Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Dreams do come true. Just ask Tauranga City United Football Club, who achieved what seemed like an improbable dream of winning their last two encounters of the season by ten goals to earn promotion to the next year's Northern Premier League.

Three weeks ago, only the most optimistic Tauranga fans were confident that there team would play in the top division next year. However, a 6-0 win in their penultimate game gave the local lads a sniff of promotion last Saturday.

While Sideline Sid couldn't be at Links Avenue because of cricket duty, he had a spy in attendance for the live or die encounter against Mangere.

The report suggests that early Tauranga eagerness wasn't working, however a more settled approach produced the first goal just after the 30-minute mark.

Leading 2-0 at half-time, the home side was still a fair way from promotion, however focus and steely determination saw two more attempts hit the back of the net, to give them a 4-0 win and the joy of promotion.

Enjoy the break lads, and look forward to playing in the top echelon next season.

Sideline Sid has long believed that football, cricket and tennis – sports that teach hand-to-eye coordination – are outstanding introductory sports for four-to-seven-year-olds.

All three codes have modified programs and games for newbies and an early introduction to the codes often drives a lifelong passion for their chosen game.

As youngsters develop their skills there is also a role that their peers can play in developing their love of the game.

Last Friday, a group of Western Bay, cricket-mad youngsters had the opportunity to rub shoulders with a number of home-grown Northern Knights professional players.

Recent Black Cap and Knights skipper Daniel Flynn, along with Brett Hampton, Jono Boult, Bharat Popli and Joe Carter, returned to their roots to visit eight local schools.

The five local boys were accompanied by 2014 Black Cap Dean Brownlie, who resides in the Western Bay of Plenty and is registered to the Mount Maunganui CC.

It was very much a homecoming for Flynny, Jono, Bharat, Hammer and Joe, who had all travelled along the Western Bay and Bay of Plenty age-group pathways on their journey to the professional game.

Targeting the sponge-like audiences of year six-to-eight cricket players, the Northern Knights quickly established a genuine rapport with the youngsters on the day.

The individual school visits were quick-fire 45 minute sessions. However, the Knights quickly won the attention of the audiences with an introductory chat and a rotation of batting, bowling and fielding drills.

The biggest smile of the day came from an Aquinas College Intermediate team member, who was given a signed Northern Knights playing shirt for clean bowling one of the Knights.

The school visits were much more than a public relations exercise, and gave the cricket stars of the future a chance to get up close and personal with their local heroes.