Toby Longbottom/included
The Ricki Herbert Football Academy’s under-13 team have taken full advantage of the canceled flight home after a week away from the Christchurch International Cup.
Taking care of 14 teenage boys for the weekend isn’t the idea of a good time for most people, but after their flight was grounded, football coach Ricki Herbert decided to make the most of it.
On Thursday, 181 Air New Zealand flights were canceled due to: severe storms in Wellington. Another 40 flights were canceled on Friday, departure Air New Zealand fights to clear 126,000 passenger backlog the next three days.
After a week in the Christchurch International Cup tournament, Ricki Herbert Football Academys The Under-13 team was getting ready to fly back to Auckland on Friday.
Their flight was canceled among dozens, and director Ricki Herbert wasn’t able to get them all on a new one until Sunday.
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But instead of grumbling, the team hit the laser tag arena. On Saturday they spent the day tackling the hydroslides at Hanmer Springsand played a friendly against another local team under the lights on the Christchurch United ground.
Herbert said it was a matter of thinking outside the box.
Toby Longbottom/included
The team with their coaches, the Herberts.
“We just wanted to offer something that’s pretty cool… Keeping them motivated and interested is our job.”
Luckily he had “great staff” including his son Kale Herbertaside to help.
The boys, who hail from Auckland, Taupō, Cambridge and Hamilton, were a little disappointed when their flight was cancelled, he said.
But he couldn’t emphasize enough how resilient and “cool” they had been.
“They embraced it. I cannot applaud them enough.
Toby Longbottom/included
Laser tag and hydroslides helped fill the time as the boys waited for their new flight.
“These are young children who had just been away for a week… [but] they really came around the corner.”
Herbert said the parents were also very grateful.
“In the end, it’s no one’s fault.
“We’re always looking to make the most of it… keep smiling, keep them excited about the game.”
Herbert, himself a football legend, represented New Zealand at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, and coached the Kiwi team to victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“Football is a big part of my life, I want it to remain a big part of their lives too.”