Sports News

Call of the Loon with Laurie Axtens

The Passion of the S

It is passion that lifts sports people to reach great heights, whether it be Justin Harrison turning the tide of a test match with a line out pilfer as he did at Twickenham on Sunday morning or S Sorrensen diving to keep the ball from the ground in a traditional hippy game of Up Ball - or 'balls up' as we like to call it.

The passion to succeed, to conquer the old foe or to set a larger total of gravity defying hits before the ball drops to the ground, drives these heroes onward.

The virtually weaponless tennis player, Lleyton Hewitt, rose to world No. 1 because of his passion. He was and remains one of the most indomitable players in tennis history because even when on the end of hiding he never stops trying. I don't think Hewitt knows how to give up. That is the lesson we glean from watching him play and his indomitable spirit is infectious.

I exalt you all to forget what grade you are playing, forget whether you are playing against another nation or against gravity or fifth grade, and find the passion of complete involvement. It is what makes sport worth playing and indeed life worth living.

Even the misery of defeat is short lived if you embrace it, own it, give up your excuses and accusations and say they were better on the day. There will be another day.

But if you harbour spite and revenge in your heart it can consume you. Too often have good players, having received a poor decision or a bad bounce, simply given up the ghost, let bitterness infect them and fallen by the wayside, never to play again. Do you think that Hewitt never got a bad line call? Do you think that Harrison hasn't been penalised for hands in the ruck when he was on his feet? Do you think that Sorrensen hasn't struck a crowd of stoners?

All our sporting heroes, from Harrison to Sorrensen, offer us a glimpse of something more than technique and physique when we watch them play. In the acts of these colossal titans we get to see passion itself, how it can lift the crowd, the team and the spirits of all.

Sorrensen's battle with gravity and other people's disinterest in 'balls up' typifies the struggle of passion. Gravity always wins. He is on a hiding to nothing, inevitably the ball will drop and who really cares whether its been kept in the air for 25 or 160 petite pats? He is undaunted.

It is a pure life lesson being part of a Sorrensen game of balls up. Life, like balls up, comes to naught on this physical plane, but the joy we derive from being there, being alive, only comes from our complete involvement in the moment, from living in the passion. It is the Passion of the S.

Three rubbers - to be sure, to be sure, to be sure - Table Tennis

The Far North Coast Table Tennis Team has won the recent 2004 Boarder Challenge over last year's title holders Brisbane, despite losing in their last match against the champion citysiders. In a quirk of fate, the Far North Coast team clinched the title by winning more rubbers overall than the Brisbane team, despite losing by three rubbers in their final match of the series to Brisbane.

The FNC team of Henning Hansen, Col Gradwell, Mike Jenkins, Andy Roddan, Ken Hudson, Kirren Jordan, Mark Smith and master legend, Geoff Simes, began the competition well, easily defeating Toowoomba and Armidale on the first day of competition. The big wins gave the Far North Coast a narrow 6-rubber lead over the favoured Brisbane team as the competition went into its final day.

Brisbane fought back early, defeating the FNC A team 3-8, cutting the lead back to 1 rubber. However, the B Grade side of Andy, Rod and Ken managed to extend the lead to 4 by winning their match 7-4. The pressure fell on C Grade to bring the trophy back to Lismore.

FNC fought bravely and were unlucky to lose the match 5-6, however, it was enough to hold off the Brisbane team and bring home the silverware.

Congratulations men.

Devilishly Great

Members of the Great Eastland Archers and the Ballina Devils (rear l-r) Ann Johnson, Graham Bultitude, Maureen Taylor, Jack Taylor, Bill Sykes and Kerry Sykes and (front l-r) Hugh Radburn and Deb O'Brien with their massive haul from the Pan Pacific Masters Games.

Pan Pacific Masters Games double gold medallist Ann Johnson takes aim during a practice round at Arthur Park.

Maureen Taylor (70+), Kerry Sykes (50-59), Deb O'Brien (30-39), and Jack Taylor (70+) from the Ballina Devil's Archers Club brought home seven gold medals between them from the recent Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast.

Maureen, Kerry and Deb brought home gold for both the field and target events for their division, while Hugh Radburn (40-49) and Jack Taylor also picked up silver in the field events.

Ann Johnson (60-69) from the Great Eastland Archers in Lismore also added another gold to her growing collection in both the field and target events, while fellow member Graham Bultitude (60-69) managed silver in both field and target. Meanwhile, Jenny Rawlins (50-59) picked up silver for her accuracy in the traditional target shooting discipline.

All up, 10 archers from the two local clubs attended the games, coming away with 12 medals. Now that's a medal tally.

The first of the disciplines, field archery, consisted of 3D, Aussie round, an ABA 1 arrow round, IFAA 14 Target Animal and Delta Animal rounds. These rounds were supposed to be held over three days, however, on the second night over 28cm of rain dropped on the course, flooding the causeway to the club under two metres of water. Obviously, the addition of an extra day to proceedings did nothing to distract the concentration of the local archers.

In contrast the target event held a week later was fought out in stifling heat. It seems North Coast weather prepared them well, as they accumulated seven of their 12 medals in the target shoot. Hot stuff guys!

And they're racing

The Kidz Club at work during the recent 'Dash for Cash' day at the Lismore Racecourse.

Kids will be the big winners at this Saturday's Family Christmas Race Day at the Lismore Turf Club from 11.30am.

A highlight of the race day will be the Byron Bay Kidz Club, which will be offering free children's activities at the race day. The club has been employed to look after kids at the Lismore races twice in the last few months and parents have high praise for their work.

"The Kidz Club staff have dozens of different activities planned for the afternoon, which will cater for children of all ages and ensure that parents can enjoy the racing action and know that the kids are being entertained as well," said Lismore Turf Club secretary Michael Timbrell. "We've also been told that Santa will be making a flying visit during the afternoon with bags of lollies to give away."

Here's hoping that Santa doesn't come too early or the Kidz Club workers will need to borrow a horse to keep up with their sugared-up charges.

There will also be a toy giveaway on the day.

Lismore at home in Alstonville

An out-of-the-pool highlight to this year's annual qualifying carnival was the inaugural Parade of Competitors in which participating clubs 'marched past' a team of independent judges. Led by host club Lismore Swim Team with their kilted president Scott Hahn on the bagpipes, the teams made an impressive sight and some quite considerable noise. The judges had their work cut out for them and, to the delight of spectators, requested the parade make a second circuit of the pool.

Coach Michael Freney (foreground) from Richmond Valley Swimming Club left many of the young studs in his wake at age 43. However, he was beaten in the 50m breaststroke by one of his own gun swimmers, Karrisa Lisha (15).

Jamhli Edwards from the Lismore Indoor Swim Team looks picture perfect in the 50m butterfly for girls 9 years.

Alana Cole from Southern Cross University Naturopathy Clinic set up a table in a shady spot and worked some magic on those swimmers nominated by their coaches as most deserving of a massage.

Four swimmers from Lismore Swim Team - Jacob Power (15), Jessica Henshaw (14), Alexandra Hahn (14) and Will Aitken (11) - qualified for the State Championships during the annual qualifying carnival hosted by Lismore Swim Team at the Alstonville Pool last Saturday.

Hundreds of swimmers from as far north as Clayfield, Queensland, to Port Macquarie in the south converged on the Alstonville Pool, with Lismore Indoor Swim Team taking out the overall point score.

Lismore Swim Team came second and Ballina Emmanuel Swim Team third. However, all clubs contributed special moments and the following are just a few carnival highlights.

Of all the stellar performances, 11-year-old Kasey Pilgrim from Ballina Emmanuel Swim Team was perhaps the most impressive with her first place in the women's open 50m freestyle in a time of 29.61 seconds.

12-year-old Keatyn Simpson from Aqua Z Swimming Club won several events and her blistering breaststroke swims were well within national qualifying times.

Trent Richardson (13) from Byron Bay RSL Swimming Team clocked a state qualifying time. He managed to win the 50m events in all strokes for his age as well as the 100m freestyle and backstroke events.

Alstonville Swimming Club members Amelia Thompson (13) and Lucas Wise (18) put in some particularly outstanding qualifying performances. Lucas won the open 50m freestyle in a time of 24.90 seconds and the boys 14 and over 100m freestyle in 54.30 seconds.

Samantha Wilkinson (15) from the Lismore Indoor Swim Team was of particular note, notching up a huge personal best time of 2:43.20 in the Ironwoman event.

Sophie Andrews (13) clocked a personal best time for each of the six events in which she competed.

Gold medals for multi-disability events went to Hannah Britton (10, Lismore Indoor), Courtney Lack (10, Lismore Indoor), Jacqueline Freney (12, Richmond Valley) and Catherine Ryan (25, Alstonville).

Lismore Swim Team's Chris Mills remembered announcing at last year's carnival that this year's event would be held in Lismore's fabulous new aquatic centre. No such luck. So without a pool of their own, host club Lismore Swim Team jumped at Greg and Kelly Fettell's offer to make the Alstonville Pool available for the day.

With the opening of the new Lismore Pool still months away, no club officials are game to make any predictions about the venue for next year's event. Even without a home pool, however, this year's carnival was a resounding success.

Making the cutback?

Picture by Karen Wilson.

Young girls aspiring to be the next Layne Beachley (pictured) or wanting to carve up the waves these school holidays should look no further than the all girls 'Learn to Surf' program.

NSW Sport and Recreation and Surfing Byron Bay will be running a beginner to intermediate program in Lennox Head.

Girls aged between 12 and 16 with an interest in surfing are encouraged to attend the holiday clinic, which will focus on safe surfing, skill development, rips and currents and the etiquette of surfing. Successful participants will receive a Safe Surfing Certificate.

"The program will be run by accredited, experienced instructors from Surfing Byron Bay and will provide great opportunities for girls to develop new skills, increase fitness and develop confidence within the surf," said Heidi Duncan from NSW Sport and Recreation.

The cost of the program will be $80 for two days or $120 for three. The program will run from January 6-8 from 8.30am to 4.30pm each day.

Following the all girls program a further program will be run from January 11-13 for both boys and girls.

For bookings or further information phone 6687 7168.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Ever wondered what it would be like to spend an hour in someone else's wheelchair? Well if you're brave enough, NSW Sport and Recreation are offering just such an opportunity, with able bodied and disabled athletes invited to 'come and try Paralympics' at Lake Ainsworth Sports and Recreation Centre this Friday, December 3.

The try out day has been organised to celebrate International Day for People with a DisAbility and will include goalball (for the vision impaired), archery, powerlifting, basketball, rugby, table tennis, hand-cycling and tennis.

"Abled-bodied people will be surprised how hard and fun it can be playing sports like wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby," said Tony Meldrum from NSW Sport and Recreation.

Indeed wheelchair rugby and basketball are not for the faint hearted. International wheelchair rugby employs a full-time welder at each game - remember these guys don't have any feeling in their legs and they are perhaps a little less concerned about impacts than others.

Meldrum confirmed the day was going "full steam ahead" and revealed that a "good deal of interest" was already circulating within the disabled community leading up to the event.

The come and try day is open for everyone, including those with a disability, who would like to try some of the sports offered at the Paralympics. Friends, siblings, parents and carers are encouraged to come along and get involved.

The day starts at 10am. To register phone 131 302. The cost is $15 and includes morning tea and lunch. Friends, siblings, parents and carers cost $7.50 each.

Lismore looks good

Anthony Nind, in traditional Nindian fashion, smacks a four straight back over the bowler's head on his way to a quick fire 49 for Lismore in the Country Cup. Anthony was unlucky to be given LBW one run short of his 50 with the ball appearing to spin down the leg side.

Hot pink must be Bruce Jobson's colour, for having donned the loud garb, he smashed 96 from the Workers attack on Friday night at Oakes Oval in the first of the one-dayers. This ball went for six over extra cover.

Les McGuire's low slinging action produced a wicket for the Workers captain with his first ball, the prized wicket of Tom Cooper no less. Sadly, one of McGuire's children was not well and he did not bat as he was required to nurse the youngster.

Country Cup

Lismore pulverised a pedestrian Lower Clarence attack, at a rate of more than five runs an over, on a deteriorating Oakes Oval wicket on Sunday, earning themselves a place in the prestigious Dubbo Carnival in late December.

The gun Lismore team made light work of the Lower Clarence bowling line-up, scoring 253 from 47.2 overs. One of their opening bowlers was hit out of the attack as the medium pacer conceded 26 in a mere two overs. Anthony Nind was particularly brutal on the big river boys, helping the locals to 86 off the first 15 overs before he was dismissed. His departure only opened the way for 'superstar' Tom Cooper (49) and Hawks' top order tyro Joel Henderson (42) to continue the onslaught. Brad Lofts (22), Bruce Jobson (20) also chipped in with their usual unorthodox bowler clubbing.

However, open season on Lower Clarence cricketers didn't stop there. When the Clarence team came to bat they were monstered by raw-boned, party-animal all-rounders Jake McKinnon (4-48) and Brett Ruttley (3-10). The pair mutilated the Clarence top order leaving the visitors 7 for 65. In the end Lower Clarence limped to a meagre 115 in a game almost as lop sided as the current test series against the Kiwis.

The Country Cup Carnival has a prize pool of $40,000 and as things stand at the moment the Lismore team are looking like taking a lion's share of that pool.

One-dayers

Tintenbar East Ballina and Southern Districts tied their one-dayer in the first tied match in LJ Hooker history last Saturday at Oakes Oval.

The gripping encounter included a century to Paul McLean (104), a hard fought come back and a last over run out.

McLean, a graceful stroke-maker, is a rose among the thorny willow wielders at Souths, and his innings was all but chanceless. If the Lismore team do lose Joel Henderson for the Dubbo carnival, McLean is an obvious replacement.

However, if it wasn't for Rex Parish's 30, McLean's century would have been a lone hand for Souths. This meant that the 'Bar top order were only asked to chase a total of 189 on the much improved Oakes wicket.

After Mick Warburton (56) and Brett Crawford (52) brought up the century opening partnership in good time, Souths were looking down the barrel of an early exit from the knock out competition.

Souths are a wise team and well led - they didn't panic, they circled the wagons and concentrated on good line and length.

A run out and nine miserly Paul Fredrick's overs later the 'Bar needed two from the last ball. They only managed one.

Both teams will progress in the knock out. Early signs seem to indicate that Tintenbar East Ballina will fight it out with arch rivals Ballina Bears and Souths will play Casino in the second round.

The Norths Goonellabah RSL bubble burst against the Ballina Bears at an unkempt Fripp Oval when the regular competition leaders stumbled to a total of 9-112. Brad Walker (45) and Nathan Bonamy (25) were the only Hawks batsmen to unduly trouble the scorers as the young Bears team shared the wickets out between them with Adam and Andrew Gordon, Adams, Slater and Rippon all taking at least one. The Bears then shared out the runs in a similar fashion as six of them made a start but only Davis (21) managed to crack a score of 20 as they passed the total with only two balls to spare.

The hot pink Easts machine easily overcame Workers Club by 100 runs on Friday night. Although Workers stocks were bolstered by the surprise inclusion of opening bowler Mick Knight and a weekly spending spree totalling over $6000 dollars on equipment, the big club blokes were never in the race against the star studded Easts line-up.

Bruce Jobson was absolutely imperious during his knock and was unfortunate to fall just four runs short of the season's first century. Les McGuire (3-46) was the best of the Workers bowlers, though Ianna was as tight as ever, only offering up 13 runs from his 8 overs.

In reply, former Easts opener John Avila (22), Ianna (18) and veteran Matt Boyd (26) all made a start but failed to capitalise under the lights. Ruttley (3-11) and Daniel Wells (3-22) shared the wickets. Easts will take on Marist Brothers in the next round.

Alstonville's forgettable season continued on the weekend when they were bundled out for 54 in reply to Marist Brothers' 149 at Nesbitt Park, South Lismore, on Saturday.

However, Marist can think themselves lucky that they were only playing the red soil blokes because they've got some serious top order problems. Last game the Brethren slumped to 6 for 9 against the Hawks, on Saturday they were 2 for 7 before Steve Arnett (33) came to the rescue again. Perhaps it's just hard luck. After all, there is no doubting the ability of Luke Collins and Adam Gadowski. Whatever is going on, Marist better rectify it before they take on Easts in January, because the hot pinkos are on fire.

Last year's one-day champions, Casino Cavaliers, are a very disciplined and youthful fielding team who support their bowlers brilliantly, but that is to take nothing away from Mark Bratti's effort against Lennox Head at Queen Elizabeth Park last weekend. Bratti, who opened the bowling, ended with figures of 2 for 9 from his 8 overs.

Earlier punishing left hand opener Adam Shields kept the home sides innings together with a solid 51. He was aided in his endeavours by brutal run getter Sam Irvine (30) and brother Andrew Shields (29). Casino moves into the second round.