It's a very busy term of water polo for these children, with most also playing for their schools in either the junior college grade or the local intermediate competition.
What was also nice was that NZ under-18 rep Simone Couvee, home for the weekend from training in Auckland, took time out to referee most of the games.
Softball: Big wins
In complete contrast to the previous weekend's heavy rain during the matches, Saturday was a good play day of sunshine and warm weather, except perhaps for the occasional cold wind gusts which at times generated brief dust clouds off the two main diamond's surfaces.
The games themselves varied widely, from nail biters to the obvious game winner at the end of the first innings. Some teams were outclassed by experienced well-drilled opponents, who knew exactly what to do with the ball and who seldom if ever committed grave errors of judgment or ball handling.
Among the disappointments of the day were the losses of both the local Western BOP teams in the inter-district KFC games.
In the men's KFC (Kotahitanga Fast Pitch Competition) game Te Whanau Rangers (WBOP) came up against the Fairfield Otorohanga United (Waikato) team. In reality there was perhaps nothing much between the two teams and the score was probably not a true indication. However on the day Fairfield batters hit harder and further and achieved loaded bases more often. Their fielding and ball handling was crisper and they seized even the slightest of opportunities created by Rangers errors.
Fairfield pitcher Te Aorangi Mulligan kept Rangers' base running and scoring to a minimum.
Fairfield took an early 2-1 lead and increased it to 4-1 by the fourth innings, then took advantage of loaded bases to twice bring two runners home to win the game 8-1.
In the women's KFC game Tauranga City Stealettes seemed to allow Melville (Waikato) too much leeway as they ran away to an early 6-0 lead. Stealettes managed to equalise briefly, but by the top of the third innings Melville led 7- 6, and then aided by Stealette errors went on a batting and base running spree to win 17-6.
In the WBOP Senior competition men's games, Te Whanau Rangers took an early 3-0 lead over Cardinals. The score was briefly 4-4 in the fourth innings but the Cardinals did not score again and Rangers won 10-4 in the seventh innings.
The Tauranga City Stealers versus Ngati Kahu Braves game opened fairly evenly with the first innings score at 1-1.
At the top of the third innings Braves led 2-1, but then at the bottom of the third Stealers ran riot with scoring, aided by a home run by Mutten Zelnert, they added nine to their score.
Rangers won 12-2 in the fourth innings and Te Puke won 7-0 against Cardinals, who defaulted.
In the WBOP Senior women's competition games, the Ngati Kahu versus Te Puke game looked like a walkover for Ngati Kahu when early on they had a 10-0 lead.
However by the fifth innings the score was 14-14. But although both teams added to their scores it was Ngati Kahu who won narrowly 17-15.
In the Rangataua v Otepou match, Rangataua took an early 8-1 lead but Otepou could not be counted out and by the bottom of the fourth innings Rangataua held a narrow 10-8 lead. Rangataua then nearly doubled their score to win 19-11.
In the Tauranga City Stealettes v Ngati Kahu game, Stealettes proved to be superior, leading 8-0 at the close of the first innings, and 19-0 at the end of the second and 27- 0 at the close of the third. This made the official match score "18 at the second".
Score Card:
WBOP Senior Competition: Men:
Te Whanau Rangers 10, Cardinals 4; Tauranga City Stealers 12, Ngati Kahu 2; Te Puke 7, Cardinals 0.
Women: Tauranga City Stealettes 8, Ngati Kahu 0; Ngati Kahu 17, Te Puke 15; Rangataua 19, Otepou 11.
KFC (Kotahitanga Fast Pitch Competition Inter-District Counties-Manukau, Waikato, and Western Bay of Plenty)
Men : Fairfield (Waikato) 8, Te Whanau Rangers (WBOP) 1.
Women : Melville (Waikato) 17, Tauranga City Stealettes 6.
Cricket: Attracting girls
Northern Districts Cricket has seized the initiative to address the lack of girls playing the game with a pilot programme, which has the full support of New Zealand Cricket.
Former Bay of Plenty Women's player Tori Horsley has been contracted by Northern Districts Cricket to deliver an introduction to cricket for girls in the Bay of Plenty.
Tori has been tasked with introducing the programme to Year 5 and 6 girls, along with intermediate-age potential players.
Each of the Northern Districts' six associations has appointed a girls' cricket development officer, with the programme to be trialled for two years.
"Unlike boys of a similar age, we have found that many young girls never take up bat and ball, because they learn at a different level from boys in a mixed boys and girls environment," said ND women's development manager Elaine Nolan.
"The new programme aims to draw young girls to cricket by way of a standalone girls introduction programme."
The new girls' programme will be formulated along the lines of the very successful Have a Go cricket programme, where new recruits will be taught the fundamentals of holding the bat, throwing a ball and fielding skills.
"Tori has been selected as the Bay of Plenty Girls' introductory programme deliverer, because of her previous cricket background and she relates particularly well with the age group that we have targeted for the pilot programme," Nolan said.
Bay of Plenty Cricket has a proud reputation as one of the leading cricket nurseries in the country, with Anna Peterson becoming the region's first White Fern in the series against England last summer.
Tori has hit the ground running with the new girls' cricket initiative and will visit Bay of Plenty Schools, to promote the programme during the remainder of term four.
From the first day of the 2013 school year, she will be in action delivering six weekly programmes, to hopefully increase the number of young girls playing the game in the Bay of Plenty.
Cricket: Greig hits 209
Big centuries in Western Bay Grade cricket don't get much better than the double ton smashed by Mount Maunganui seconds batsman Khan Greig, on Saturday.
The Mount master blaster had the boundaries at Blake Park under siege against Greerton, smashing an unbeaten 209, as his side posted a massive 355 for the loss of only three wickets.
Although Greerton made a valiant run chase the huge total proved too much as they were bowled out for 195.
The Mount 2nd XI made it a double for the club, when they defeated archrivals Cadets. Led by Reece Olsen's 3/13 and Chris Atkinson's 3/35, the Mount bowlers removed Cadets for just 138.
However they were made to fight for the victory, losing six wickets on the way. Hayden Byrnes top scored for the winners with a solid 46 runs.
Katikati defended 179 against Tauranga Boys College in a match where the advantage changed several times during the game. R&A; Sangha CC won by default from Papamoa.
Greerton continued their unbeaten run in the B Grade championship against Katikati. Batting first, Katikati were all out for 146 with Josh Zajac and Bobby Tagore the pick of the Greerton bowlers. Greerton cruised to victory with six wickets to spare - Ben Lind posted a half century.
Malwa CC also posted a second successive win when they won a thriller with Grasshoppers. The Hoppers posted what looked to be a winning score when they reached 202/6 in their 40 overs.
Satya Lao was in fine touch and was rewarded with his team's top score of 76. Despite losing nine wickets, the Malwa tail enders got their side home for victory, albeit with a solitary wicket to spare.
In other B Grade encounters, Albion won by just seven runs against Cadets with Mount Maunganui proving too strong for Wanderers.
WBOPCA Grade Results 10 November 2012
Reserve Grade
Mount Maunganui thirds 355/3 (Khan Greig 209no) bt Greerton 195.
Cadets 138 (Reece Olsen 3/13, Chris Atkinson 3/35) lost to Mount Maunganui seconds 139/6 (Hayden Byrnes 46).
Katikati 149 bt Tauranga Boys College 132.
R&A; Sangha CC won by default from Papamoa.
B Grade
Katikati 146 (Josh Zajac 2/11, Booby Tagore 2/14) lost to Greerton 152/4 (Ben Lind 52).
Mount Maunganui 217/5 (Colin Reilly 47no) bt Wanderers 143.
Albion 189 (Jason Hoggins 47) bt Cadets 182 (Grant Parsons 5/33).
Grasshoppers 202/6 (Satya Lao 76) lost to Malwa CC 203/9 (Hayden Goodall 4/22).