Eric’s Blog

After two months of training with the Development squad, it was finally time for the two trials, and of course to find out who would be good enough to make the team!

We had to weigh in and register before our first trial, as for this team you needed to be under 55kgs to make it in. luckily enough I was, weighing in at 53.7kgs. We headed into the grand stand to get our positions, jerseys and geared up. I was to play prop being one of the biggest in the team and playing it last year for Gwynne Shield. The trails would be four fifteen minute quarters long.

For the first trail I was in the maroon team. The game was fierce and hard but with a moment slacking off the yellow team went in front with a sneaky try from Nikau. Our defense was like this letting them get another two sneaky tries. Taking the final score to 15-0

Tuesday came around quickly and it was time for the next trial, this time the trial would be at night and of course under lights. We were split up again and this time I was on the yellow team. We took the field eager for some game time. Within the first few minutes of the our team was in front, with a quick try from Mitchell. We  weren’t in front for long though, we slacked off for a split second and before we knew it they were tied up and in front. The score line stayed like this for the whole game. With the final score. 24-19. We were dissapointed but not to much, I mean it was only a trial. We handed the gear back in an dispursed all hoping we had done enough to make the team.

5.6.08 I got a call last night and I made the team.

25^th December or Christmas, the best day of the year. Everyone exchanges gifts and there are smiles and family all round Relatives come from everywhere. From Te Awamutu to Dunedin. All coming to a little town called Te Aroha. To the house where every Christmas has been held for the last decade in my family. The house of many great memories and people.

 The smell of freshly cooked ham and chicken are the first thing you smell as you walk into the house, followed by the short sharp smell of freshly cut summer grass filling the air. I quickly take a right turn into the living room. Only to see presents engulfing the whole room, coloured with every type of wrapping paper imaginable. I manage to find a place to sit amongst the family, laughter and of course the presents!

 Anxiety builds up as the presents are dispersed around the room to their new owners. I glance away for moment, only to turn back around and find I have two presents sitting patiently in my lap waiting for me to open them.

 My fingers and hands quickly get to work ripping, tearing and pulling off the paper, to reveal batteries. This didn’t make sense why would some one give me batteries. But before I could properly think about my body had already made a move on my next present. The last piece of paper is removed to show a pair of walkie talkies. It suddenly made sense to me now; the batteries were for the walkie talkies. Before I could get the walkie talkies case off. My next present had arrived. My fingers warm and craving more destruction of wrapping paper, started all most immediately, tearing the paper off in a mere matter of split seconds. To reveal… a fly wheel. I quickly rip it out of its cardboard and have a quick test drive. It veers out of control and heads for the door. In a sudden thump, against the door, it stopped.

Dodging all the wrapping paper, flying everywhere, I get up to retrieve the wheel when all of a sudden, I see a square; (coloured in wrapping paper) appear right in front of my face. I quickly take grasp of it, and then retrieve my fly wheel. I find one of the little empty spaces left on the floor. Before I can sit, I begin ripping paper off. Ripping, ripping and ripping to reveal… more wrapping paper. I take one look at the new layer of wrapping paper and set to work on it. “Rip” I pull off the last piece of paper only to reveal a third layer! I’m mad now my fingers hit the paper in a blur taking off all traces of paper. Finally the last piece of paper is off and I can see what was hidden inside. A crazy frog C.D. I know who this is from. I look over to mum and dad.

“Thank you mum and Dad”

25^th December or Christmas, the best day of the year. Everyone exchanges gifts and there are smiles and family all round Relatives come from everywhere. From Te Awamutu to Dunedin. All coming to a little town called Te Aroha. To the house where every Christmas has been held for the last decade in my family. The house of many great memories and people. The smell of freshly cooked ham and chicken are the first thing you smell as you walk into the house, followed by the short sharp smell of freshly cut summer grass filling the air. I quickly take a right turn into the living room. Only to see presents engulfing the whole room, coloured with every type of wrapping paper imaginable. I manage to find a place to sit amongst the family, laughter and of course the presents! Anxiety builds up as the presents are dispersed around the room to their new owners. I glance away for moment, only to turn back around and find I have two presents sitting patiently in my lap waiting for me to open them. My fingers and hands quickly get to work ripping, tearing and pulling off the paper, to reveal batteries. This didn’t make sense why would some one give me batteries. But before I could properly think about my body had already made a move on my next present. The last piece of paper is removed to show a pair of walkie talkies. It suddenly made sense to me now; the batteries were for the walkie talkies. Before I could get the walkie talkies case off. My next present had arrived. My fingers warm and craving more destruction of wrapping paper, started all most immediately, tearing the paper off in a mere matter of split seconds. To reveal… a fly wheel. I quickly rip it out of its cardboard and have a quick test drive. It veers out of control and heads for the door. In a sudden thump, against the door, it stopped. Dodging all the wrapping paper, flying everywhere, I get up to retrieve the wheel when all of a sudden, I see a square; (coloured in wrapping paper) appear right in front of my face. I quickly take grasp of it, and then retrieve my fly wheel. I find one of the little empty spaces left on the floor. Before I can sit, I begin ripping paper off. Ripping, ripping and ripping to reveal… more wrapping paper. I take one look at the new layer of wrapping paper and set to work on it. “Rip” I pull off the last piece of paper only to reveal a third layer! I’m mad now my fingers hit the paper in a blur taking off all traces of paper. Finally the last piece of paper is off and I can see what was hidden inside. A crazy frog C.D. I know who this is from. I look over to mum and dad.“Thank you mum and Dad”

On Sunday the 23rd of may 2008, 12 of Te Awamutu Sports 13th grade boys set out for Ngrawahia, for 10 a side tournament.

We arrived and set up tent with the 11th grade and waited for our 1st game to arrive. It was 20 minutes before our game before we started warming up. After Dad ( the stand in coach for the day, also the only referee from Te Awamutu there) had lead us through some stretches (and push ups!) We headed to the field for a team run in the positions we were about to embark the field in. At first it was bit strange in the team run because there were only allowed to be 5 men in the scrum ( which meant the would be no flankers or no.8) and there was no pushing. Being 10 aside rugby it was also hard for the backs as you could only have 5 , so you would have to miss out some vital positions.

It was 5 minutes before our game and we all came into a huddle, after a few encouraging words from our manager (as Dad had already left to do his first game) it was my turn as captain to give the boys a rev up getting them ready for the game a head. We headed on strong headed but we didn’t play at our best and it showed with them running in seven or so tries and managing to keep us from their line despite a awesome break from rewieti. Final score 35-0 to Eastern Suburbs.

We sadly trudged back sadly thinking bout what we had done wrong. It wasn’t all bad as we could still win the plate division (2nd division) but we would have to win our next game ( against a team that had also lost their first game).

It was set we were to play Ngrawahia and we wpuld have to beat them if we wanted to get a decent placing. Twenty minutes before the game we started warming up once more. It was time… the decider was here, both teams needed a win to carry on the competition and only one could. I lead the boys out onto the field, with a high sense of desperateness in the air (for both teams). Our game had certainly stepped up a few notches since Eastern Suburbs but it still wasn’t enough to stop them from scoring their first try from a slack moment of defense. 5-0 the score at half time and all the T.A.S. boys knew we could still win this. Our game was at its best ever in the second half with courtesy of Justin ( our wingers) massive 3/4 of the field run we managed to score our first try but this just made Ngrawahia step up their game to the next step also allowing them to score a sneaky try. I think all our hearts sank when we heard the full time whistle blow. A yell of cheers came from the Ngrawahi side of field. We huddled up with less sense of disappointment after our manager had said four words to us ” you tried your hardest”. Shaking the other teams hand was great knowing for once we had just had a close game.

The day was over for us (well at least we thought so) and most of us left except me and the coach and the people who came with me and Dad. Then all of a sudden we found out we had a consolation game to play (against Hamilton Marist) but we only had five people so we had to forfeit. luckily the other team didn’t show either so it was counted as a draw.

The final whistle blew in my Dads final game and it was time to go. Even though we had lost all our games it was still a fun jam packed day of rugby and we got to see some of the teams we had not yet played, also to eye them up for our 15 aside game against them.

Oh yeah, I’m talking bout rugby if you do not already know

On Tuesday the 13th of May, 14 young but talented boys left T.A.I. for gallaway park, for the boys inter intermediate soccer. We departed school at 8:40am and arrived at gallaway park (in Hamilton) by 9:00 and eyed up the competition. Our first game came around fast. we kicked off at 9:45 against peach-grove. this was a very tight game ball going from end of the field to the other. In the end the final score was 5-0 to them. We trudged back to our station that we had set up and had a little bit to eat. After an hour of a mini soccer game it was time for our next game. This game was against Mairoa. This team was a lot easier than Peach-grove and we came away with the win 3-0. With smiles on our faces we headed back to our station for a well deserved drink and something to eat. We geared up for our final game. This was set to be hard hard game against Fairfield because both teams needed a win to get into the final. In the it was a disappointment for us with them beating us 4-0. The day was over for us so we packed up and headed back to school. We arrived back at school mostly grins on our faces even though we had lost because we gave it our all.

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ENGLISH:

My English goals are is to improve my spelling.I can achieve this by practising it when i get board.

Another English goal is to read faster. I can do this by reading more and for longer periods.

 MATHS:

My maths goal is to not make silly mistakes while doing my work. I can achieve this by checking my work after I have completed it and fix it if needed.

SPORT:

my sport goal is to make the Gwyne shield team again. I can achieve this by trying my hardest and keeping focused on my goal.

 LANGUAGES:

My language goal is to learn the closing Karakia off by heart. I can achieve this by practising it when i get board.

Another languages goal is to learn how to speak more french. I can achieve this by trying my hardest in Mrs Shaws french classes 

In the fouth week of the holidays while I was down in dunedin, my sister, my uncle and auntie and my two little cousins went to the the Dunedin cadbury chocolate factory, the tour started off with a self-guided tour for the first fifteen minutes. The self-guided tour told of how the cadbury factory was made and where they got the coco beans from. In the coco beans area there was a bucket of coco beans and they encouraged you to taste them. I picked one up and put it in my mouth and started to chew, within five seconds my sister and everyone else who had tried the coco beans had spit them out. after the coco bean saga we carried on and found a old chocolate mixer (which had what looked like paint but was chocolate). I pushed a button on the wall and the mixer mixed all the chocolate around. next to the mixer there was a piece of writing describing what the mixer did and what it was used for in the olden days. After 15 minutes of roaming around the guide came out and took us into a little room and we were given a chocolate bar and a head band to wear well walking through  the factory. We watched a five minute long video then headed off around the factory. After and hour of walking and smelling the sweet smell of  chocolate (also getting freebies chocolate bars) the tour was over. over the whole tour we had walked over one hundred and fifty steps and paced one point five kilometers.

yes! I’m finally a year eight and I’m loving it feels a bit weird though not having all your old year eight friends around but it is also good seeing all the familiar faces from your years at primary. There is also great new opportunities of being a year eight that you have looked forward to going for like house captain and class councillor. Its funny how you see the year sevens this year and you think was I like that? A massive change for me this year is being in room3 instead of room 2 like last year, I’m finding things alot better in room3 especially the work it alot harder than in room 2 and it actually challanges me. I am looking foward to the rest of the year in my new class and to wrighting my next blog post.