Random follow #267 - @WaiBOPUnited

Football is a game that brings people together.  People in all four corners of the world, and everywhere in between, grab a ball, make a couple of goals and then get to playing.  There are no requirements for how many players you need, no limits as to the size of a pitch or field and you can play absolutely anywhere you like at anytime.

In New Zealand one of the major competitions is the ASB Premiership.  Our top domestic players get to go head to head week in and week out for a season of football.  Today's tweeter is the latest team to join the premiership.  They represent the beautiful towns and districts that make up the central North Island.

@WaiBOPUnited represent all that is good in Football for the area spanning north of Hamilton, across to Tauranga and back to the central plateau area including Taupo and Rotorua.  Today was the first day of play in Rotorua and I can happily and proudly say I was there.  The ladies team looked great but unfortunately lost to a very classy Mainland Pride team.  The mens team however went on to beat Canterbury which was a fantastic result.

And like the teams entry to the ASB Premiership the twitter account is nice and new as well.  You wouldn't think so too much though 'cos there are already a few hundred tweets under the belt and most of those tweets are pretty darn good to be honest.  

So what do you get from a twitter account dedicated to a foot ball team?  You get - news stories, updates during the game, interviews with players and coaches as well as the odd bit of hilarity along the way too.  Especially when you see tweets like these - 

"Coach @Peters95535988 was pleased with today's victory. Here's what he had to say after our opening win in the @ASBPremiership #wbpvcan", followed closely by

"Actually... here's what @Peters95535988 had to say: http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/waibop-utd-2-1-canterbury-utd-asb-premiership/ …"

So while they take their soccer seriously its still okay to have fun and laugh at yourself if you don't quite get it right.  What I love most about @WaiBOPUnited is that the purpose of the account is to grow a community of soccer lovers and to share good and positive stories.  Such as - 

"Soccer: Scots winners with Otonga kids - Sport - Rotorua Daily Post News http://nzh.tw/11154130 via @nzherald @asbpremiership"

If you would like to follow them on twitter that would be great.  There are also a number of other teams on twitter and I am sure they would all like your support.  As far as the WaiBop United team go you can learn more about them by visiting their website - http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/.

If you're looking for me you'll find me in Cambridge once a fortnight to support the guys and gals as they demonstrate that our team can foot it with any other in the land.

Random follow #220 - @bopmafia

It takes a certain amount of pride, passion and damn hard work to support a sports team.  Week in and week out.  To turn up to the games and go along to practices.  To know who the players are by their first names.  To sit in the cold, rain and hail to watch your team pass, kick and chase a rugby ball from end to end.

In New Zealand there are two rugby teams who play in the higher divisions.  Each stakes their claim to be known as "The Bay".  There is only one real way to settle such an argument.  And that is over a good old fashioned rugby match.  This year it was the mighty BAY OF PLENTY STEAMERS who took the honors.  And the fact that they won can be attributed to not only the players but the faithful supporters as well.

Quite possibly one of the biggest (metaphorically not literally) supporters of The Bay is @bopmafia.  Week in and week out this number one supporter is there for every tackle, scrum, penalty, ruck and maul, conversion and throw in.  And just like the area that the team represents @bopmafia spreads himself across the entire Bay.  From Tauranga to Taupo, Rotorua to Reperoa.  Where The Bay plays he is there.

Yes this tweeter is all about The Bay.  He is also about rugby as a code.  Any rugby game that is on he is there and will letting you know how its going.  But also rugby league after the rugby union has finished is another thing that he enjoys watching and tweeting about.

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise to you by now what the average tweet looks like from this account -

"RIP Cliff Morgan, Welsh rugby great, commentator and broadcaster. #rugby"  <-- respect

"Previous tweet was the Bay team to play Auckland tomorrow at Eden Park #steamteam - ran out of characters to explain it!" <-- Bay proud!

"Craig Joubert reffing first Super game: "There seems to be 31 refs on the field". Glen Jackson: "and you're not even in the top 10". #gold" <-- an amazing sense of humour

Yes - this is an account dedicated pretty much entirely to sport.  And neither @bopmafia or myself have any apologies to make for that fact.  And when the rugby season comes to an end (does it ever end anymore) you will find the fun, frivolity and friendliness of  @bopmafia contributing to another sports account - @ByTheMinCricket.  Worth a follow?  Totally.  Especially if you want to rub in to the other Bay that we're the real one ;)

Random follow #204 - @aadogsh13

On the 15th of November some years ago now a new life was brought into the world in a small town in the King Country of New Zealand.  in a very small hospital that was equipped for a few things a baby was born.  It was about 5pm on a Thursday afternoon.  After starting the birthing process somewhere around 4 in the morning 13 hours later @aadogsh13 made her way into the world.

With a head full of dark hair, nice light olive skin and tiny hands and feet I was the first person to hold her.  A brand new baby, a brand new (exhausted) mum and a brand new dad.  All together for the first time.  It was at this point that I said the first words after she born "We have a Maddison".

I can still remember the midwife, whose name was Taku, handling this brand new baby and me thinking "You're going to break her!" LOL.  A few days later she was released into our care as her parents.  and it is from that point onwards that we find ourselves here today.

Quite a bit has changed in the years between her birth and where we are now.  Watching @aadogsh13 grow and change over the years has been both special and rewarding as well.  Mornings spent in the cold at the netball courts, attending kindergarten concerts and graduations, starting school, learning to read, being known as locals at the library, riding bikes - all those memories and special moments spent together.

Now she is a beautiful young woman who has an incredible brain and a love for history.  She is a warm and caring friend who always watches out for her friends.  She has a very clear understanding of right and wrong and isn't afraid to hold others accountable to that when needed.  She is also tall, very tall and I wish she would stop growing sometimes!

So what are her tweets like?

• Well she LOVES Taylor Swift.  
• She is a history buff and especially like ancient Greece and mythology
• She enjoys reading
• She LOVES movies - especially Harry Potter
• She doesn't tweet all that often (cos all the cool kids are actually on Instagram)

Due to her being at the younger end of the spectrum her account is locked.  But she is wise enough to know who to follow and who to let follow.  So if you want to keep up to date with Swifty news or other bits and pieces then send a request (and I'll vet it first).  

Just for the record @aadogsh13 is my daughter and I love her.  And I am very proud of who she is and who she is becoming.  And if there were more of her on twitter then the world would be a better place.  

Love you Maddy.

Random follow #129 - @misshollando

Meeting lovely people is certainly the highlight of social media and twitter for me.  When you get to make a connection with said lovely people then when you read someone else's tweets they take on a whole new magic of their own.

@misshollando is a lovely lady who lives in a lovely place - Rotorua.  According to her bio she has been lots of places all around the world but for a while has decided to call this lovely city home.  

Often times the way someone conducts themselves and the tweets they share online are a direct representation of who they are as a person.  And when you read Katie's tweets you'll soon discover that she is a little ray of light/  And her tweets are just the thing to bring some sunshine to your timeline almost every day -

"Taking a packed lunch on my shopping expedition to justify buying a really expensive dress #logic"

"Little Miss Sunshine"

Katie is one of the fabulous team who put together @TheDailyPost most days of the week.  In fact there are a number of reporters and persons from the paper who (sort of) engage with people on twitter.  And there are the funny, quirky tweets too - 

"Running out to the car in the dark in your socks.. what are the odds of a hedgehog on the bottom step?! #imeanreally?!"

"Thank you for my warning nice policeman on the motorway and I promise to never speed again. #phew #donttellmum"

Katie is someone who tweets her friends regularly.  She keeps in contact with those that she values and lets them know about the fun stuff she is up to.  I really like that a lot of her tweets are about the times and places when she is interacting with people.  Be it at pub quizzes, sports events or hanging out with the team from the 

@TheDailyPost Katie lets the people who she is with know that they are special to her.

In summary Katie online is a true representation of Katie in real life.  Someone who is thoughtful, happy and a friend of all those people that she takes into her circle of friends.  

And just for the record if there are any single farmers out there who are looking for a lovely lass to sweep off her feet - 

"Watching #countrycalendar and wondering how I could meet me a nice farmer #ragingsaturdaynight"

Then don't be shy - @misshollando is waiting for your call!

Random follow #75 - @mrs_hyde

Tweets come in all shapes and sizes.  They also come from all walks of life and use twitter for many different reasons.  One very definite way that some people, namely persons who work in education, use social media is as a tool for learning, personal development and growth.  

@mrs_hyde is one of those people.  Being deputy principal at a school is not an easy task.  Trying to teach kids who are going through both emotional, physical and learning changes all at the same time is a tough ask.  And yet at the same time it can be incredibly rewarding (I know this because my daughter is at intermediate school right now).

I am picking that a PLN was probably the way that @mrs_hyde found her way onto twitter.  Whats a PLN?  It stands for personal learning network.  Essentially it is a map of online tools that people can use to interact and learn from others.  For a great read about PLN's click here.

That's enough from me.  Lets see what we can discover about Mrs Hyde and her twitter life.  Mrs Hyde is a mum.  How do I know?

Well she has a fabulous daughter who is also on twitter.  Her name is @PipHyde.  She is lovely, super determined and never gives up.  Pip recently walked 145km's with a busted ankle so that she could complete the goal she had set for herself.  And another daughter (I think) who has the name
@clodhyde but she is brand new to twitter so hasn't really tweeted yet.

What else?

She plays Minecraft.  Well the students play and she just supervises (yeah right - LOL) "Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom http://ow.ly/jm5PM . Thanks @1MvdS @myen"

@mrs_hyde has a healthy mix between the number of people she follows and the number of people who follow her.  She enjoys engaging in conversation with almost anyone provided you aren't seen to be wasting her time.

She tweets about resources she has found online that can benefit other teachers.  "Excellent Google Books Tips for Teachers ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning http://shar.es/eE5D6  via @medkh9".
Because no one teacher knows it all but social media is about the power of community.

In closing I can say that @mrs_hyde is an incredible supporter of those she loves and cherishes.  With a mix of both intelligence, patience and determination she has what it takes to be able to make a difference in kids lives.  Teach on.

Random follow #66 - #tarawera

For one day of every year some of the most elite join the average punter and attempt to run, walk, crawl and cover 100 kilometers of forest trail.  People from all around the world descend upon the small city of Rotorua and converge on a network of trails that sees them travel from Rotorua through to a very small rural town called Kawerau.

This event is called the Vibram Tarawera Ultra Marathon (VTUM).  It is a 100km race that is an absolute icon of the New Zealand trail running scene.  In 2013 the VTUM turns 5 years old.  That is 5 years of some the worlds absolute best runners running through some of New Zealand's most scenic countryside.

This year the official hashtag for the VTUM is #tarawera.  There will updates throughout the day from a few different sources watching all the action as it occurs.  And this race is not just about the elite runners.  There are plenty of them.  This year there are runners with personal bests in the marathon of 2:16.  Runners who smash world records and kick butt.

One kiwi elite runner is kiwi girl @annafrosty.  She is a professional athlete who gets flown around the world to compete in all sorts of races.  She is also a very determined, hard headed and single focused person for whom anything less than giving more than her best simply isn't good enough.

It is also about the everyday kiwi getting out there and giving it a go.  Kiwis that I know of that are involved one way or another with the event are -  @imapping, @sarb, @piphyde, and a big supporter of the run @darrenashmore.  And @gr8dairynobull have a runner out on course as well.  These guys

And the man himself.  The one with the dream that he wanted to create an iconic ultra running in event in Rotorua - @trailrunnz.  Paul is a really great guy.  He is super humble, doesn't get too flapped about things and is an amazingly nice guy.

As for me I myself am going to be out there on course working at the aid stations.  Ensuring runners have water, food and energy supplies to aid them through their day.  And I tell you what - it is going to be a simply amazing day!  This is an one off event that is totally NOT TO BE MISSED!

Random follow #36 - @jessmeade

There are plenty of ex-pat kiwi's who have made their way (aka escape) from New Zealand and have headed offshore to the UK.  Todays random kiwi tweeter is one of those lucky enough to venture abroad and spend her youth in a foreign country and exploring the world.

@jessmeade set sail from New Zealand a number of years ago on her first OE.  England, Europe, Egypt and a bunch of other places were visited as well.  When her visa expired she returned to New Zealand and it was at that time that I first came into contact with her.  A lively, lovely, energetic young lady with a clear vision of what she wants out of life.

It became apparent quite quickly that New Zealand was too small a place for her at this time.  And so she hatched a plan.  A plan that would see her return to the UK and grow a career in the sports and fitness industry.  In a role that see's her travel to the US at least once a year.

It was upon @jessmeade's return to the UK that she signed up for twitter.  She was originally known as @keweechick but recently switched to her actual name (professional standards now apply - LOL).

To say that she is a prolific tweeter would be lies.  She tweets when she wants but she doesn't waste words.  She cuts to the chase and calls it as it is.  Here are some examples -

"Good thing I hit @FitnessFirstUK this morning with Krispy Kremes doing the rounds this arvo #allinmoderation"

Jess is an active girl who is keen on netball and equestrian.  If you follow her you aren't going to find out anything too amazeballs or ground breaking.  But if you are able to make her a friend you will find someone who is fiercely loyal and will stick with you no matter what.

So there you go.  Follow #36 @jessmeade.  Worth a follow.  Especially if you live in the UK.

Random follow #24 - @Rotoscribe

@Rotoscribe has a tough job.  He is the single PR person who is the face and voice of @WaiarikiInst.  Actully he doesn't curate the Waiariki account but he does manage all the PR.  @rotoscribe also goes by the name of Craig in real life.

So for two days in a row now I am profiling people I have met in real life.  Craig is a really nice guy.  He hails originally from (you guessed it) Wellington ways but now he gets to live in the very lovely and beautiful city of Rotorua.

One thing I know that Craig really loves doing is mountain biking.  When you live in Rotorua mountain biking is almost a mandatory requirement of anyone and everyone wanting to live here.  Okay to be honest his old twitter account was way better than this one but as he is a friend he definitely needs some coverage.

If you want to follow him go for it.  But he's way better in real life.

Random follow #23 - @shineprjack

Choosing how you represent yourself on social media can be a little tricky to manage at times.  Some people have one account where they tweet everything and other people separate their accounts so they have one personal and one professional.

Today's random twitter follow has two accounts.  One personal (@ironjack35) and the other professional (@shineprjack).  I have followed Jackie on her @ironjack35  twitter account for some time now.  the other account though is a new one and I have only just started following @shineprjack for a week or so.

This is one of those rare occasions when i can actually tell you something real about today's person.  Jackie is an Ironwoman!  She loves triathlon and sport and she is super organized and efficient.  She is married and is a mum too.

One thing I have noticed is that Jackie is a really encouraging and uplifting person.  She is determined and focused but at the same time she is realistic about what she can and can't achieve at any given time.  Here are a couple of example tweets from her various accounts -

@IronJack35  "The best thing about daytime swim squad in our amazing 50m outdoor pool? An AMAZING tan - which for a redhead is significant!"

@shineprjack  "That moment when you discover that what you have been saying all along, for about 18 months, is in fact best practice. Nice" 

So now you have two options available to you.  Either way you will be making a good choice should you choose to push the follow button.

Random follow #18 - @samarasheppard

It is interesting that many kiwi's head overseas in search of fame, fortune and riches.  And it isn't until they achieve something REALLY big (aka a mainstream win of some sort) that people actually get to hear about those people.

@samarasheppard is exactly one of those people.  I have met Samara a few times over the past few years as she was a resident athlete with the educational institute that I work at.  She is a really lovely lass who is full of grit, determination and commitment to her sport.  She is a very humble young lady who is full of life and also a very smart cookie. 

Her sport being cross country mountain biking doesn't get a lot of coverage in the mainstream media in New Zealand but it is a HUGE sport with tons of opportunities overseas.  Did you know she won a World Cup race in 2012?  No.  Neither did I.  But my aim is to keep up with whats happening in 2013!

@samarasheppard  has a twitter account and a Facebook page through which you can keep up with her travels, exploits and undertakings from around the world but mainly in Europe (from what I understand).  And guess what she has her location based as Wellington (yes - yet another Wellingtonian..... but she is REALLY a Rotorua gal)

You're not going to find out too much by just checking out her twitter account but if you link social media with her website --> http://samarasheppard.com/  <-- then you'll get a pretty good picture of what life is like for a professional elite athlete.

Go hard Samara!

p.s. I hope you don't mind that I 'borrowed' one of your pictures for this blog post Samara!  Let me know if I need to change it or remove it please =)

Random follow #15 - @handsmegan, @nzcows and @angelahogg

Social media is for everyone.  It doesn't matter where you love or what you decide to do for a living.  Social media cuts across all sectors of society.  One area of industry that social media is becoming more and more popular with - is the farming sector.

Mid 2012 I started following a tweeter who goes by the name of @nzcows.  If there was ever a more self explanatory twitter name than that - I have yet to find it.  Colin is a great tweeter and does a really good job of sharing what life is like down on the farm using an interesting lens.  He actively engages in #agchat and has introduced me to some other really great random NZ tweeters.

The person whom @nzcows introduced me to recently is @handsmegan.  Megans twitter bio is quite an appealing one and it certainly gets the brain cells moving.  Here's how it goes at the moment - Practical Environmentalist, Politics geek, Agriculture advocate and proud Rural NZer. And if that bio isn't enough to prove to you that Megan is a farmer through and through, then try this tweet -

"Being up at this hour makes me feel like I should be heading for a cowshed"

@hangsmegan  doesn't just tweet about cows and rural life but she tweets about subjects that she enjoys and finds fun too.  Much like a mixed farm what you'll find is a pleasant mix of tweets with Megan.  And she does tweet - a fair bit.  In a good way of course!

And it wouldn't be fair to do a blog post about farming tweeters if I didn't include another delightful lady of farming - @angelahogg. Angela is a really cool person.Much like Megan she works hard and works hard to keep a good balance in her life.  And as an advanced notice Angela is organizing the inaugural #tweetup with #AgChatNz in Ashburton at a Farming conference of some kind between the 3rd and 5th July, 2013.  See you there?

Editors note - I've never been to Ashburton myself (hint, hint) so if anyone happened to think they'd help me to get there - I wouldn't say no!  LOL.

 Otago - in summer

and Otago in winter :)