Getting ready for Tahiti

Right now I am sitting in a horrible little internet cafe in Auckland after finishing our last training session ahead of our first game tomorrow against Tahiti. I realise that my tone was probably a bit narky in my last blog but I was just frustrated at what was going on. However, everyone there at the TFA that I deal with worked hard to convince the Executive Committee to allow the team to play and we now have the privilege of playing a World Cup Qualifying game tommorrow.

When it comes to coaching I have an ultra competitive nature as I just want my team to play to the best of their ability and to ultimately win. In the last day or so I have started to realise that winning isn't everything all the time and, as I was explained last night, "there will be life after the games." I know the boys will do their best for me and the fact is we are playing a team that is technically superior to us and have been together for 18 months training and playing over 20 games. We have been together for six weeks and played four games. While I desperately want to win, I think it is more important to feel proud to represent their country and to perform to the best of their ability.

I have also realised this trip is not just about football. I made the decision to live and work in Tonga based on the premise that I would get a chance to coach in an international competition. At 24, I now have that chance but my determination to do well here as led me to worry about 'little things' of no consequence and miss the bigger picture.

I think back now a couple of days to the plane trip here when we were flying over Auckland at approximately 1am in the morning (we were delayed 90 mins due to there being one person on the customs desk at Nuku 'Alofa and everyone having to line up in single file to get through) and the youngest player in the team who was sitting next to me excitedly poked me imploring me to look out the window. I have been lucky enough to travel a little bit and seen many cityscapes from the air at night, but this 13 year old kid had never been to a city before or even on a plane. After getting my attention he started tapping on the window and looking out at Auckland lit up at night, he then said "Auckland is faka ofa ofa" (Auckland is beautiful). I have never heard such sincere amazement and excitement in a kid's voice and now realise that this trip is about much more than football (although it would be nice to win a game or two). It is about taking 18 kids who have never left an island of 60,000 people before to see a another part of the world and open their eyes to a way of life off their beautiful, sleepy island.