2010 the Missing Year?

Morning everyone,
It's amazing what triggers you to start looking back inorder to look forward.
Whilst reviewing the Flickr feed of old pictures for some of David London I noticed, not for the first time, that nothing existed from 2010.  No album, no pictures on my current or last laptop and so I started digging around old USB drives and came upon a treasure trove of now dated but interesting pictures from five years ago.

Carotel Refs HQ 2010

And what a year it was - the Carotel Year I like to call it, or they year we went missing in north Canberra.  It had it all - Peter Walton, who was still on the English Premier League visited, mentored and stayed with the group, including a star performance covering a U/11 SSG game - it really happened.

Peter Walton, David Ockerby, Heather Reid at Opening Ceremony

This year included the first visit from a foreign referee, Luke Grinstead from the UK.  Couldn't find any pictures of Luke in the ones I've found, but I'm certain they're out there somewhere.

Certainly a year for many highs and some lows I won't mention here, but it's interesting to now look back 5 years at the faces and think about where you were then and where you are now.

Kanga Cup Referees @ Opening Ceremony 2010

I asked this same question to the QSS U/12's State Championship referee group in Brisbane two weeks ago (sucker for referee camps).  For most of them it was their first time away representing their region and participating in a live away tournament.  The question on the last night was, where do you see yourself in 5 years with your refereeing?
Many of the answers were positive, some uncertain and a few perhaps will need some review along the way.  But they all had a excited vision, a goal to work towards and for many of them, 5 years is perhaps too long into the future, almost another quarter of their lives yet to be lived.  But it passes quickly.

So my question today, whilst I reflect on memories of people and places, have you realized your dreams and goals from 2010?  Or if that's too far away, finals are just around the corner for most of us - will you get the final / semifinal game you expected / deserved this year?  Was there a definite goal / desire and commitment to get that outcome reached this season?  Did you seek excellence this season, or was it just another year refereeing?
Or is it still on the bucket list?  And if so, why?

As Stevie sang, there's only five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes...how do you measure a year?

Enjoy the additional 184 photos I've uploaded - I have some videos of faces and Peter's presentation that I might upload when I get some more time.

Vale David London

Hello Friends,

It's with a heavy heart that I pass along the sad news that David London, Kanga Cup Academy alumni coach / assessor / Interstate Referees Coordinator has passed away on Sunday night.

In control at O'Connor 2011

David joined the adult assessing crew from 2008, along with his son Matthew participating as a referee from the Hunter Valley branch of Northern New South Wales.














David's time with the Academy included the transitional period, where the referees attending Kanga Cup went from being a social event with some refereeing during the day, the away years travelling at the Scots College / Carotell to 2011 when it became an Academy structure with improvements in educational values and under David's sometime firm teaching hand a more professional approach to referee development and administration began.

Opening Ceremony 2008

Coaches Dinner Out 2008

2008

David's influence was most notable at O'Connor fields, a venue he made his own with many SSG and U/12's taking place, usually in the role of Referees Coordinator.  His friendly, calm personality allowed strong bonds to form with the tournaments star teams, notability Adelaide City and Shingok, with the team's coaches always remembering to say Hi and handshakes all round each year they played at O'Connor and enviably during the finals.

Field inspections 2011

Lunch time at O'Connor

Admin 2012

The two David's together 2012

Cleaning up after the referees O'Connor

David took a year off after the 2012 tournament, attending a wedding in 2013 but I remember him calling at some point on Friday night at the coaches debrief missing the action from the week with my phone being passed around all the coaches so that everyone could say hi and retell the tall stories from the weeks competition.

The NNSW Football notice is here and the Celebration of David's life is at the Maitland City Bowling Club this Friday 7th August at 10am Memorial Notice.  I'll be attending to represent those who can't from Brisbane and the greater Kanga Cup family and would be happy to pass along any pictures or stories you may have of David.

We'll miss you mate, take care.