Colleen Lindsay. Photo supplied.After more than 60 years involvement with local basketball, Colleen Lindsay is finally taking a back seat.

Given the mileage she has racked up, she has probably earned a chance to ease off.

The longtime basketball administrator and coach has decided to step down from committee duties with Basketball Mid Canterbury.

Fellow operators Pauline Paterson and Helen Williams have also opted to vacate their posts, in what will leave a massive hole within the organisation.

“Between the three of us we’ve pretty much covered everything,” Lindsay said.

“There’s lots of young people who have put their hands up.”

Earlier this year, Lindsay was awarded Mid Canterbury’s Robilliard Trophy for services to sport.

Lindsay was part of Mid Canterbury’s original basketball incarnation in the mid-50s, and has continued her involvement in basketball ever since.

She admits her step down had been on the cards for a while.

“I was going to do it last year,” she said.

“I got talked into staying.”

2020 rolled around and Lindsay admitted to having mixed feelings about it all.

“I was undecided right up until the last minute, but I knew I had to do it.

“It’s a funny feeling, and I don’t know if I’ve come to terms with it.”

“But I won’t have to go to meetings in the middle of winter.”

A longtime whiz on the sewing machine, having previously hemmed the rep uniforms, she said she was still going to take care of this responsibility.

Indicative of how basketball has come to hold a significant place in her life, she would plan her holidays around basketball tournaments around the country.

“That went on for years, even after I was married, I always went to tournaments in the winter.”

Lindsay was also part of the representative team who hosted Australia in 1960, which remained a highlight of her involvement.

“We billeted them because there was no such thing as staying in hotels.

“The girl who stayed with me, we’re still in touch.”

There is plenty that will keep her occupied heading into 2021.

Lindsay is an advocate and coach for Special Olympics, and is in negotiations around funding and administration.

Furthermore she has “half put her hand up” to look after the miniball youngsters.

With the sport being so intertwined for most of her life, it is easier said than done for the seasoned campaigner to cut off from the sport.

“If there’s a tournament or anything they can call on me to help control.

“Just because I’ve stepped away from the committee I haven’t fully stepped away from basketball.

“I never will …. I still have a key.”

By Adam Burns © The Ashburton Guardian - 1 January 2021

Angus Jemmett’s 100 on Hawke Cup debut

Angus Jemmett made a notable impression during his Hawke Cup debut against Otago Country back in January.

In what was set to be a baptism of fire for the 16-year-old after being asked to open the innings, the youngster defied his slender years and experience with 108 at Molyneux Park to put the visitors in a commanding position.

He shared in a record partnership (for any wicket against Otago Country) of 176 with Archie Redfern which led Mid Canterbury to a total of 327.

Despite this, Otago Country returned serve at the crease to eclipse Mid Canterbury’s first innings tally in a match where the batsmen feasted and a young star was uncovered.

Spartans’ near-boilover in the UC Championship

A young Mid Canterbury Combined outfit went remarkably close to causing a massive upset in the UC Championship back in August.

In probably their best and most courageous performance of the campaign, the Combined side were consigned to a 35-30 defeat to Christchurch’s St Andrew’s College.

It was a late long-range try by hulking midfielder Isi Saumaki which finally undid the plucky Mid Cantabrian boys after they had held a 24-14 lead at halftime over STAC, who eventually went on to win the UCC.

Although the win would just elude them, it was an astonishing showing from a team low on experience and size but big on guts, having battled injuries through a brutal schoolboy campaign.

Here’s hoping for better fortunes in 2021.

Diego’s Gala Cup win

If anything signalled the gap between tennis prodigy Diego Quispe-Kim and the rest of the Mid Canterbury pack, his dominant Gala Cup run would be it.

The 14-year-old national champion only dropped eight games in his title run, four of which occurred in the second set of the final against top seed and Mid Canterbury Tennis coach Jack Tiller.

The majority of the time it was simply one-way traffic as the young star’s technical proficiency on court was too much for his opponents.

Quispe-Kim has since departed the Mid Canterbury plains, however there is no doubt the youngster has a huge future ahead.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 25 December 2020

John Hooper in his happy place, in Borough School’s vege patch, but with retirement he’ll be swapping the school patch for his own large home garden. Photo supplied.John Hooper has made his mark as a teacher who has inspired students with his love of the environment, but he’s calling time on his years in the classroom, signing off from the staff list at Borough School. He talks to reporter Sue Newman about a career that has been filled with highlights.

With close to 45 years in the classroom ticked off, retiring teacher John Hooper says he has never had a moment’s regret about his chosen career.

During a career that’s spanned almost 45 years John has been on a journey from Ashburton to Papua New Guinea, via Central Otago and back.

And now he knows it’s time to stop, call time on that career and head for his favourite fishing spots.

Over those years, John has taken just one break from the classroom, a two-year stint overseas with wife Karen, also a teacher.

As much as they loved the freedom of life as travellers, it was inevitable they’d return home, he said.

“We missed our family so much so we came back and picked up work again in Central Otago.”

He went on to teach at Goldfields, Wilden and Oturehua schools, all at the heart of rural communities that were unfailingly supportive of their school and its staff, before heading back to Ashburton and a deputy principal’s job at Netherby School.

Over the years John’s worked his way around several schools in the Ashburton District – Allenton, Rakaia, Lowcliffe and Netherby – before finally settling at Borough where he became an environmental leader.

One of the high points of those years was a five-year stint in Papua New Guinea.

That, John says, was a defining period in the life of himself, wife Karen and their daughters Kirsten and Jacqui.

He was part of an exodus of local teachers to the Korobosea International School.

“At the time the principals from Lagmhor, Willowby and St Joseph’s were all going to the same school.

“We all went there to make money, but we found a lot more, we got a real appreciation of a new culture,” he said.

Life wasn’t easy for the Hooper family there, but the experience was an enriching one, John said.

“There were real health risks outside the school.

“It was a bit like living in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, it was so wild, but it was fun though. Not many of the others lasted as long as we did, but we persevered, we didn’t give up because we loved the people.”

With their daughters becoming teenagers, however, the family realised safety had to be the number one priority and they decided to head home, but Papua New Guinea had buried deep in the family’s soul, its impression would be enduring.

“It did take a while for us to get used to being back in a safe place, in Godzone.

“For our girls it shaped who they are today. They accept people of any culture and any skin colour and they love to travel.”

John came home with a large portfolio of photos from his time in Papua New Guinea and they reflected his passion for the environment.

They were part of his CV when he applied for a teaching position at Borough School and caught the eye of principal Sam Winterbourn.

“Sam was keen on establishing something along environmental lines at the school and he saw that I was interested in this, so I guess I arrived there at the right time,” John said.

That was the start of a project that would see Borough become a school environmental leader. He attended a course to learn about an Enviroschools programme and, in 2002, the school became a pilot Enviroschool with the Ministry of Education.

From there the school’s involvement and national recognition continued to grow.

It was accepted as an official Enviroschool and in 2005 achieved a bronze level award, followed two years later by silver level award and in 2009 it was recognised as a green-gold Enviroschool, the first in the South Island.

“It was a programme ahead of its time really and quite an achievement and it’s student led.

“One of our students said that the best part about it was that children got to influence adults. They come up with the ideas, the knowledge and how to make it happen. And coming from the kids, it’s quite meaningful.”

The green/gold award is renewed two yearly through a process of self-evaluation.

John might be retiring, but the environmental programme will continue. It is now very much a part of what the school is about.

The school’s gardens, orchards and chooks will also continue, cared for by the green team.

For John, there are no regrets, no looking back in terms of his decision to retire.

He’s loved every minute of the past 45 years, enjoyed students of all ages, but says if he had to choose, Years 3 and 4 would be his first choice of ages to teach

“The time was right, I was ready. I didn’t want to be a teacher who kept hanging on.

“Young teachers bring a lot of ideas to a school and it’s good to see those new ideas coming through.”

Retirement is likely to include the odd spot of relief teaching, plenty of fishing, more time indulging his passion for gardening, midweek time on Mt Hutt’s slopes and time with his grandchildren.

“For me this is a really positive move.”

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 25 December 2020