Plett Primary hockey day lures thousands of players and fans
Hockey teams from 15 schools last Saturday descended on hosts Plett Primary to play a total of 288 matches, overseen by 150 coaches, involving 1,200 young players on 14 pristine fields, making for a most memorable day of sports and family fun.
A majority of the visiting schools – Denneoord, Erica Girls, George Prep, Knysna Primary, George Suid, Holy Cross, Glenwood House, River wood, Pacalsdorp Sedgefield, Oakhill and Van Reede brought along A and B teams across the full spectrum of primary-school-aged teams, with Milkwood, St Dominic’s Priory and Westering sending only U13 teams.
Of course, most players were accompanied by family and friends, so cars and busses with registration plates from Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn and George vied for space with the CX-fleet spilling over from the PPS parking area to additional space adjacent to the school’s new section of manicured fields.
Kudos are due to many individuals and companies, not least of which top hockey coach and teacher Kate lander for liaising with all visiting schools to set the tournament in motion, and deputy principal Ivor White and his grounds team for ensuring all fields were in tip-top shape.
A small army of parents and learners joined teachers and SGB stalwart Mimi van Huyssteen to ensure that stalls were manned and the hundreds of hockey fans in attendance at any time from the cool tournament start at 8 am to its early-afternoon conclusion could grab a hot coffee, cool drinks and an array of home-made savoury and sweet treats.
At the day’s end, Mimis teams tallied the sale of 1.600 pancakes, 734 cups of coffee, 300 hamburgers. 400 boerie rolls, and 400 packets of steaming hot chips!
She thanks Pick n Pay Plett for sponsoring water, Roost for the use of its coffee trailer. Dagbreek for
eggs used in the pancakes, and Checkers for contributing to the coaches’ catering.
But how did it go on the field? In the junior stakes, Plett Primary’s UI0A girls and boys teams did exceptionally well.
The young ladies annihilated Holy Cross 3-0, Glenwood 5-0, George Suid (5-0) and Knysna (4-0), while the boys drew one-all against Oakhill but pretty much bulldozed Holy Cross (7-0), George Suid (2-0), and Knysna Primary (5-0).
The senior teams’ games made for riveting viewing, the hosting U13 boys and girls teams showing cohesion and excellent sportsmanship, with the boys’ league game against Van Reede ending in a very well-deserved 2-0 victory.
All other U13A games – against Glenwood, Millwood, Sedgefield and St Dominica Priory and Westering respectively – ended in draws for the U13A boys and girls teams both.
Visit www.cxpress.co.za for more images of the day.