Totara School teeming with athletes

Totara School's North Otago sporting representatives (from left) Douglas Milne (8), Jordan Isteed...
Totara School's North Otago sporting representatives (from left) Douglas Milne (8), Jordan Isteed-Haig (11), Luke McCabe (12), Jasmine Ng (11), Rose McCarthy (11), Cameron Tillotson (12), Megan Tessier-Varlet (12), Kaleisha Jones (12), Jonty Naylor (11), Jayden Caldwell (12), Lucas Quennell (11) and Daniel Quennell (9). Absent are Darcy Green and Jacob Little. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Good sports abound at Totara School.

From a roll of 55, 14 have been selected in North Otago provincial sports teams, with some selected in multiple teams.

The sports include rugby, hockey, basketball, softball, cricket, tennis, touch, squash, swimming and football.

After compiling a list -which did not include gymnastics, athletics and cross-country successes - teacher and sporting enthusiast Karolyn Jones thought it was a great achievement for a small country school.

The odds would be higher if the statistics were taken only from those old enough to make representative teams, she said.

Juggling the most sports is her daughter, Kaleisha, who gets up at 4.45am four days a week for swimming practice, has played rugby since she was 4 and fits in hockey, touch, tennis and cricket.

She is followed by Luke McCabe, who has represented the district in rugby, hockey, softball, basketball and touch.

Sport was promoted at the school and the children were very active.

Even fundraising activities had a sporting theme, with the Totara Kick 6 tournament being held on October 18 at the North Otago A and P showgrounds.

Adult and secondary school teams play a conventional six-a-side game, while primary and intermediate-aged teams compete in a football variation, tri-ball.

An accomplished sportswoman, Mrs Jones coaches a variety of teams, both school and representative, including three touch, four hockey and two rugby teams, as well as taking swimming lessons.

Her busy schedule meant she always had a co-coach, "because I can't be at everything".

Because it was a small school, some of its teams were boosted by pupils from other local schools.

 

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