Finalists Announced for 2009 SPARC VOLUNTEER Coach Awards
Student Category
Hailey Buckingham - Netball
Hailey is a Year 10 student at Southland Girls High School and coach’s netball at SGHS with a Year 7 team. Hailey attended coaching courses and found many skills and drills to help her team performance improve over the season culminating in making the final of their competition.
Hailey has shown a very dedicated approach to prepare her team as well as possible and constantly offer her encouragement and support to her players.
Gina McKenzie - Synchronised Swimming
Gina has recently retired from the Phoenix Synchro Southland club where she has been working with her very talented coach Audra Arbas. Although Gina is involved in many sports she makes time to bring the same energy to her coaching role at the pool with the new swimmers for her club. Gina is from Riverton and has a great rapport with her swimmers who enjoy her coaching style.
Chantelle Padget - Synchronised Swimming
Chantelle is a national team member in the Synchronised swimming team and does her volunteer coaching in the local Phoenix Synchro Southland Club. The hard work and cheerful enthusiasm that have contributed to Chantelle’s own career are already evident in her coaching style with new swimmers at the Club at the Have a Go days and beginners camps.
General Category
Dave Beadle - Cycling
Dave comes highly recommended for this award from his many grateful athletes from Cycling Southland. Dave has a great rapport with his riders and an easy and relaxed coaching style. Dave has dedicated himself to the development of his riders allowing them to be the best they can be. Off the road and the track Dave is an excellent organiser whose efforts are greatly appreciated by Cycling Southland.
Mary Jane Crutchley - Netball & Basketball
Mary Jane is a young coach who is from Gore and has many adoring athletes from both Netball and Basketball who enjoy her relaxed coaching style and great sense of humour. Mary Jane is a teacher and gives most of spare time to her players who are enjoying great success winning their grade in Netball with three of their team making rep teams. Mary Jane is an excellent example of a Volunteer coach going the extra mile for young people who love their sport.
Dave Galbraith - Rowing
Dave has given his time for several years to aspiring rowers while still leading from the front rowing successfully in the Masters team showing great tenacity and determination.
For the last ten years Dave has given every encouragement and support to the Special Olympian rower’s one of which has progressed to single sculling which is a very difficult discipline to master. Dave has shown great patience and skill developing his rower’s confidence to a level well beyond their expectations. All of the members of Special Olympics Southland are very proud and grateful to their wonderful coach.
Lifetime Category
Alwyn Stiven - Netball
Alwyn has dedicated over 40 years to Netball coaching umpiring and administration where her teams have been very prominent in both West Otago and Eastern Southland competitions.
A past NZ umpire Alwyn is currently coaching at Blue Mountain College contributing to both the development of Netball and coaching the A team to the final of the B grade South Island Secondary Schools Tournament this year.
This excellent result came from a College with just 80 netballers!
Alwyn is very active with fundraising activities for Netball including the sale of many cheese rolls and fish orders being another example of Alwyn going the extra mile for her chosen sport.
Sonia Payne - Swimming
Sonia started coaching swimming at the Collegiate Swimming Club in 1984 and is still there today! Sonia has received both Service and Honours Awards from Swimming NZ for her contribution to local swimming inside and outside the pool.
Sonia also has served in many roles in swimming administration and also as a Centre delegate and regional timekeeper.
Sonia currently coaches children with disabilities in the pool with endless patience and positive support.
The Collegiate Swimming Club is very proud of Sonia’s contribution to a generation of swimmers.
Ken McBride - Small bore Rifle Shooting
Ken has been involved in Small bore Rifle Shooting for over 50 years at Mossburn in Northern Southland.
Ken is a fixture in shooting circles where his great contribution to his sport with attracting new members and then coaching them both safety and technique with a very quiet and supportive coaching style.
Ken has gone the extra mile for a lifetime to share his passion for shooting with his local protégé’s many of which have gone on to represent Southland and New Zealand.
Ken has made an effort to stay away from accolades and public recognition but his ability and dedication over such a substantial time makes Ken a very worthy finalist this year.
Student Category
Hailey Buckingham - Netball
Hailey is a Year 10 student at Southland Girls High School and coach’s netball at SGHS with a Year 7 team. Hailey attended coaching courses and found many skills and drills to help her team performance improve over the season culminating in making the final of their competition.
Hailey has shown a very dedicated approach to prepare her team as well as possible and constantly offer her encouragement and support to her players.
Gina McKenzie - Synchronised Swimming
Gina has recently retired from the Phoenix Synchro Southland club where she has been working with her very talented coach Audra Arbas. Although Gina is involved in many sports she makes time to bring the same energy to her coaching role at the pool with the new swimmers for her club. Gina is from Riverton and has a great rapport with her swimmers who enjoy her coaching style.
Chantelle Padget - Synchronised Swimming
Chantelle is a national team member in the Synchronised swimming team and does her volunteer coaching in the local Phoenix Synchro Southland Club. The hard work and cheerful enthusiasm that have contributed to Chantelle’s own career are already evident in her coaching style with new swimmers at the Club at the Have a Go days and beginners camps.
General Category
Dave Beadle - Cycling
Dave comes highly recommended for this award from his many grateful athletes from Cycling Southland. Dave has a great rapport with his riders and an easy and relaxed coaching style. Dave has dedicated himself to the development of his riders allowing them to be the best they can be. Off the road and the track Dave is an excellent organiser whose efforts are greatly appreciated by Cycling Southland.
Mary Jane Crutchley - Netball & Basketball
Mary Jane is a young coach who is from Gore and has many adoring athletes from both Netball and Basketball who enjoy her relaxed coaching style and great sense of humour. Mary Jane is a teacher and gives most of spare time to her players who are enjoying great success winning their grade in Netball with three of their team making rep teams. Mary Jane is an excellent example of a Volunteer coach going the extra mile for young people who love their sport.
Dave Galbraith - Rowing
Dave has given his time for several years to aspiring rowers while still leading from the front rowing successfully in the Masters team showing great tenacity and determination.
For the last ten years Dave has given every encouragement and support to the Special Olympian rower’s one of which has progressed to single sculling which is a very difficult discipline to master. Dave has shown great patience and skill developing his rower’s confidence to a level well beyond their expectations. All of the members of Special Olympics Southland are very proud and grateful to their wonderful coach.
Lifetime Category
Alwyn Stiven - Netball
Alwyn has dedicated over 40 years to Netball coaching umpiring and administration where her teams have been very prominent in both West Otago and Eastern Southland competitions.
A past NZ umpire Alwyn is currently coaching at Blue Mountain College contributing to both the development of Netball and coaching the A team to the final of the B grade South Island Secondary Schools Tournament this year.
This excellent result came from a College with just 80 netballers!
Alwyn is very active with fundraising activities for Netball including the sale of many cheese rolls and fish orders being another example of Alwyn going the extra mile for her chosen sport.
Sonia Payne - Swimming
Sonia started coaching swimming at the Collegiate Swimming Club in 1984 and is still there today! Sonia has received both Service and Honours Awards from Swimming NZ for her contribution to local swimming inside and outside the pool.
Sonia also has served in many roles in swimming administration and also as a Centre delegate and regional timekeeper.
Sonia currently coaches children with disabilities in the pool with endless patience and positive support.
The Collegiate Swimming Club is very proud of Sonia’s contribution to a generation of swimmers.
Ken McBride - Small bore Rifle Shooting
Ken has been involved in Small bore Rifle Shooting for over 50 years at Mossburn in Northern Southland.
Ken is a fixture in shooting circles where his great contribution to his sport with attracting new members and then coaching them both safety and technique with a very quiet and supportive coaching style.
Ken has gone the extra mile for a lifetime to share his passion for shooting with his local protégé’s many of which have gone on to represent Southland and New Zealand.
Ken has made an effort to stay away from accolades and public recognition but his ability and dedication over such a substantial time makes Ken a very worthy finalist this year.
