Last weekend the College 1 netball team, Mrs. Stevens (coach) and Michele Swainbank (manager), travelled to Rotorua for a pre-season, team bonding weekend.
On Friday night, as it is Lent, we had fish and chips from the local favourite, Oppie’s and then made our way to the Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park. The night ended with some team culture activities.
Saturday began with an early morning 2hr training at the Rotorua netball centre, followed by a refreshing swim in the idyllic Blue Lake. We then visited the iconic Waitapu Kerosene Creek hot pools, before attending a second training back at the netball centre.
That night we participated in several team building challenges and goal setting activities, all of which helped us learn how to co-operate as a team and visualise our individual aspirations for the season.
Early Sunday morning we ran an exhilarating 5km around Blue Lake, before heading to Mrs. Stevens’ childhood church, St Mary’s, for Mass, after which we made our way back up to Auckland, concluding the trip.
Overall, this weekend was truly fantastic. It enabled us, as a team, to become more comfortable with each other, not only on the court but off the court also. The time away was an unforgettable experience for us all. The activities which filled the weekend ensured we enjoyed every single moment. A huge thank you to both Mrs. Stevens and Michele for organising this amazing trip where we became closer as a team.
Alexandra Venn-Brown
