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A Porirua youth sevens team is in America to compete at the Tropical Sevens Tournament in Florida.
The competition brings a range of age-group and senior teams from across the globe to experience a tournament like the international sevens circuit.
The Porirua Misfits is one of only two teams from New Zealand taking part and the 13-man squad is feeling excited including young Samoan Korbin So’oialo.
“Kinda excited because I wanted to go over there and see what it’s like. Feel what the temperature is like,” So’oialo says.
Coach John Silva says the tournament is a chance for his players to experience a professional tournament at a young age, in the hopes of becoming a professional sportsperson in the future.
“So it’s trying to give the opportunity to those kids who have never been able to get out of Porirua or thinking they’ll never amount to anything,” he says.
“So it’s about giving something they feel hopeful about.”
Silva says the trip isn’t just a social one, the squad has been training hard and is a contrast to the experiences he had as a young sportsman.
“Some of the players they’ll get up early in the morning. Some of them will get up and do the extra work before school. At the age of 12 and 13, I was still sleeping in.
“The mentality right now is different. Every kid from Porirua if they want to make it, they’ll get up and make it happen.”
Anaru Siohane-Hune is one of those young kids who sees this trip as an opportunity.
“I reckon it’s a huge opportunity to go and I’m really blessed to go there,” he says.
“I reckon it’s good for me to do something new and getting a good competition and good challenge over there.”
With athletes turning professional at a much younger age, it means training must start earlier too. Much of the squad is already in the gym lifting weights and training.
It’s all in the hopes that one day some of the Porirua Misfits will be playing professional sport full-time.
