NZ U21 Team – Managers Report 2007

 

Well 2007 was to be my first step in a different direction in the sport of woodchopping.

Being the NZ U21 team Manager was something for me to be excited about.

After running a very successful trial over 2 days, we had drafted a well rounded bunch of youth and I was left with the official NZ U21 team.

It was a great turn out of trialist’s and it was better than I had imagined.

We built a good team spirit from the trials, with 4 weeks before travelling to Melbourne we had a 2 day training camp which gave the boys a chance to bond and for me to see who, what, and where we needed to do work.

By the end of the training camp we all had something to work on before we next met.

This time would be at the Wellington airport where we all assembled dressed in full NZ number 1 attire, looking smart and rearing to go on our adventures across the ditch to Melbourne, where we continued to grow with good team spirit and moral.

On the commencement of the show it was clear that some were slotting right into things and some were not, in saying that the experience for one and all is far greater than most of you know.

This was my first port of call along with the more experienced axemen we all helped each other along with encouragement and support the whole way through.

Before we knew it, the first test was upon us in the Main arena.

We ran a combination that I had run at the training camp which was to spread our stronger cutters through the field.

The result was Australia in front from start to finish with NZ behind by a half a block.

With some ground to make up and taking on board comments and suggestions from the team, we made some changes for the second race, opting to bring some strength to the front of the team.

We focused on the second race and unfortunately we were slightly down on the first block, we got closer to Australia this time and even managed to sneak away with a slight advantage after the sawyers gave a strong performance, but Australia was to be too strong for us out the back going down by under half a log.

Third and final race, and yet another change, we made more ground again with this being the best race by far.

Australia had won all 3 races this time but our boys put up the best fight that they could and have learned from there experiences, some more than others.

The spirit was a little down as far as not winning went, but the moral and the pride for chopping for their country still was strong.

Going down to Australia is not the result that anyone wants but the fact that we only showed improvement in every race is something that I as the Team Manager felt very happy with.

So with that all being said and done it was a great trip to say the least and a good bunch of boys and I must say that it was very pleasing to see so many NZ U21 boys gain wins throughout the show and many with places it was a great eye opener for each and everyone.

On that note I would like to say well done to the team of 2007 and bring on 2008

 

Many thanks to those that went out of their way to aid in helping, the U21 woodchopping trials process. This is the future of the sport with these young ones, so with less politics and unruly behaviour our sport will go ahead starting right here.

Lets keep to the rules and regulations laid down before us and there can be no injustice, they do work if abided by and running these trials etc to the rule book just proves it can work for us all at all levels starting at the grass roots of woodchopping!

 

Patrick Barrett (NZ U21 Team Manager 2007)

 

 

New Zealand Under 21 Woodchopping Team 2007

Back Row: S Jordan(Capt.) P Smith, L Vanveen, T Jordan, M Lelievre, N West, P Barrett (Mngr)

Front Row: M Tasker, B Moffett, S Greig, T Jensen