Travelling with Teenagers – An Easter Weekend of Sport

I earned a few air miles over the Easter Weekend flying to Johannesburg, Durban and then back to Cape Town. ‘You should have told your dog you had left,’ Larry Moser emailed me. ’Every time I I walk past, it is lying outside your office door.’

Head Dog: Sandy 'Richardson'

Nothing to do with me. The poor dog is just trying to escape the attention of our year- old border collie who just wants action. No chance of blinking quietly in the sun when that ball of energy is around.

The two festivals I attended did not give me much chance of blinking in the sun either. I began the weekend wanderings at the 30th Anniversary of the St Stithians Rugby Festival and a host of schools had accepted their invitation. In addition, there was hockey, netball and tennis – which resulted in their campus heaving with action and people. It was a superbly well organised event – funfair for the kids, foodstalls - even a pedicure for those who were weary of the sport. The beer garden was bursting at the seams with old boys and supporters from the various schools.

I arrived early at the ground from my B&B. I saw our boys warming up on a nearby field and went to wish them well. Professor Noakes once wrote that you can tell in the changing room before a match how a team will do. He said that you can feel it in the air and sense it in the body language. Watching the players going through their routines, I could see what he meant. ‘I am looking forward to this game,’ I remarked to manager, Mike Engelbrecht. ‘They look calm and quietly determined.’

Captain, Jarryd Sage came over to me. ‘Thanks for coming up to watch,’ he said.

I was touched. ‘Well, you can show your appreciation in your play,’ was my response.

They certainly did. By running in five tries in their opening match of the festival against St Benedicts, they gave early indications of how they were going to play all their matches over the weekend. They retained their composure throughout the game - showing tenacity in defence and, when appropriate, flair in attack. Coach, Justin van Winkel, expressed his satisfaction afterwards - they all knew that they had played well.

During the match, I received a phone call from Dave Williams, an old friend and past deputy editor of the Financial Mail, inviting me out to dinner. He is currently anchoring an early morning business show on television and wanted to talk to me about his new book which he was co-editing with Ali Bacher on twelve great South African Cricket All-rounders. I accepted only when I had ascertained that Jacques Kallis had pride of place in the book. In fact, there were two Wynberg Old Boys who made the list - with Aubrey Faulkner also cracking the nod.

We spent the evening discussing the merits of the other ten candidates and finished off by agreeing that Wynberg’s Bill Bowden Pavilion would be a more than suitable venue to launch the book on September 12th 2013.

The second game was against St Albans. I took my bags to the ground as I was catching a plane straight after the game to Maritzburg where our hockey players were participating in the Maritzburg College 150th Celebrations. I was taking 1st XV flyhalf, Craig Botha, with me as he was also a kingpin in the hockey team as the two coaches, displaying remarkable E.Q. , agreed between themselves to share his talent over the weekend and the season ahead.

Wynberg's 1st XV in action at the St Stithian's Rugby Festival

With an hour to spare before the game, I found the school’s computer lab and took the opportunity to clear some my emails which resulted in me arriving five minutes late for the game. As I flopped down next to Guy Pearson, the Bishops Principal, in the leather arm chair in the front row of the VIP stand (St Stithians know how to entertain!), I saw that our boys were defending desperately on their try line. ‘Your boys are in for a tough game today,’ he said. ‘St Albans have just missed a penalty and their forwards look huge.’

Down in Durban, Anton Grobler the hockey coach must have heard the reports about the size of the opposition. He rang me during the game telling me to make sure that Craig Botha did not receive an injury. I told him that I was lolling in the VIP tent on a leather arm chair with an endless supply of coffee and snacks and what would he like me to do?

I felt that he had a somewhat naïve trust in the omnipotent powers of a Headmaster.

Fortunately our boys did not hear any of these sentiments. They defended their line with passion - eventually gaining the ascendancy. They ran in ten tries.

Craig and I rushed off after the game to the airport. He had emerged unscathed and left the field early for a shower. We arrived with a few minutes to spare at the check-in counter. ‘ID please,’ the official asked us.

‘Mine is in my case,’ said Craig and the official behind the counter looked at his case with trepidation – security tags were fastened on every zip. The queue behind us, sensing a delay, were starting to become restless. Craig then went on the hunt for scissors. Eventually someone in a neighbouring queue came to the rescue. As we rushed through security, the call was booming over the concourse: ‘This is a final boarding call for passengers Richardson and Botha….’

Wynberg's U14, U16 & 1st XI Hockey at Cape Town International Airport on Departure

The hour trip to Durban was not long enough to return heart rates to normal. As we emerged into the Durban heat, Craig announced that he had left his ID in the seat pocket… Fortunately they allowed him back on the plane and, apart from a few wrong turns, we had no further mishaps on our journey to Pietermaritzburg.

A film was once made on Graham Greene’s novel, ‘Travels with my Aunt’ – starring Maggie Smith. Now I should do one on ‘Travels with a Teenager’. Trouble is that no-one will find it funny as it will be too close to home for most parents.

We arrived with twenty minutes to spare before the hockey team took on St John’s. The relief on Anton Grobler’s face was palpable. Apparently he believed all those SMS’s I was sending him about Craig’s torn ligaments.

The game against St John’s was tight and I was enjoying the close fought contest. At half time, assistant coach Jamie Kroukamp , asked if I could possibly take Dylan van der Mescht to the local hospital as his finger was ‘a bit of a mess’ after it was on the receiving end of a shot at goal. So after all that travelling from Johannesburg, I missed most of the game and was able instead to enjoy Pietermaritzburg hospital on a Saturday night. Dylan eventually left the hospital with four stitches and strict instructions not to play any more hockey that weekend. Although he found it difficult to believe that they could do it without him, he did cheer up when he heard that his team had beaten St Johns in his absence.

I just made it in time to the Festival Dinner. I sat with Wynberg Old Boy, Chris Luman, the incoming headmaster of Maritzburg College and Rector of Grey, Neil Crawford. We had both taught Chris in our early years of teaching and were full of worldly advice for him.

One of the speakers was Cedric Mkhize, a young rugby player with seven Sharks caps under his belt, who was paralysed following a car accident a few years back. He gave far better advice. His positive and reflective insights into life, reminded us yet again of what is really important in teaching and bringing up young men.

On the hockey field the following day, the Wynberg hockey team did themselves proud. They powered past a talented Millfield team 6 – 3 and dispatched KES 3 – 0 later in the day. ‘Thrill a Minute Win for Wynberg’ was the headline in the Natal Witness about the Millfield game.

The stage was now set for the Grand Finale against Maritzburg College - still aggrieved by their first ever loss to Wynberg in 2012. The Witness stoked up the flames with the headline: ‘Match to Look Out for on Final day is Between Hosts College and Wynberg’. In the write-up, the reporter said: ‘Undoubtedly this is the match to approach with much relish. This enticing encounter could go either way…’

It didn’t. The Wynberg forwards had better ideas and put in four goals. At the other end, Dylan van der Mescht, defying medical advice (did the Doctor really expect anything else?) and Captain Rob McKinley in goals ensured that Wynberg ended up the festival with a clean sheet in the last game.

Wynberg U14 Hockey team

Again I found myself rushing off to the airport. My phone was flashing desperately when I landed in Cape Town. Good news from Mike Engelbrecht– the first XV rugby had finished off their festival by scoring 50 points against the hosts, St Stithians. Daniel Ramage from Pretoria was reporting a full house of wins in his u14 hockey festival.

Then came the SMS from Neil Crawford in Maritzburg: ‘Horror of Horrors. One of the Development rugby players has just drowned in the College Pool.’

My first thought was for Chris Luman. He is destined to find out that Headship is a lonely place to be. What an unfair way for an incoming Headmaster to learn the true priorities of life. What price rugby and hockey results now?

Through festivals like those we have just attended at St Stithians and Maritzburg, it is right and proper that we continue to celebrate life, youth, athleticism and God-given talents. That tragedy in the Maritzburg College pool allows our young sportsmen to keep press hype, league table discussions and external expectations in perspective.

Cedric Mkhize and a Durban family grieving for their son serve as reminders to us of the frailty of life.