From the age of 15, SKY Sport Breakers highflyer Jarrad Weeks would spend lunch times at school finessing his dunk. One of two Australians on this year's Breakers roster, Weeks has made himself at home in New Zealand. But he's still not convinced that pavlova is a Kiwi delicacy. For a player that stands at 6'1, Weeks shows that he can hang with the big guys every time he steps onto the court. This goes back to when he was in high school, spending many of his school breaks running at the rim and trying to defy the laws of gravity. Now Weeks is one of the most explosive players in the league. As a kid, Weeks played AFL, Cricket and Rugby but basketball was always his true love. When he's not playing on a basketball court, he's usually up late watching the Ashes and says he loves all sports. Going into his second year with the Breakers he's become fully immersed in the New Zealand culture, recently visiting Rosmini College and Westlake Boys High School in Auckland and being welcomed with a Haka from students, "the pride and the heritage that New Zealand have is unbelievable. Just the way they teach it all the way through school, and it carries over into adulthood is awesome." But, "the fact that you steal pavlova from Australia, that's what I don't like about New Zealand culture." he says jokingly. The franchise is known for their family values and dedication to giving back to their community, one of the big reasons why Weeks loves it. The team recently visited the Auckland University of Technology's Open Day, shooting hoops with fans. Speaking from AUT, Weeks says "being in New Zealand's been great for my wife and I. It's a family-orientated club and everyone's very supportive." Over the offseason, the Breakers have assembled a squad with tremendous depth that will see them compete against world-class talent across the league. Weeks will be joined by Tall Blacks sharpshooter Corey Webster and imports Sek Henry, Scotty Hopson and RJ Hampton in the backcourt. As well as being part of this lethal backcourt, he will also be a mentor to youngsters Hampton and Terry Li.
Last year in preseason the Breakers played their first game against an NBA team - the Phoenix Suns, where late in the third quarter, Weeks opened the lane and soared for a world-class dunk. For many Breakers fans that was the introduction to the dynamic guard from Victoria. After falling short by only five points in last year's preseason NBA encounter, the Breakers will get another chance to get a win in America. This time against Steven Adams' Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies. With a matchup against NBA legend Chris Paul, Weeks is ready to relish the moment. "Obviously [Chris has] dominated the NBA. He's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame sometime in the future so just to have the chance to go up against these guys, to show what level you can reach and the experience and the knowledge that they bring is going to be pretty exciting." The Breakers guard can't wait to get out there for what is set to be a spectacular NBL season. He says it's going to be an "entertainment package" with tickets to Breakers home games selling fast. As one of the most experienced guys on the team, Weeks will play an important role not only on the court but also in the locker room, the skillful guard has become part of the Breakers family and community. This season in pursuit of the Breakers fifth NBL championship, he'll be helping to carry on the Breakers winning tradition. Taylah Hodson-Tomokino is not only a broadcaster for Sky Sport's 1st XV rugby coverage, but she also has a full time job as an accountant, has a law degree and hosts her own show as well as playing rugby internationally for the Manu Sina all at the age of 23. As a proud Samoan and Maori she is inspiring many young people who dream of one day becoming sports broadcasters especially women and Pacific people. Rugby and Pacific culture is very close to her heart and this Samoan Language Week, she took time out of her hectic schedule to share what it means to be Samoan, the road she took to working in the sports industry and some of her best memories growing up in a big family. *Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity. I'm just interested to know a bit about you and where you grew up, and what being Samoan means to you? THT: So my Dad's Samoan and his villages are Saina, Tuana'i and Tafatafa in the Falealili district. I was born and raised in Te Kuiti which is a farm area. My Mum's Maori and I had a bit of a farm upbringing and then I moved to Auckland and I went to Aiga Salevalasi in Glen Eden which is a Samoan pre-school. I was the whitest one there by far. So I went there and after that I went to Titirangi Primary and then Glen Eden Intermediate and then Mt Albert Grammar. Then I went to (Auckland) University. I studied a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Commerce. So I've got an Accounting and Law degree. I think just having some cultural identity is really cool. Like I love all the fa'a Samoa traditions and it makes us unique. You know there's not many Samoans in this world. You know when you meet them, you instantly feel a bond. I've traveled the world with different sports and what not and when you meet a Samoan overseas, they're like 'oh my gosh'. There's a really cool connection that you have. It's also a beautiful culture too. I love Siva (Samoan dance) and obviously I'm very proud to be Samoan. My Dad used to play for the Manu Samoa so naturally I wanted to play as well. And I did which was a highlight for me. I remember when I had my first test, I didn't think I was gonna cry when we sung the national anthem because I was excited. But the minute I opened my mouth, I started ugly crying. There were so many photographers and my friends just started tagging me (on social media) laughing. It was so funny. It was probably the best feeling I've ever felt. Singing the (Samoan) national anthem in front of all these people with your sisters beside you. And the Samoan way of life teaches you to be really respectful but also very appreciative of what I have. My parents live in Samoa so I go over quite a lot and it's very humbling to go back and see what our people came from and how my grandparents grew up and knowing what I have now. You know I'm very thankful for it. When you get to University and you get amongst all the PI (Pacific Island) groups. It's just a big sense of community which I really love. Did you grow up learning the language or being around your grandparents (who were strong in the language?) THT: Yeah, so I went to a Aoga (school) and I learnt a lot there. But I went to Mainstream schools and I didn't have anyone to talk with other than my grandparents. I just didn't really continue learning the language. I know the basics and I can understand that. But I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be. But my younger brothers went to School in Samoa. They went to Robert Louis Stevenson (School) whereas I went to school here. So they can speak it and I can't which sucks...I would have liked to have that opportunity. But I can't help that I went to mainstream schools and my brothers didn't...I definitely do still try...especially going away with the Manu Sina. Majority of the time we are speaking Samoan so you pick up things pretty fast. But the good thing about the language for me is that I know I can't speak it fluently but my pronunciation is always good. And that's the thing about my job as a presenter, is getting the pronunciation right. And you'll never ever hear me whether it's a Samoan name, Tongan name, French, South African. It doesn't matter. Because having a surname like mine. I know how much it sucks when you go back and watch yourself on TV and they've absolutely butchered your last name. You know for us Pacific Islanders it's really important. Our last names carry so much pride in them. People notice it as well. I remember when Lima Sopoaga tweeted me and he was like 'it's so good to hear someone pronounce these names so well.' It's good being acknowledged for it as well. But it's quite funny. Someone came up to me and he goes 'you pronounce those island names really good for a white girl'. And I was like I'm actually half-cast but that's all right. I was like can't you tell I'm islander? What Samoan values have shaped you or what Samoan values do you use in your everyday life? THT: The main thing that I get out of being Samoan is respect. Like you just never talk back to your elders. You always eat after (your elders) and if your Nana says make a cup of tea, you go make a cup of tea. It's almost like you know your role not in a bad way. But you know where you stand and you understand that even with Fa'alavelave's (unexpected events) and you have to give money. But you understand that you're part of a bigger purpose and your big family unit. Respect and family is probably the biggest thing. My family is everything to me especially my brothers and with my parents living overseas, I look after them and they're my everything. And I've never taken an opportunity that didn't put my family first. Family is just a huge value for me. SM: Being a presenter for Sky Sports, you're one of the very few Pacific Islanders so what is that like and how do you think we can encourage more young Maori and Pacific people to consider this type of career path? THT: You'll actually be surprised. There's quite a few of us Samoans...I think I'm a minority in the sense that because I'm a girl, I'm a Pacific Islander, I'm Maori as well so getting such a high profile position was a really big thing for me because I represent so many different minorities. (But) there's quite a few (Samoans) like Ken Laban, Mils Muliaina, Richard Turner, Ruby Tui and Vania Wolfgramm. They're all famous players in the past. THT: I think the good thing at Sky Sports is that I'm not treated like a minority. I'm there because of my merit and I never really looked into it. It's kind of been a bonus for me...the face of rugby in New Zealand is so ethnically diverse. There's so many Pacific Islanders, Maori, European (people). Obviously I'm half European as well so it's also about being relatable. The face of rugby is very Polynesian so it's quite cool being able to relate to the players and even when people are on the field. And they're speaking Samoan to each other, and you'll like 'I can understand what they're saying.' I'm very privileged and I hope that I'm a role model for young girls because I know women in particular and Samoans find it hard to get anywhere in that kind of career. It's a tough industry. It's quite hard to just jump straight in. I think one thing we don't really play off enough as Pacific Islanders is our ability to be confident. Pacific Islanders are some of the most confident people I know. We speak our minds and we're very loud. And when it comes to talking in front of people, people become quite nervous and scared, worrying about what others are going to think of them. They're always conscious of what other people are thinking. We're naturally very gifted and just how the way our culture is. We're performers, we're naturally performers, everyone's doing a Siva or a haka. So we need to play on our strengths. With a lot of Pacific Islanders, they know rugby like the back of their hand, they have the skills. And I think it's just about the confidence and not being scared of what other people think of you. I was always nervous if I was going to do something wrong and if it wasn't for Ken Laban. He was someone that really pushed me into broadcasting and what helped is that he's also a Samoan and a very hearty Samoan as well. And he helped me so much with everything. SM: Could you please maybe share a bit about that and how he encouraged you to get into broadcasting and how you did? THT: I got into it through a family friend. I don't know if you know who Karl Te Nana is. He used to be the New Zealand Sevens Captain. And I grew up with him. There was an opportunity that came up on the 1st XV coverage. And he recommended that I come in and give it a go. So I don't have any formal media training at all. I'm an Accountant and a lawyer. So I didn't have any media training whatsoever but I just knew the sport so well. So how I got it was literally just from my confidence. I had a screen test with Steven Luatua. So I just had to interview him in front of a camera but what they didn't know was I actually went to school with Steven. So he was already one of my good friends. So the interview was super easy. I was picked up straight away and I spent my time on the 1st XV coverage and then I eventually got to do the Mitre 10 Cup and the Sevens as well. I've done a lot of stuff with Sky and I never dreamed I'd be able to. Melodie Robinson was my absolute idol growing up. I watched rugby 24/7 and she was the face of rugby. It was really cool seeing that she's Maori and seeing a brown woman being the face of the rugby coverage. And that's what I really like about being Maori and Pacific Islander is that young girls and young Samoans and Maori can look at me and be like, 'she can do it and so I can do it.' And it's so true. They can do it it's just a confidence thing and like I said, we're performers. I've never met a Samoan that wasn't a good performer. (To answer your question about Ken) Ken would watch all my stuff and he gave me every little tip that he learnt. He's been in the industry for over twenty or thirty years. He knows everything and he's really passionate about it as well. He really looked after me and took me under his wing. I owe a lot of it to Ken, he definitely taught me a lot. And you feel a strong connection to any Pacific Islander you meet. That's just how we are. Do you have any fun memories growing up, I remember my Nana used to always get my cousins and I to sing Samoan songs at Church? THT: So my parents used to start work really early when they were living in New Zealand. So we got dropped off at our grandparents house at 7am and then they'd drop us to school later. And the highlight of every morning for me was eating my Nana's suafa'i. I was so happy. I love suafa'i or Koko Alaisa. Some of my greatest memories are when all the family's together and they tell all the kids to go make an item to just get rid of us. Then you'd go away and you'd all practice the Siva together and you'd have to perform it. And it was quite funny. I can't even count how many cousins I have and we'd always have a lot of fun. Unfortunately I'm not a good singer, but my sister's amazing. And so all the kids that could sing would sing beautiful Samoan songs, and me and my other cousins would just stand in the background clapping our hands to the beat because we couldn't sing. At least we were honest with ourselves. Do you have a favourite Samoan food? THT: I have so many. Probably Keke Pua'a. It's so dangerous because in Samoa they're like sixty cents. So I'd go in and ask 'can I have like 10?' It's quite funny. But definitely Keke Pua'a. Do you have a favourite Samoan tradition? THT: Definitely just doing a Siva at any event. I just had a farewell for my cousin who was moving to the States for basketball. Even at my cousin's 21st. We're just always doing a Siva. I love that it doesn't matter how old you are, you'll see a nanny in a wheel chair get up and they just wanna dance. And it's a tradition that never stops. You see all the young kids run onto the dance floor, and you see all the oldies. It's something that everyone can do together and it's not like only a guy can do it or only a girl can do it. And you don't have to be a certain age. Everyone's involved. SM: Do you have any advice for aspiring journalists and broadcasters? THT: I would say, always be confident and trust in your abilities. Always take opportunities and network. Show that you're confident and don't be afraid to listen and take criticism. Because you can never stop learning. Even right now, I love getting feedback, I love getting criticism because it helps me to become better. Because you wanna be the best that you can be. And if someone says that your not good then just keep going. That's only one person's opinion. You're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, so you just have to take it on the chin and never give up really is kind of the attitude you need to have. Just always be confident. I can really relate because for me, I really want to be a journalist and I think that I definitely need to improve on my confidence. THT: It's definitely about confidence and how you portray yourself to other people. Because as long as you're always confident that's the main thing. Even when we're on camera, if you say something confidently no one's going to think you're wrong. They're not going to question you. But if you say something like 'I think this person's good at this' but if you're like 'this person does this' people are going to believe you. It's all about confidence and delivery and you can never stop learning. (Additional comments on being a proud Samoan) I'm 100% proud to be Samoan and it is a bit disheartening when you can't speak the language and when people write you off and say 'you're not that Samoan, you're plastic.' You're not defined by if you can speak the language. It doesn't matter how Samoan you are. You're Samoan period. You can't be like 'this person's more Samoan than someone else.' Even if you're one fifth Samoan, you're Samoan. And that's something I get criticized for. When people say I'm plastic. And I say I have a Samoan passport. In the sporting industry, it's really good, because there's Samoans everywhere. I mean you've got Samoan teams, coaches, referees even the camera men at Sky. There's Samoan's everywhere which is really cool. And you always respond really well with not only the other Samoans but other Pacific Islanders in general. What are your goals for the future in sports broadcasting or do you have any long term aspirations?
THT: I want to be doing Super Rugby and International test matches. I don't want to be siloed and put just on the women's games, I love both the men's and women's games and want to be recognized for my knowledge, not just put on the women's games because I'm a woman. I want to keep playing internationally and working as a broadcaster to keep my knowledge current, especially because the game is changing all the time. Madre, Mama, Mummy, Tina and Mum. There are many ways in which we refer to our Mother's. Taxi driver, Uber driver, chef, coach, counselor, comforter, fashion designer and my okc thunder buddy. My Mum comes under all these roles and so many more. Because as many of us can agree, our Mother's go above and beyond what their day job reads. For me my Mum is the ultimate fan. The hardest worker, grinding even in the off season. She's the rock of the team, the greatest analyst and the best hype gall. As sports fans, there are athletes who we idolize or call our heroes. But when it comes to teaching us life lessons, loving us no matter what and inspiring us to fulfill our dreams even when we don't believe, Mum's take the trophy. I feel very thankful this Mother's Day and everyday to be able to have such an incredible Mother who supports me in everything I do and is always giving me advice on how to be better. Playing netball and basketball, I don't remember a single time when my Mum hasn't been there to watch me play. Every time I play, I know that my Mum will be there pushing me. All I have to do is look to the side and I'm sure everyone knows that 'Mum' look. That look that forces you to get out of your comfort zone and play harder. To even be able to write this article is a salute to Mum. Because she was the one that got me to create this sports blog three years ago. She knew that I had a huge passion for sports and writing. She's someone who likes to take action and she thought that it would be good experience for me. At first I didn't want to do it and I was still so nervous to even tell people that I liked sports and that I loved writing about it. But Mum didn't budge, she signed me up and the following week, I wrote my very first article online. I didn't even know that it was possible to have your own blog if you didn't have a degree or weren't already in the journalism industry. But Mum has taught me that if you have goals you don't have to wait for the 'right moment' because there really is no right moment. She has taught me that persistence is key, to be myself, to be humble, be kind, work hard and to never stop improving. She has shown me that you are never too young or too old to live out your purpose or live the life the way you want. She is one to never put limits on dreams or ask whether something is possible. And that's what I love about Mum. My Mum is a hero who loves to bake, loves to dance, has the best jokes, the loudest laugh and a contagious smile. She loves basketball, watching Russell Westbrook, Kevin Hart and drives a car that says "DAGR81." The Great One referring to Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. She's truly one of a kind and the best Mum a daughter could ever ask for. I am absolutely grateful to have strong and loving women in my life like my Mum, Nana's, Aunties and Cousins who have paved the way, live life giving it everything they've got. Who put others ahead of themselves and who are fearless in everything they do.
Sports brings people together, makes for the best and sometimes most heated supermarket conversations, it entertains and excites. But without Mums to take kids to training, watch their games and manage, coach or support the teams, sports all around the globe wouldn't be able to function. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mum's out there. And thank you Mum for everything.I love you. You truly are the real MVP! Melodie Robinson has done it all. From being a 18 test, champion Black Fern to reporting at World Cups and the Olympic Games, she has helped define what being a woman in sports truly is. She was the very first female rugby commentator in the World and has inspired not only girls but young aspiring sports broadcasters across the globe. Her knowledge of the game, ability to ask thoughtful questions and tell intriguing stories has made her arguably the greatest rugby analyst. And for 15 years Robinson would be on the sidelines getting fans ready for an All Blacks test on a Saturday night, appear on shows like the Breakdown and International Netball build-ups and be creating ways for more females to have a voice in the world of sports. After being the Head of Corporate Communications at SKY TV, she announced that 2018 would be her last year working with the company and Sky Sports. It draws the curtain on a magnificent broadcasting career spanning nearly two decades. Melodie Robinson sat down for a Q&A to talk about topics including her departure from SKY, some of her most memorable interviews and the time she was standing next to the fastest man alive but didn't know it was him. *Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. On Friday you announced that you're leaving Sky Sports after 15 years, so what was it like making that decision after being at SKY for so long? MR: It's really difficult because some of my best friends are at SKY, so that's the first thing and there's quite a lot of competition in the market at the moment with media so people are quite loyal to their companies, so it wasn't easy but 15 years is a long time and I think that I need to try and do something different and I need to try and I guess use the MBA (Master of Business Administration degree) that I've just finished and take some of that knowledge and really challenge myself in different areas. You paved the way for so many women in sports and rugby so now that you look back at it, what are you most proud of? MR: I am most proud of having resilience and sticking in there even though there were some pretty full on challenges. I went into my first ever Super Rugby game back in 2002 and I got thrown in the deep end and I made one or two mistakes and I got quite a bit of abuse on Radio Sport the next day. And then there are other challenges that you have to deal with being the only girl there. I had a fantastic female producer actually so she helped a lot. Her name is Andrea McVeigh. But just sticking in there and making it normal for young girls to be able to come in and be commentators on rugby, I think that's what I'm most proud of. So you're now a spin doctor? MR: Well I have been for a year. But I won't be going back to do that. I've tried it - Head of Corporate Communications. There were some good learnings, it was really good but it made me think that I need to try something even more challenging because that's still in the realm of what I knew and I need to do something very different. Like in sports where there are fans who are always rooting for their team, who have been your fan base throughout your career at Sky Sports? MR: Most of the people I work with. They are amazing. We've got some incredible ladies on the road actually. Adi Rikihana is one of my best friends there who is a very strong, fantastic producer. Andrea McVeigh was the one who trained me at the beginning. I had people like Kevin Cameron who was our Ex Head of Sport and he lives in Australia now. He is one of the first ones that gave me a job same with Brendon Butt and Ric Salizzo who does Crowd Goes Wild. So the list goes on and on and on. You know 99% of people I worked with were incredible. Is there an interview you've had with a particular athlete or coach that has been the most memorable? MR: That's a hard one to just throw at me. Let me think, I've had lots where I've gone oh my gosh that guy's not very nice. (Robinson says with laughs) I had Michael Hooper say to me when I went to interview him after a test match "oh how long is this gonna take?" or English Rugby players who really had little respect for women asking questions about rugby, and being rude. I have to really think about this because it's quite a difficult one. I think one of my worst ones was after the Black Sticks Men just missed out on beating Germany and I didn't ask their Coach about his impending retirement so I stuffed that one up. It's all the ones that I've stuffed up. But I've had a lot of fun interviews. Most of the time they've been hugely enjoyable. All of them are famous so it's not like anybody stands out. Although here is one that has probably been the funniest recently. I did an MC event with Steve Hansen. And Steve Hansen is really really quick and very very cheeky and so I had all the stuff organised and he just basically took the mickey out of me the whole time so it turned out to be a comedy act. But at the same time he is very insightful and deep with a lot of his work he's done around leadership so that was really cool to be involved with. Is there any advice you'd give to those coming up?
MR: I think if you want to be serious and you want to be around for a long time, you've got to have something about you that gives you credibility. So it's either being a journalist and being trained properly and asking questions as appose to giving opinions. That's your journalistic role or learning to write and getting credibility that way as appose to just wanting to be on TV. I think there's a really important distinction between the different types of people and the ones that last the longest are the ones that have actually put a lot of work behind it. So that might be journalism school, that might be internships and working for a few years at a media organisation. But it takes a long time to get good. I reckon it took me ten years before I really found my feet so put the time and effort in and you'll be rewarded. What would you say to your younger self, to Melodie Robinson who was starting at Sky Sports? MR: Sometimes you have to judge context a bit better. That's what I'd say to myself. I have a very outgoing personality and love to have a joke and love to socialize. But sometimes I didn't judge that right. So that would be my advice. Is there one athlete past or present who you've never met but you would like to? MR: Well I really liked Flo Jo who was the sprinter for the USA back in the 80s and early 90s. She was pretty cool because she redefined what a 100m sprinter looked like but of course retrospectively it turns out that she probably cheated which is why she had a heart attack so maybe not. But I was standing next to Usain Bolt at the Rio Olympics and I didn't even recognize him. I was standing right next to him and thought what an idiot I was...I think I'd rather meet people now who have really achieved something in society so an athlete or a musician or artist whose gone onto change society. So you know what Bono from U2 would be one of them with his humanitarian work. So people like that who have actually changed society as appose to just play sport. |
|