It's fantastic to see the return of these events. We have been starved of them, and now there's an appetite for interaction with those of like minds.
One event that I'm happy to see come back is the AIMS Games.
This event, beloved by pre-teens from all over, is one of the biggest sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere.
It will showcase 23 sporting codes and almost 11,000 entries from 323 schools around New Zealand.
The 2019 tournament drew more than 25,000 athletes, supporters and officials to Tauranga, injecting nearly $6.5 million into regional coffers, and contributing 74,787 visitor nights over the week, according to its website.
The disappointing thing about its two-year disappearance from the regional sporting calendar is that a fair amount of students may have gone through their entire intermediate schooling without having the opportunity to take part.
Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry told NZME this week the AIMS Games is a "fantastic" tournament and a "huge opportunity" for the students to discover a different level of potential.
"For some, it is their first taste of a national tournament."
In my view - and I'm no expert in pre-adolescence - this age is so important in children's lives.
I believe it's because they are going through a stage of growth and independence. They don't have the little kids of primary school to deal with, and they don't have to compete with big kids in high school - this time is theirs and they're in it together.
This is the type of camaraderie that I believe AIMS Games fosters, within a sporting context.
Not only will they play sports and have fun doing it, but they will also learn more important life lessons - teamwork, independence, sportsmanship, forming bonds, and even coping with the disappointment of losing.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at intermediate school. It was a transformational time in my life.
I believe those who take part will look back fondly at their time at this tournament, and I wish it had been around when I was their age.
