Ive been holding back from posting these photos for a while. This set of photos holds a very strong place in my heart. This was the return party for TNZ. To see a team come home after not achieving everything and still getting a response like this was incredible. Ive heard my dad talk about sport politics for years, Ive heard him talk about the mindset of the All Blacks before and after games, what they must do when the lose and how the NZ public need to show respect for them when they do lose. My Dad being a coach on the highest level understands both sides of this equation, however this Americas Cup was something he had never imagined or ever prepared for. A change in peoples hearts and a maturity towards our country and our sport. My Dad is smart when it comes to the psychology of an athlete and how to get the best out of a team, But a simple gesture from the New Zealand public in an old tin shed on an old wharf is something that has changed him, and all of us.
Its a lesson that New Zealanders are awesome. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as this small little country of 4 million. As we have proved we can create the best athletes, best technology and best culture from this piece of land than all the rest combined. Numbers dont matter.
