Winter sports prep at Albany Mega Centre
The Van der Merwe family don’t do quiet weekends. If you live anywhere near Browns Bay, you might have seen them: a blur of running shoes, rugby boots, hockey sticks, and sideline snack bags, with enough high energy to power the North Harbour stadium floodlights. For Pieter and Lize, originally from Johannesburg, sport is practically a second language and their kids, Emma (13) and Luca (15), are fluent speakers. Albany Mega Centre is where they go for everything they need to fully express themselves on and off the sports field.
As winter sets in, their family calendar turns into a colour-coded battleground of back-to-back games, early morning practices, and weekend tournaments. There’s netball for Emma, rugby and hockey for Luca, golf for Pieter, and trail runs for Lize. And they love to show up for each other’s games, adding to the frantic chaos.
“I swear we should just live in the car between May and September” Lize jokes, tossing her daughter’s smelly netball trainers into the boot. “Or just camp out at the various sports grounds. We’d save a fortune on petrol.”
Every year before the winter season kicks off properly, they know they have one very important mission: to gear up. Enter Albany Mega Centre, the one place they know they can get everything they need for every one of their sporting endeavours in a single swoop.
“We love it here,” said Pieter, pushing a trolley that somehow already had two pairs of sports shoes in it, even though they’d only just started at the first shop.
“Everything’s close, all the brands we want are here, and there’s heaps of parking. Plus we can grab coffee and can feed the kids — both essential when you take teenagers shopping with you!.”
Their first stop was Rebel Sport, the family’s unofficial HQ. Luca needed new rugby boots as his feet had grown half a size since last season. Emma too has outgrown her netball gear and needed new thermals for training in the cold. Lize picked up some new leggings for running, and Pieter finally admitted that maybe his golf shoes from 2019 had done their dash.
They were about to leave Rebel Sport when Pieter spotted a soft hoodie he liked, “I can I get this for watching Luca’s games.”
“At least you’ll be warm while being ‘that parent’ shouting at the ref,” Luca teased.
“Exactly,” he grinned, unapologetically.
Then it was on to Golf Warehouse. Pieter’s happy place.
“It’s like a candy store,” he said with a grin, holding up a new driver like a prized trophy. While he browsed at everything other than the shoes he came for, Emma and Luca popped next door to Burger King. Lize, half-listening to the sales guy explaining shaft flexibility, was looking at various sweatshirts that could keep everyone warm and dry on the sideline.
And that’s where Macpac came in. They loaded up on puffer jackets, beanies, and a few of those brilliant neck warmers that made a massive difference on icy mornings. Lize picked out a longline parka, and Pieter got a proper rain jacket that looked sharp enough to wear on the golf course and when he’s down at The Brownsy watching the game with his mates.
And finally, because one outdoor store is never enough for a family always on the go, they swung past Kathmandu. It was thermals, gloves, and more socks (you can never have enough socks) before calling it a day.
They bundled back into the car, bags tucked into the boot, kids already checking out sports scores on their phones. The backseat was full of chatter about upcoming games, favourite gear picks, and who was getting up earliest for training.
“It’s not just about buying new things, though that’s always exciting,” Lize said, looking at the pile of shopping bags. “It’s about being prepared, and warm, so we can really enjoy the thing we’re all passionate about.”
“It’s about surviving another winter season,” Pieter added.
With their winter sportswear and sports equipment sorted, the Van der Merwes felt ready to take on anything the season threw at them: rain, mud, or 8am kick-offs. Because when you’re a family that lives and breathes sport, being prepared isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential.
And thanks to Albany Mega Centre, they’ve got their winter sports season off to a winning start. They’ll be back here in September, ready to do it all again for summer sports.