Pink partners bring positive energy to the sidelines
Sporting pink accessories for the 2026 Zespri AIMS Games’ ‘Positive Vibes Only’, Stonefields schools’ Futsal and Netball teams supported each other from the side line of their games in a colourful array of tutus, cowboy hats, and hot-pink socks.
The 22nd edition of AIMS was the biggest yet, with 14,506 athletes aged 11 to 13 from 467 schools competing across 27 sporting codes. Events over the week were set across venues in Tauranga, Ōmokoroa, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke, with a battalion of volunteers helping out at each venue.
One of Stonefields’ netballers, Izzy Borren, says they wore the pink socks during their games because “we wanted to do well, but also we just want to be positive and remember to enjoy ourselves”.
They decided to bring the positive energy to their classmate’s Futsal tournament on 6 September, cheering the boys on and, Izzy says, “being the cheerleaders” in their pink tutus.
The boys returned the favour for the girl’s first Netball match that afternoon and adorned themselves with bright pink matching cowboy hats to root for them.
The games they supported each other with turned out with Stonefields boys Futsal division winning against Northcross Intermediate, 8-3, while the girls Netball lost to Otumoetai Intermediate, 4-39.
The two teams also supported each other in the journey to get to AIMS from Auckland. Netball coach Denise says they “fundraised $8,341 together, along with other students coming to AIMS, by selling samosas to fund their way here.”
