GO THE COBRAS OF LOGANHOLME

My carwashing business (Hoppy’s), through Bmag , created a competition in October to win two cricket clinics with Moi as coach of your junior team. Out of nearly 70 applicants , the Loganholme Cobras U/13 ‘s were successful with their entry penned by team manager Tania Bennett.

In Nov we started things off well with a Saturday arvo net session with players and parents. It was obvious though, that a lot of parental dedication was to be needed to nurture some beginners yet stretch some better kids and keep them engaged.

It is a difficult thing to begin a sport at age 12 , alongside and against much more comfortable performers , whilst attempting to forge friendships. It is nerve wracking for the player , quite often losing sleep with worry about tomorrow’s game and even worse at times for the parents, who would probably pay a good fee for a “breakthrough” moment on the field for their youngster.

For our second session together I coached them on match day a week ago against the boys and girls of Jimboomba CC. Immediately signs were good , where in warm ups skill improvement was obvious and enthusiasm still sky high. Catches were taken, throws were good – look out Jimboomba !!!

We bowled ok having won the toss on a damp wicket and dismissed them for 54 . Ahmet created havoc first up with his left arm cutters and occasional bouncer! Most of the others chipped in with economy, or wickets as well as a magnificent direct hit run out.

Then for our batting , with a fair bit of complacency in the ranks , off we went batting our best at 9, 10, 11 where of course they wouldn’t be required.

WRONG. 4 for 15 , before we steadied a little with Ishan hanging in with BJ who smacked 17 . We passed 54 , 7 wickets down. Travis and Ahmet then got us to 83 where they will resume next week , possibly pushing for the outright.

This group of boys were as natural as I have seen in the way they fit together as a team. Applauding effort as loudly as performance, keeping everyone’s heads up in the field and mucking around a fair bit along the way , like kids need to on a weekend . It can’t all be structure.

My baggy green was passed around , everything that moved got a signature on it and the Bar BQ was a delight where parents and players could refuel, reflect and enquire about anything , as we watched the Cobras Second eleven play on the no 1 oval.

It was a top experience thanks to BMag and Hoppy’s . Neither of us have circulation/business down that way , so hats off to the  genuine nature of the competition.

Now for my big challenge – convincing my partner Chris Johns he needs to dust off his footy boots to look after the skills of a junior rugby league team !

Or maybe the Roar players now that BMag sponsor the soccer.

Stay posted.

BMAG Jan 31 Sacrifice
Never let a sportsperson talk to you about the sacrifices they make, even though they are real and justifiable , they have to be right where they want to be , at all times in lengthy careers.
Sacrifice is merely for outsiders to observe and marvel at, but if a sportsperson believes they are sacrificing anything on the way to the top , they won’t get there.
So what are some of the potential sacrifices that can become too much for an athlete either on the way up or at the very end?

1. Training time is something to love rather than treat as a chore. Between the backyard, competition and training, the experts say 10000 hours is required to be a master . Obviously a huge commitment but certainly not tough to compile. There are years of blood , sweat, tears and fights with siblings along the way, which is nothing but enjoyable .
2. Family and friends regularly get put on hold throughout your time in lights, as the number one priority of career aspiration takes hold . Family accidents , medical mishaps , nephews and nieces being born, twenty firsts , weddings and even your own childbirth can be missed. This ,I think is the biggest downside to a sporting career, yet still far outweighed by the positives.
3. Putting the “real world’ on hold for 15 years also prevents a development of work skills which can enable a player to enter the workforce on a par with their new colleagues and competitors. This can contribute to hard times soon after a career, working from such a low skill base , even with a well earned high profile . There are fewer favours in business these days than once was the case and a lot less promotional type fulltime roles that retired players hold down. Many of cricket’s former legends of the 60’s and 70’s had such jobs.
4. A sports career is lived in a total cocoon and frequently it is towards the end of such a career when an athlete becomes more aware of the sacrifices they have made and have to continue to do so, or retire. With regards cricket, the long term player is about 35 years , his children are growing up faster than ever , training starts to become a chore and that intensity is waning. Priorities are changing , skills are declining at a time when you need to be performing and training harder and better than ever , to withstand the enthusiasm of younger opponents day in day out . Ricky Ponting is currently getting knocked around by young speedsters who cherish the opportunity to impress him. That is why his skills need to be as sharp as ever or runs won’t be scored and the game not enjoyed. Matthew Hayden succumbed to the wishes of his daughter who loved having him in the garden with her.

My point is that if there is a sense of sacrifice in anything you do you are probably in the wrong profession . Find a way to enjoy whatever it is you do and you are a chance of success , whatever that may be . Sport is so very easy to enjoy and I am so fortunate to still be involved well after my playing days .
There is no comparison between what we do in sport and those who take on the ultimate sacrifice . A willingness to put your life on the line in serving our society is awe inspiring to me everyday. Defence , police and the like ,where a bad day regularly has dire consequences for such great people. An even more impressive aspect of these people is that we never hear them complain about the sacrifices they have made, yet that is one complaint I would tolerate from professionals who are superb at finding a way to enjoy.

By Steve Okun

When it comes to innovation, the United States apparently doesn’t have the market cornered on creative carwashing. One example: There’s a small but growing chain of hand-carwashes in Australia that has creatively applied some technology that is paying off quite nicely by reducing costs while enhancing its reputation in the community as well as enriching the overall customer experience.

Hand Wash Café currently operates three locations in Queensland, with several others under construction. The hand-carwash and café idea is the brainchild of well known Brisbane & Australian rugby league Hall Of Fame celebrity Chris Johns. In partnership with world cricket legend Ian Healy they’ve created a high quality, time efficient hand-carwashing service that boasts some uniquely popular advantages.

Bountiful Help From Mother Nature

Water is essential to sustaining all life; we simply can’t live without it. And if you’re in the business of washing cars, water is fundamental to your livelihood. Atmospherically, water comes from three basic places: in the ground, from our waterways, and out of the sky.

Most carwashes use water that comes from under the ground, either via wells and aquifers or through a municipal water system. However, with the increase of drought conditions worldwide, many are returning to the fundamentals of capturing, containing and reusing rainwater as a supplement to our most basic needs. The easiest and most obvious use of rainwater is for irrigating landscaping. Other domestic uses include washing clothing and supplying toilets.

Given the growing challenge of restricted water use due to droughts, the owners of Hand Wash Café decided to harness and reuse rainwater as a major source of non-potable water for vehicle washing and rinsing process. After doing a feasibility analysis of the costs, they invested several hundred thousand dollars to create a rainwater harvesting system that utilizes sedimentation, filtration, chlorination, and cyclonic extraction of minute solids from captured rainwater that is harvested from the rooftop of their facility and stored in huge underground tanks.

A series of holding and processing tanks supply 500,000 liters of water for washing and rinsing vehicles in their retail operation. Although they are not completely self-contained, the majority of their washing process is fed by rainwater that supplements the closed-loop reclaim and recirculation system. Not a drop is wasted, and that conservation effort has been applauded by Australian governmental agencies from within their country as well as by the International Carwash Association several years ago when Hand Wash Café was given an industry award for Innovation in Carwashing.

Named the “world’s best practices process” by Australian media, Hand Wash Café has demonstrated the most frugal use of water in professional carwashing worldwide simply by applying an age-old practice of harvesting rainwater. Unfortunately, the United States is quite a bit more conflicted about rainwater harvesting with no uniform national policy on its conservation and reuse. It remains an issue dealt with individually from state to state, running the gamut from encouraging the use of rainwater to actually outlawing it. It makes good business sense to investigate what your particular state allows regarding rainwater harvesting. Even limiting the use to landscape maintenance is a good start, and moving towards the eventual acceptance of an integrated system that supplements your current use of municipal water resources is a logical direction for development. Hand Wash Café has created an identity of being an excellent steward of the environment. And that appreciative community acceptance builds business and makes life a whole lot easier for them. It also saves them many thousands of dollars in overhead each month. In fact, many of their customers feel that using rainwater actually provides them a superior carwash result, and have become staunch supporters of the chain’s facilities.

Another Innovation: A Magic Carpet Ride!

Hand Wash Café’s first wash was initially equipped with a conventional roller & chain conveyor with steel guide rails that contained cars as they rolled through the entire length of the tunnel. The rails made the workspace cumbersome and the chain and rollers were noisy and posed a clear danger to the washing staff.

Chris and Ian soon recognized the value and safety provided by upgrading to a moving-floor conveyor system. By upgrading to the flat belt design, they completely eliminated the risks associated with wheel and tire damage as well as the undercarriage clearance restrictions from guide rail intrusion. Since the washing is accomplished by manually mitting in the tunnel, the flat floor with no guide rail obstruction to staff foot traffic, the process is much safer, too. Now, due to the conspicuous benefits of a moving floor conveyor system and customer insistence for the upgrade benefit, all their washes are using flat-belts in the washing process.

The owners were genuinely surprised at the powerfully positive customer reaction to the new moving-floor phenomenon that enabled their cars to safely glide atop the conveyor belt just like taking a magic carpet ride. Nothing touching the wheels or tires, and there are none of the risks associated with a rolling vehicle.

Assembly-Line Processing Increases Capacity

Chris Johns feeling is that time is money and improvements that increase production and decrease customer wait-time are well worth the investment, even in challenging economic times. Accordingly, he’s decided to upgrade by conveyorizing his hands-on operation by implementing Flex-Serve along with the increased capacity of a moving-floor Express After-Care operation. With the upgrade of two side-by-side moving-floor conveyors, Hand Wash Café can now process 50-60 cars-per-hour with select detailing services. Johns says that by upgrading, he is using less space to produce more cars… and create and maintain happier customers. Johns says it makes perfect sense that a detailing activity take steps to capitalize on the upscale image of a moving-floor conveyor, especially if it distinguishes what you do when compared will all others. “The conveyor company, Safetveyr, showed us how to do more… with less, and that has had a very positive impact on our bottom-line.”

“Although the move was a bit more expensive up-front, the payback in productivity as well as marketing with a conspicuously visible competitive advantage makes it quite worthwhile. We anticipate a quick return on our investment as demonstrated by our previous experience with the flat-belt in our carwash processing.” Johns increased his peak capacity in hand-carwash production to 125-per-hour with the upgrade, and expects his price-points in detailing to accelerate the express after-care upgrade payback considerably.

Chris and Ian invite fellow carwash mates from the United States to visit them and see how they’ve maximized the prudent use of rainwater in their operations. And while there, enjoy a ride on one of their magic carpets!

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Chris Johns

Chris Johns had an outstanding career as a rugby league player and administrator. He played for the Brisbane Broncos between 1988 and 1996 having begun his career with the St George Dragons. Johns played in Broncos premiership teams in 1992 and 1993 and he is one of only six Broncos Hall of Fame inductees. He also made nine State of Origin appearances for NSW and played 23 games for Australia.

Johns was the inaugural CEO of the Melbourne Storm in 1998 and played a major role in their first premiership. Johns’ preoccupation these days is discovering world best practice in carwash procedures to implement them at our sites. USA is the most established nation for what we do and he has viewed, washed and installed conveyors with American owners from San Francisco to Florida.

Johns is currently on the periphery of rugby league, but keeps a keen interest on the progress of his three NRL clubs – the Broncos, the Dragons and the Storm.

Ian Healy

Ian Healy was a permanent fixture in the Australian Cricket Team from 1988 to 1999, missing just one Test – because of a broken thumb. Healy amassed five world records along the way.

He held the world record for the most dismissals by a wicket keeper (395) and has played more Test matches (119) than any other wicket keeper in Australian history. In 1994, he was appointed Australian Test Cricket Vice-Captain and in 2000 was named Australian Wicketkeeper of the Century.

Since retiring in 1999 Healy has moved into the commentary box with Channel 9 to provide insightful observations on the world champion Aussies. He also reads the nightly sports news for the Queensland 9 television network.

Along with Chris Johns, Healy keeps his eye on all the footy codes, Broncos, Reds and the Lions and absolutely loves a game of golf.

Traditional national sporting bodies are now not the only places that up and coming players are striving to play for. Australian cricket, Australian rugby league and rugby union all now have cashed up competitors which are very appealing to players at every stage of a career. It was once just the end of a distinguished career when a player became excited by the prospect of discovering new frontiers both in the sport and socially with their families . Not anymore !

Young cricketers strive to be recognised by the Indian franchises in 20/20, rugby league and union players are continually being courted by Japan and France cash cows and now the most unlikely of decisions by Karmichael Hunt to switch codes . With sport now established as a workplace rather than a sport of passion these transferees stand to lose precious little ,other than face, for possible failures. There is no such thing as payments being tied to successful performance, the majority of fees are guaranteed upfront , injuries and loss of form mean nothing financially as the player is fully insured for everything that might strike. Why wouldn’t anyone take on such challenges , potentially thrilling but possibly disastrous .

Sport should continually investigate 2 things- paying for performance under the workplace relationship it has with it’s players and withholding a percentage of monies earned by young players for after career security. This can recreate the hunger of eras past , ensure  current players  live within their means and then provide them with good coin post career.

Reports last month that Vicki Wilson’s tenure on the Qld Firebirds coaching position was limited due to her fulltime employment elsewhere disturbed me . In the eyes of the junior membership of the sport and outside supporters like myself she is the obvious attraction for outside imports and local talent development , yet she is constantly headbutting with the administrators of the sport. The bubbling issues are never explained , decisions taken rarely justified and it looks poor for the most popular played sport in Australia.  Wanting any coach of a netball team to be fulltime in that role is a backward step in my view. Players the same . The sport at the elite level is just beginning to walk again with the ANZ Championship producing some great contests and profile to showcase fantastic athleticism and personalities. But now the rush to do it all fulltime is worrying. The financial side of things appears to be way off ,if athletes are to be remunerated adequately to cease employment . Current payments are extremely basic which begs the questions above as to how administrators believe fulltime playing status can be achieved. Money isn’t my main issue though , it is the life balance that needs to be allowed and all sport should provide for people to experience more than just the game. Too many don’t , mine included (cricket) and they are developing narrower individuals all living just one dream, a dream that can be shattered quickly or never quite reached and earnings never realised. Experience in the real world and old fashioned hunger to perform is a balance that has been lost to many sports , netball should take it’s time to follow. The contests don’t get better , the skills probably quicken up , game sense gets worse and we have limited the futures of many individuals who become stuck in a category- BE CAREFUL.