewwwww it does not taste nice (although some do like it). Yay we've won our first game for 2011.
In between games we had to do Hot & Colds. Fortunately we are right across the road from Mt Maunganui Beach. So it was 3 minutes (which ended up being 5 minutes) in the cold surf before hopping into the Warm (not hot) pool at our apartments (most of us ended up having hot showers). Then we were ready to play Pongakawa School also from Tauranga (this is Mr Epskamps favourite team outside of us. They only have a roll of about 68 students).
GAME TWO: vs Pongakawa School
Coach Barb wasn't happy with our first game so she told us what we had to do better, and that we had to show all the other teams that we're not going to be easy to beat. We came out firing and had a pretty good lead at halftime 5-0.
In the 2nd half we keep our play up and keep scoring. Unfortunately on one of our Penalty Corners the best player in the Pongakawa team came out and looked like she had twisted her ankle, but we found out later she had ruptured her achilles. We ran out easy winners with 11-0 (Rebeca got a really good goal for us). We felt great but were thinking of their captain.
Yum (not) Replace again and Hot & Colds and then off home with bunny hops, beeping horns and singing (mostly in our van). That was our first day finished. I'm tired and we're off to bed. 2 more games tomorrow!
BLOG - ONESunday 28th August 2OXI
KIS HOCKEY @ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 2011
Sunday 28th August - Friday 2nd September : 2OXI
Today we travelled to Tauranga to compete at the 2011 NZCT AIMS Games. We had to be at School by 7.30am so we could all meet up and hop on our vans. Nat (aka Salty) made 2 huge KIS Hockey banners to put on the back vans so everyone knew who we were. Also going to AIMS this year were swimmers Meg S, Callum P and Gymnasts Claire F and Tayla M.
In one van had Barb (Michelsen) driving, Nat (Rolton) co-driver and Mac, Mozzy, Madi, Jess, El, Shardaye, Eylish & Cake. In our van was Mr Epskamp driving, Papanui co-driver and Rebeca, Niki, Elice, Freddi, Chloe, Kate, Paige & Lucy.
We also have lots of parent helpers coming. Mrs Sherman, Mrs Pilmer, Mr & Mrs Doar are also coming as well as Madi's grandparents and Chloe's Dad who lives in Te Aroha. We have to thank them all the time because they worry about feeding us and looking after us and we concentrate on eating and hockey!!!
We stopped for lunch at McDonalds (Mr Epskamp & Papanui) went to the wrong one, Then carried on to the Belle Mer Apartments on Marina Parade in Mt Maunganui arriving about 2.30ish.
We had a quick bite, then a quick run on the sand turf at Blake Park, before getting changed and going to the Opening Ceremony at the new TECT Arena at Baypark.
We listened to Rob Wardell talk about being focussed, doing your best and how he had to do 50 million strokes of an oar before winning a Gold Medal at the Sydney Olympics. We also found out that there were 4860 student athletes, 900 coaches and managers and 15 sports to compete in.
When we get back to the Belle Mer Apartments we have a birthday cake for Sharnaye! She is now a teenager. After having cake it's back to our apartments and tomorrow we would have our first game 12.10pm against Otumoetai Invitational.
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