Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Sideline Sid had a quick sojourn across the ditch last weekend attending a family wedding on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

It was blatantly obvious why surf sport is such a big sport in the sunshine state.

On Sunday afternoon where temperatures in the Western Bay were around seventeen, the weather on the Sunshine Coast saw thermometer rise to over 30 degrees in mid-afternoon.

The beaches were packed with families, there were continuous streams of boats coming and going from the launchings ramps, along with the myriad of other activities we see around our beaches in the height of summer.

It was like the Kiwi visitors had been fast-forwarded to the middle of January.

There are plenty of similarities between the Western Bay and the Sunshine Coast of Australia.

We both have a long coastline of beautiful beaches and a myriad of green spaces for sport and recreation.

However, where we beat them hands down is the concentration of our sporting facilities in one area.

On the coast their grounds and stadium spread from Caloundra to Noosa, which can take up to an hour to travel.

It made me realise how lucky we are in the Western Bay to have all our sports grounds and indoor facilities within easy commuting.

In the Tauranga and Mount Maunganui region we have the beaches just a stone throw from the multiple amenities at Blake Park, with Baywave and Grenada Park a golf drive or two down the road. Then just across the road is the crown in the jewel of Baypark and the TECT Arena.

On returning home it was interesting to note on Sunlive the continuing criticism of the Baypark Stadium and the TECT Arena.

While Baypark is essentially a speedway track, attendance numbers at the three ITM Cup games were better than the crowds at bigger centres around the country – especially the Tuesday night hit-out against Wellington.

It was not as if the Steamers were competition leaders. Instead the team that wears the Blue and Gold uniform with absolute pride, has earned a true fan base over the last few seasons, that support their team no matter where they sit in the standings.

The real value of the TECT Arena is that it caters for the big sporting occasions, while also providing a base for community sport. Since it has been open the Arena has hosted the Breakers and the Waikato/BOP Magic along with a Davis Cup tie earlier in the year.

At the end of the month, the Silver Ferns will showcase their skills in the International Netball Quad series when they play South Africa, with the Australian Diamonds providing the entrée against England. Without the TECT Arena the best netballers in the world would have bypassed the Western Bay

This week the Basketball New Zealand under-13 National tournament at the TECT Arena, has brought a multitude of the best young basketball talent in the country, to the Western Bay.

However, the real benefit to our community, in the twelve months the Arena has been open, is the major community sports facility.

Some two hundred thousand participants have played in such as junior basketball and volleyball programmes along with the many indoor sports leagues that are run during the year.

Seeya at the Game