Spore in die Ryp

- Dirk Visser -

Prince Albert Primêr beleef ‘n besonderse suksesvolle rugbyseisoen. Op Saterdag, 1 Augustus, is daar ‘n "Interskole" tussen Hoërskool Zwartberg en Prince Albert Primêr gehou. Die O/9 spannetjie het ‘n veld aangedurf wat spierwit van die ryp was. Dit was die eerste wedstryd wat die jong mannetjies nog ooit gespeel het en ten spyte van verbete vedediging het hulle 5 driee afgestaan. Die o/11 span het 12-5 gewen en die o/13's het gelykop gespeel, 5-5 in ‘n uiters spannende wedstryd. Dit was regtig pragtig om te sien hoe die twee spanne van die dorp opweeg.

Op Donderdag, 13 Augustus het die 0/9's weer vasgeval, die keer teen Van Rheede. Die 0/11 's het egter hulle goeie vorm behou en Van Rheede 37-0 vermorsel. Prince Albert Primêr se 0/11 en 0/13 spanne het elk slegs een wedstryd die seisoen verloor en werklik sprankel rugby gelewer.

Terence Koot is ook nog in die finale oefengroep vir die SWD 0/12 span. Ons hou duim vas dat hy gekies sal word vir die finale span. Marlow Vries het die afgelope Junie vakansie die SWD laerskole span verteenwoordig. Prince Albert Primêr kan dus voorwaar terug kyk op ‘n puik rugby seisoen.

Oakdale Landbouskool se toutrekspanne presteer

In Maart het 11 toutrekspanne onder leiding van hul afrigters, Piet Lourens en Riaan Stander, van Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale deelgeneem aan die SA Skole Toutrekkampioenskappe op Kimberley en uitstekend presteer. Die 360 kg- en 600 kg-spanne behaal elk 'n tweede plek en die 480kg-span 'n derde plek. Oakdale se 560kg-span gelei deur hul kaptein, Terblanche le Grange van Prince Albert, het die span van Drostdy gewen en is as SA kampioene gekroon. Met hierdie prestasie dring Oakdale deur na die wêreldkampioenskappe in Swede later vanjaar.

The View from the Medical Tent

- Terry Barnato -

Saturday, 26 January 2008, may not have been the hottest day this year, but it certainly was a stinker! It also happened to be Hoërskool Zwartberg’s Sports Day.

Called upon to “man” the medical tent for a second year, meant stocking up on lots of Deep Heat and filling the freezer with water and ice blocks the night before. It meant arriving at the school field laden down with cooler boxes and any other available bags to meet the steady demand for ice and water!

We were pleasantly surprised however.... this year, the parents had remembered, or perhaps the children reminded them of the need to wear hats and drink lots of water. As a result, our vast ice stores were waiting to be carried home again at the end of the day!

So the morning was surprisingly uneventful. In the beginning, with the long distance running, the young runners had forgotten that starting off at breakneck speed was not exactly a good idea or something they could maintain for longer than half a lap!

As a result, we doctored some cramped muscles and nursed some stitches.... and the casualties recovered well enough to compete in their next event.

On this note, I should add that cramp due to sudden, strenuous exercise will almost always be a problem if the person has not trained enough and has also not warmed up a little before the event.

Tight muscles and a relaxed heart rate plus a burst of strenuous exercise equals cramp.

The treatment is very simple. Instead of running around grabbing every tube of available Deep Heat (or any similar salve for that matter) and rubbing it on furiously, all one should do is sit quietly next to the track and massage the area (without cream) and after a few minutes the cramped muscle will relax itself. Finally, remember to warm up well before each event!

Well, it was a good day, passing without any major medical catastrophes for which we were very glad. It was lovely to see such a good spirit in all the teams. Well done to the Gold team for bringing home the silverware!

Prince Albert Primêr se Belowende Krieketspelers

Vyf leerders van Prince Albert Primêr is onderskeidelik opgeneem in die O/13 (Beniton Klaasin, Damian Bezuidenhout) en O/15 (Sachin Reed, Christopher Daller, Ayden Buys) SWD Krieket oefengroep. Die leerders het aan die SWD winter oefenprogram deelgeneem waar hulle deur die bekwame afrigters van die SWD Krieketraad geslyp is om hul kolf-, boul- en veldwerk op te skerp.
Hulle ding op 24 en 25 September 2007 mee in die finale proewe te Oudtshoorn om ‘n plek in die amptelike SWD span. Die O/13 span sal tydens die Standard Bank O/13 week vanaf 2 - 6 Desember 2007 provinsiaal meeding te Pretoria en die O/15 span tydens die PG Byson week (8 – 12 Desember) te Stellenbosch.

Alle sterkte word die belowende krieketspelers toegewens.

David and the 30 Big, Bad Goliaths

-André Jaquet –

When I first met Jason Jafta, a quiet, self-effacing young man from Prince Albert, I thought he looked like a serious, bookish type who would hesitate before crossing the road on a lazy Sunday afternoon. How wrong I was!

In fact, Jason is one of the top rugby referees in the country, who has won the Referee of the Year award in the South Western Districts for the past two years. He is now employed fulltime by the South African Rugby Board and is the youngest member on their referee panel.

In disbelief I ask Jason “Come on! You can’t be serious! How can a small guy like you keep control of 30 mean and nasty players when tempers get rough? Smiling, but with steel in his voice he replies: “Just try me! Because of my size, those who don’t know me try to shove me around at first, especially in big games like finals. In the first ten minutes, I stamp my authority on the game. The guys soon know I mean business. They see that having set my standards, I am consistent and that I am fair to both sides”.

“Also, I know the 22 important rules of rugby. And the 23rd, which is: Use your common sense. The players are trying hard to win, the adrenaline is pumping and players don’t see the game the way the ref does. The spectators are worked up and there could be a riot if you make a lousy decision”.
How did he reach the upper levels of the game? “I am mad about rugby and played half-back at school until Grade 10. I’ve always wanted to be involved. But rugby is a physical game and I just don’t have the right build. Now as a ref I really am fully involved where the action is. I started slowly by reffing soccer games but needed more excitement and I moved to rugby. I also love the travelling that is involved: going to new places and meeting new people.

Of course I owe a lot to my family and to the teachers at Hoërskool Zwartberg because they taught me a great deal about discipline and fairness and about being involved in life, not just a spectator.” Jason was Head Boy at the school in 2003.

What advice would he give to young people who are keen to become referees? “Enjoy the game: if the passion is not there, just stay out of the kitchen. Keep very fit because the hard work pays off”.

Finally, I ask him what his dream is. “I want to referee in some more finals, then in the Super 14 and Currie Cup competitions and then represent South Africa at Test level.” I have no doubt at all that this is one person whose dream will be fulfilled.

Soccer for Human Rights

- Bruce MacDonald -

When I imagine a group of young kids playing a game of soccer, an image comes into my mind of a comet – a bright solid object trailed by a long tail of dust and debris. In the soccer game, the ball is the solid object, and a chaotic mob of chasing players forms the tail.

I was very impressed, then, at the Human Rights Day soccer tournament, held at the Odendaal Sports Fields on Wednesday, 21 March, to observe how soccer-aware and disciplined even the youngest players were. True, the younger age groups who played early in the day occasionally adopted the comet strategy, but in general, the soccer was of a high standard and, as my father’s Boy Scout Log-book was apt to say, a Good Time was had by all.

The tournament, initiated by Jakoba Visagie and Goliath “Tool” Lottering, was envisaged as a way of bringing the two sides of Prince Albert together in a celebration of the common humanity that is the essence of Human Rights Day. North End was very well represented, and the upper part of town rather sparsely so. However, the games themselves, particularly the early less formal ones, were conducted in a spirit of perfect togetherness.

The later games, between established youth teams, were very impressive in their skill and discipline. I do not know the names and other details of the more senior teams involved in the tournament, but it is very heartening, for a soccer-lover like myself, living in a part of the world that has a far greater awareness of and passion for rugby, to see the Beautiful Game given the amount of respect and devotion that was evident that day at the Odendaal Sports Field. Innumerable informal games of “one-bounce” and the like, the specific rules of which escape me, were taking place on the sidelines and on the stoep of the club house, providing a graphic demonstration of how soccer skills and artistry are developed, even in communities with fewer resources – in fact, particularly in such communities. Soccer is genuinely a game that anyone can play, anywhere.

Rudi Maeyer provided an excellent example of rising to the occasion when he was strong-armed into refereeing one of the junior games, something he had never done before. Fortunately, there were no television replays for sideline commentators to second-guess his decisions, and everyone was having way too good a time to suggest that he needed some specs.

Finally, I was most impressed at how many thirsty players (and hangers-on) can have their thirst quenched by a single watermelon! The three that were cut up during the course of the morning put one in mind of loaves and fishes.

Argus 2007

- Louise Jooste -

Dit was weer daardie tyd van die jaar wanneer fietsryers van oral in die land na die Kaap storm vir die jaarlise Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay fiets-toer.

Agt fietsryers van Prince Albert het vanjaar deelgeneem. Vir Oom Dawid Rossouw en Ceril Afrika was dit ‘n eerste. Vir Lulu het dit vier jaar geneem om 2 min vinniger as haar pa te ry, maar pa is baie trots op sy afrigting.

Lulu was 4de Jnr dame uit 97 Jnr’s van regoor die land en algeheel 3de van die Suid-Kaap dames.

Die tye was as volg:
Lulu Jooste 3h13
Chris Jooste 3h15
Johan Fourie 3h34
Louise Jooste 4h25
Ceril Afrika 5h08
Dawid Rossouw 5h13
Johan Rissik 6h00

Sport News

Marquin Fredericks - Prince Albert se Trots

- Hekkie Piedt –

Prince Albert is die afgelope jaar amper elke dag in die media veral in Die Son wat veral die negatiewe kant van die pragdorp uitbring. Daarteen kan ons spog met talentvolle jongmanne op sportgebied sowel as akademies.
Marquin Fredericks is so ‘n jongman. Hy is huidiglik ‘n Graad 11 leerder by Zwartberg Hoërskool. Hy het onlangs met die skool se jaarlikse atletiekbyeenkoms die rekord gebreek in hoogspring vir seuns o/19 jaar. Hy was ook aangewys as die beste presteerder vir senior seuns en as die senior seun met die beste enkel prestasies. Marquin het ook tydens die OUDUSSA Hoërskole Atletiek getoon dat hy vir niemand terugstaan nie. Hy het uitgeblink in die hoogspring ( 1ste plek ), verspring en die naellope.

Marquin is ook ‘n kranige vlugbalspeler. Hy het die SWD Vlugbalspan vir die afgelope drie jaar al behaal. Hy is ook die kaptein van FC United Sokkerklub in Prince Albert en was by die prysuitdeling van die Klub aangewys as die Mees Waardevolle Speler van die Jaar (Most Valuable Player of the Year) – 2006.

Ons wil vir Marquin alle sterkte toewens met sy studies, die atletiek, vlugbal en sokker vir die jaar 2007.

Leeu-Gamka se o/13 sokkerspan blink uit

- I.A. Sabbart -

Die o/13 seuns sokkerspan van die Leeu-Gamka Primêr Skool is onoorwonne in die Beaufort-Wes streek.

Dit is bewys tydens ‘n interskole toernooi wat op 3 Maart in Beaufort-Wes plaas gevind het, waar sewe laerskole uit die omgewing deelgeneem het. Hierdie toernooi is aangebied deur Siyadiala School Mass Participation Program. Hulle is genooi om aan die Zonal toernooi in Kaapstad op 30 en 31 Maart deel te neem. Ons wens hulle alle voor-spoed toe. Baie dankie aan Mnr. S. Constable en Mnr. I.A. Sabbart, Sport Assistent by die Siyadalia Program, vir hul opofferings en geduld met die span.

“A Child in sport is a child out of court”

Hoërskool Zwartberg - Kleuresport

Saterdag die 27 Januarie het die Goue “Egiptenare” en Die “Red Bulls” in ‘n kleurryke optog om die baan by die skool opgedaag. Weereens het Merweville ook deelgeneem- en hulle het ook feestelik en energiek vertoon in die optog met al die 4x4 motorfietse.
Dit was ‘n dag vol opwinding en die atlete het werklik hul bes gedoen en pragtige prestasies gelewer.

Die gouespan het ook die geesdrifbeker ontvang – sowel as die beker vir die meeste punte.

Saterdag 3 Februarie het ‘n groep van 41 atlete aan die SOK byeenkoms op Kareedouw gaan deelneem. Ons het reeds die Vrydag vertrek-aangesien dit ver is en ons atlete lekker kon uitrus voor hul deelname.

Ons skool het baie goed presteer en pragtige prestasies behaal. Die beste 0/9 dogter en seun van die dag was atlete van Hoërskool Zwartberg nl.Rochelle Adolf en Gabriël Breytenbach. Christene Grove was ook die beste 0/19 dogtersatleet- Die skool is met reg baie trots op julle!!!

Die vlg. atlete het almal eerste plekke behaal:
Gabriël Breytenbach - VS
Rochelle Adolf - 80m
Martin Koorts - 80m H en GS
Delia Stalmeester -1500m en 800m
Christine Grove - VS
Andrea Gouws - SG
Yvonne Freysen - DG en GS
Deodett Philander - 60m
Marsunet Breytenbach - 150m

Voorspoed vir elke atleet se deelname die res van die kwartaal—mag dit net baie goed gaan!!!

Oud maar nog nie koud!

-Christelene Esterhuizen-
Die Golden Games Klubstruis-ponies het tydens die Golden Games 2006 uitgeblink. Tydens, die 2006 Provinsiale Spele, het ons weer verower. Die Sentrale Karoo Distrik Span was derde in die hele Wes-Kaap. Harry Afrika, ons Provinsiale wenner, het ‘n eerste plek gekry, asook ‘n goue medalje en goue beker vir Clock Golf for men en ‘n goue medalje vir deelname aan gemeenskapsaktiwiteite.

Elizabeth LeKay en Elfred Voetpad het ook goue medaljes verower, vir deelname aan geneemskapsaktiwiteite. Hul afrigter; Hoof Intern Christeline Esterhuizen, het ook vir die Golden Games 2006 Fun Walk ‘n brons medalje en ‘n goue medalje vir deelname aan die geneemskapsaktiwiteite, verower. In die jaar 2007 gaan ons nog meer verbeter.

Die 2de November 2006 was daar ‘n Mnr & Mej Golden Games 2006 gehou. Die volgende wenners was gekroon:
Mnr. Golden Games :
R.Kelly deur Anna Paulsen
Mej. Golden Games :
Alvéka Voetnix deur Alfred Voetpad
1ste Prins :
Brad Pitt deur Elizabeth LeKay
1ste Prinses:
Beyounce Billby deur Barend Botes
2de Prins:
Riaan Cloete deur Rosia Piedt
2de prinses:
Charlize Theron deur Piet Frieslaar

Klub Struisponies wil almal wat ‘n bydrae gemaak het, om ‘n sukses van die Golden Games 2006 te maak, bedank.

Ons bedank die volgende persone:
Mev. L. Solomons, Mev. G. Van Hasselt, Mev. R. Roberts, Mev. M. Botes, Mej. K. van der Mesch, Mev. D. Mooneys, Superspar, Mnr. D. Rossouw.
‘n Spesiale dank aan Mnr. C. Solomons en Mev. M. Benjamin ons Onderburgemeester, Mnr. A. April, die P.A Munisipaliteit en Mnr & Mev. Begg vir hul gasvryheid.

Baie dankie aan Mnr. J. du Toit, van Huis Kweekvallei, wat ons tydens hul funksies ingepas het asook vir die PAAK. Mnr. G. Lottering baie dankie ook vir die ywer om ons na jul funksie uit te nooi. Ons vertrou dat ons hierdie jaar nouer sal saamwerk met die hele Prince Albert.

Die Golden Games is hoofsaaklik vir alle persone bo 60 jaar en ouer gestig. Ons nooi almal uit om ons aktiwiteite te kom beproef. U as bejaardes kan nog altyd voorbeeldige leiers vir ons as jeudiges wees. As u nog nooit in sport tydens u jeugjare uitgeblink het nie, is dit nou ‘n geleentheid om meer aktief te wees en goeie gesondheid te geniet.

Ons wens u almal ‘n voorspoedige nuwe jaar toe. Lees Hebreërs 11 vanaf vers 1-3. Adios, may God bless and help you.