Personal Catch-Ups: 

I was a very proud dad recently - well, I am all the time, but extra proud this time - when our son Tiaki graduated with his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering. He averaged 'A's across all three years, mainly because he had a great relationship with his lecturers, found the subject highly engaging and was motivated to be successful.

Going back quite a few years, I took on a team of four-year-olds and introduced them to football. It was one of the great experiences of my life. I had those children for eight seasons, and we built something very special. They were all incredibly passionate about the game, exceptionally keen to learn and willing to work hard to succeed.

That little country club team went on to represent North Canterbury at the South Island Championships. I coached them at both club and rep level, and this gave us an advantage as we were a totally united team. They defeated the full Canterbury side 4 - 0, and but for some really bad luck, they should have won the whole tournament.

Tiaki became the youngest person ever selected for the National Talent Centre. Several of his teammates were also selected - including Macey Fraser and Lachlan McNichol. Most of the team made it into the Canterbury Talent Centre and one gained a College Football Scholarship to the United States.

Lachlan is now playing professional football in England, and Macey has just been selected as a professional player for the Wellington Phoenix Women's Team.