Futsal is a fast growing sport at Havelock North High
School, but also around New Zealand. It’s a world-wide
sport, similar to indoor football or soccer. In term four, our
school had eight teams, including a girls’ team, playing
in the Hawke’s Bay League, while we sent a junior boys’
and a senior boys’ team to the New Zealand Secondary
Schools’ tournament earlier in the year.
The highlight of the futsal year was the senior boys’ team
winning the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ senior
title. This was an outstanding effort. Our journey to the title
included defeating the Canterbury champions Cashmere
HS, the South Island champions St Andrew’s College
(2-0), Auckland Grammar one of the top football teams
in the country (4-1). In the final against St Paul’s Collegiate (coached by a former All White player, and also
Mr Fenton’s previous school) we won 3-1. Our efforts
were all the more outstanding as we did not have a
formal coach for the team. The senior players, especially
Mitch Webber, assisted by Carl Shackleton, Harrison
Gregory and Frederick Heidekker, led the team brilliantly.
Nat Wright, the Central Football Futsal development
officer, provided valuable assistance on the side as we
progressed throughout the tournament. Mrs Jo Webber
was a vital manager and co-ordinator of the team. The
rest of the squad played important roles in the games.
Futsal is a fast-paced game and the whole squad was
used to great effect in a tough tournament such as this.
The school was subsequently invited to represent New
Zealand schools in the World Futsal Schools’ Championships in Italy in 2014.
The squad was: Mitch Webber (captain), Carl Shackleton (vice captain), Frederick Heidekker, Harrison Gregory, Jake Smith, Nick Wilkey, Briean Blocker, Cameron
Webber, Logan Bensemann, and Nicolas Kirchen.
The school’s junior boys’ team travelled to the NZSS
Championships as well. Unfortunately, this year we
couldn’t emulate the 3rd place achieved in 2012
by the junior team. We battled with injuries and form,
but the commitment and desire from the players was
always evident, and they battled hard in every game
they played. Mrs Paula Edilson was a fantastic coach
and manager of this team.
We look forward to returning to the NZSS Championships next year with both boys’ teams and hopefully a
girls’ team.
A big thank you must go to the boys who have helped
with the coaching and skills training offered to various
teams over the year. In particular, thanks goes to Mitch
Webber who gave up hours of his own time to assist
with the coaching of junior, senior and the girls’ teams.
Many players achieved representative honours this
year, but the most impressive was Mitch Webber who
played for the NZ men’s Futsal Whites. Carl Shackleton and Harrison Gregory also gained representative
honours in the Central region men’s side.
Finally, a huge thank you must go to Jo Webber and
Paula Edilson who have helped drive the success of
futsal at the school. Between them they have raised
money, co-ordinated teams, uniforms, games and all
the other matters that have kept the sport going.