Bonnet Bay Football Club has won the top honour of Community Club of the Year in awards given by the state’s peak sports body to recognise the contribution of volunteers to community sport.
Chanelle Hosken, of Peakhurst, who is involved with Dragon Boats, won an award for Young Coach of the Year while Graham Coulton, of Kareela, was recognised for distinguished long service in Blind Sports.
The awards were presented at an awards ceremony at Parliament House on Thursday.
Bonnet Bay FC said on its website it was “delighted and humbled” by its award made by Sport NSW, the peak body representing all sports in the state.
Club members were asked to celebrate by wearing their lime scarves and beanies at games throughout the weekend.
“The award acknowledges the efforts of so many past and present members, sponsors and volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past 36 years to ensure our club is an important part of the social fabric of Bonnet Bay and surrounding suburbs,” the club said.
“It is no mean feat to have 600 players based in a local community with a population of 2100 and a wider community of around 10,000.”
The club congratulated other finalists for the award and thanked Sports NSW and the state government or supporting grass roots community sport and clubs through the awards program and in other ways.
An extract from the presentation booklet said:
“Bonnet Bay FC is a benchmark club well beyond just football within the Sutherland Shire.
”“The club has developed a strong culture, facilities and personal development programs as well as achieving community engagement with local and charitable causes by establishing clear goals and volunteer resources.
“The club’s proportion of female players (40 per cent) well exceeds state averages and the club environment assists coaches and managers in supporting all members when needed.”
Chanelle Hosken was a joint winner of the Young Coach award.
The citation said, “ Chanelle has coached at beginner, club, state and national levels and coached the Junior Squad of 40 students to victory at the National Championship during her HSC year, into her first year of university.
“As well as coaching, managing and coordinating training, Chanelle set weekly individual fitness goals for her paddlers which led to major improvements in the team as a whole.”
Graham Coulton was recognised for 43 years of active service to Blind Sports in NSW, from being a founding member through to a life member.
“He has made outstanding contributions to Goalball Australian games for the disabled, blind cricket and blind golf,” the citation said.
“Graham has supported the growth of blind sports in NSW and has shown leadership through his many positions on the board of directors.
“He has received multiple awards highlighting his passion for blind sports.”
Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said the NSW Community Sports Awards “celebrates the vital role volunteers play in ensuring that sport operates efficiently across the state”.
“More than 2.1 million people give up their time to volunteer across the state, with an incredible 500,000 volunteers contributing to local sport every week,” he said.
“Volunteering is the backbone of many communities and contributes more than 240 million hours of service and over $5 billion to the NSW economy every year.
“Sport, in particular, relies heavily on volunteers to ensure the smooth running and operation of clubs to support 2.5 million people participating in grassroots sport each week.
“So we are talking about the mums, dads and volunteers young and old alike getting up early or staying late and giving generously of their time to help their local clubs.”
Sport NSW Chairperson Joseph La Posta said: “The 2018 NSW Community Sports Awards named winners across 10 categories, highlighting contributions to coaching, officiating, and by teams, events and clubs.”
“The night recognised 23 distinguished long service recipients for their exceptional loyalty to their sport, with award winners travelling from as far as Gunnedah, Cootamundra and Tamworth.
“We witnessed a sell-out crowd with over 280 people representing a variety of sports, including Australian Rules, Cricket, Football, Squash, Judo and Dragon Boats.”
More information: sportnsw.com.au/news/11003