2004 Wattie's Volunteer Coach of the Year Award
The Wattie's Baked Beans Volunteer Coach of the Year Award is a joint initiative between Sport Southland, Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) and Wattie's. The 2004 awards received over 70 nominations from throughout Southland.
The 2004 winner was Ian Hamilton, nominated by Helen Goodall of the Invercargill Rowing Club in recognition of his many years as a dedicated volunteer.
- Ian has coached for over ten years at all levels from novice through to experienced, junior through to masters, including corporate rowing. If someone needs coaching he will help out, and is always on the lookout for new recruits who can get something out of being involved in sport.
- During the season, Ian devotes nearly thirty hours per week to coaching, and off season 15 hours per week.
- Ian is always riverside 5.30am for early morning training sessions, and never expects his crew to train without him being there.
- During the winter he set up a unique and innovative winter training programme in the pool, using floats that he designed and built to keep the boat steady and oars with holes in them to practice technique.
- Fundraising is a major part of rowing; Ian is personally involved with this aspect. He has been involved in the rowing club fertilizer fundraiser every year, and has also helped attract sponsorship, grants and donations in excess of $30,000 for the purchase of new boats and equipment.
- Ian's crews have gained so much from being coached by him, not just rowing but in terms of life skills and confidence.
The Award was open to all volunteer coaches including club coaches, school coaches and anyone coaching at a non-representative level. The Award acknowledges the huge role that volunteer coaches play in all sporting codes, and the fact that sport is a fundamental part of the our Kiwi lifestyle. All up, the finalists generously volunteered thousands of hours to coach at grassroots level, across fifteen sports. The Southland winner will now go forward to the national finals with the national winner receiving a coaching development package from Wattie's Baked Beans.
"Volunteer coaches form the heart of community sport. They dedicate themselves to encouraging our young people to excel, to participate and to have goals."
A highly commended award was also presented, to Annette Flewellen of Te Anau. Annette coached swimmers in Te Anau for over 20 years children and adults alike, and was a founding member of the Fiordland Amateur Swimming Club.
"In any other year Annette would have taken out the Southland regional award but this years field was of an extremely high standard and the judges still felt that Annette's long service and dedication to coaching was deserving of recognition."
Wattie's representative Mike Hartigan who was on hand to announce the winner.
Other finalists for the awards were:
| Jane Byslma (Gymnastics / Invercargill)  |
Heather Guise (Hockey / Myross Bush)  |
Vicki Lynne Hubber (Netball & Athletics / Heddon Bush)  |
| Gaylene Ridley (Netball & Swimming / Gore)  |
Gary Rose (Soccer / Invercargill)  |
Sam Thompson (Touch / Invercargill)  |
| Shane Tinnock (Athletics / Invercargill)  |
Anya Wall (Cycling / Invercargill)  |
