Rotorua schools aim for games

JUGGLING: Jahzell Roberts, 12, left, and Dawson Smith, 13, are among the 72 students heading to the AIMS Games in Tauranga from Rotorua Intermediate School.

Rotorua Intermediate School will head up local schools competing in next week's NZCT AIMS Games in Tauranga.

The Year 7 and 8 sports extravaganza this year boasts nearly 9300 athletes, comfortably beating last year's record of 8011, from 265 schools.

There will be 72 Rotorua Intermediate School students competing in boys' and girls' sevens, boys' and girls' basketball, netball and Futsal with Manaia Peeti competing in the squash competition and Noah Wallace in the table tennis.

''It's an elite tournament, so we send the best of the best. They trial for school teams and from there they are selected to make an AIMS team,'' said the school's sports co-ordinator Nicole Taute.

''They know AIMS is in term 3, and that is the goal of the sports kids, making an AIMS team.''

She said the whole experience of taking part in the event was ''huge''.

''Being the biggest intermediate school in Rotorua, they know they are not only representing our school, but also the community, their parents and Rotorua.''

The school's girls' basketball team finished second at last year's AIMS Games.

''In rugby we are usually in the top four and netball the top 10.''

Futsal is a new sport at this year's event and the school has decided to try its hand at the indoor version of football, in preference to taking part in the outdoor nine-a-aside competition.

Mokoia Intermediate deputy principal Liz Little said the cost of sending teams can limit the number of students who can go to the games.

This year the school has a mixed water polo team, a four-person gymsport team, a canoe slalom team - another sport new to the games in 2016 - a multi-sport team and tennis player Lachlan Ross.

''That's more than we've normally sent - we've never sent a water polo team before, but three of the boys are in the Bay of Plenty team.''

Little said the event was like the Olympics for Year 7 and 8 students.

''They meet so many people, see how others compete and good sportsmanship is a huge thing we push in our kids.''

Te Kura Kaupapa o Te Koutu have consistently punched above their weight, winning the
girls' basketball competition twice and finishing second once.

Coach Moana Douglas said the school has been represented at every one of the AIMS Games except the first, and more than 100 pupils, from a roll of around 250, played basketball.

''We have two teams in the Rotorua competition, and combine them for the AIMS Games,'' she said.

John Paul College sports director Arthur Faulkner said the college would be sending 45 students - including six riders taking part in the new BMX competition.

There is also a mixed water polo team, a team of swimmers, a boys' football team, a netball team, a golfer and a four-strong cross country team.

''We are a little bit down on previous years,'' he said. ''We were involved right from the very start with AIMS, but the management of the school has said if the teams are not going to succeed we are not going to enter them. So we are looking for top eight, or in netball, the sport with the highest number of teams, top 16.''

He said that as a composite school, coming straight after secondary school tournament week, the AIMS Games can put a strain on staff, so there was a need for a great deal of parent help.

Representative swimmer Katelyn Flynn from Reporoa College will be looking to impress in the pool while the college is also sending an 11-strong girls' basketball team.

''Katelyn has swum up to national level and the basketballers were runners-up in Intermediate A grade competition in Rotorua,'' said college sports co-ordinator Kristen Fairley.

The basketball team entered a competition held in the ASB Arena at Tauranga's Baypark - the venue for the AIMS Games basketball tournament - specifically to gain experience of playing at the venue.

AIMS Games
What: 2016 NZCT AIMS Games: September 4-9
Where: Various Western Bay of Plenty venuesNew Sports for 2016: BMX, canoe slalom, Futsal
Netball:1344 players in 112 teams makes it one of New Zealand's largest netball tournaments at any level.
Football: 1232 players from 88 teams.
Hockey: 1040 players across 6-a-side and 11-a-side competitions.