Warmer winter sports
Tammy’s weekends are dominated by Saturdays standing in the cold and rain cheering the kids on in their pursuit of sporting victory. This particular Saturday Tammy realised that, thanks to Albany Mega Centre, winter sports can be a warmer experience than what she’s become used to.
Tammy shivered on the side lines of her son’s soccer game as another gust of wind swept across Blake’s game. She held herself tightly and imagined she was somewhere considerably warmer. “I much prefer cricket season,” she thought to herself. She didn’t have the same appetite for these winter days as Clint. Her husband would get up early to go for a run, then stand enthusiastically at the sidelines for her son’s game, and then again a few hours later at their daughter’s rugby. Tammy preferred the heat but knew that it was important to be there for the kids - they trained hard and she wanted to support them. She reluctantly made the sideline every weekend.
Seemingly to mock her hatred of the cold, Clint would also get up early on Sunday and walk the greens of their local golf course, rain or shine. He’d return from golf and tell her about his putts, drives, bunkers and other exploits. Tammy couldn’t care less but she knew that she needed to encourage all her ‘kids’ in their pursuits.
Another gust of wind returned her to the reality of Blake’s game. She decided then and there it was time for additional winter sports warmers. When the final whistle blew, she drove everyone to Albany Mega Centre without even telling them that’s where they were going. Pulling up outside Burger King, Clint and Blake were genuinely excited. Mylie looked slightly less amused. She had a hockey game in a few hours.
She left them there and headed off to The Warehouse first. A few years ago she wouldn’t be seen dead here, but she’s come to understand that this is a great place for good quality everyday items for everyone in the family. She found a great pair of black knitted leggings, a white long sleeve thermal top and a three-pack of black woolly socks. She bought two pairs of each along with a pair of fur-lined gloves and a striped wool scarf.
With the underlayer taken care of, the next stop was Rebel Sport. This is the place for serious winter-weather beaters. They had a huge selection of big brand sweatshirts and sweat pants and Tammy found a couple that she instantly liked. The quality was there to see and she instantly knew they’d keep her warm. To her excitement she also found a long padded rain jacket, that looked like something you’d see the All Blacks wear on game day. “If that doesn’t keep the rain and cold out, nothing will!” Tammy thought to herself.
Returning to Burger Fuel, the kids were still there but Clint had escaped to Golf Warehouse next door. It wasn’t long before he returned with a new pair of shorts, a silky golf shirt and a sleeveless jersey. Tammy wondered if he’d deliberately chosen these things to make fun of her dislike of the cold. “I’m happy with my new purchases,” she said to her herself, "so who cares if he freezes his arms and legs off at golf tomorrow.”
As they stood at Mylie’s hockey game, Tammy was feeling snug in her new sweatshirt, gloves and scarf and with her padded jacket on. She smiled as she thought about how easy it was to get everything she needed for winter sports at the Albany Mega Centre. She looked over at Clint and thought he looked as if he was cold. Though she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t help feeling just that little bit happy about it.