TRIBUTES continue to flow today for former Mount Gambier sports media personality Pat Koopman, 53, who passed away in Hamilton last week.
Mr Koopman – who started his stellar 30-year regional media career at The Border Watch – is remembered as a talented junior sportsperson, a devoted family man and passionate sports writer.
Born and raised in The Blue Lake city, Mr Koopman joined The Border Watch team in 1982 as a sports cadet and quickly made his mark in the city’s media fraternity.
His love of sports reporting was fuelled as a youngster playing for South Gambier Football Club, where he was viewed as a champion junior player.
Mr Koopman – who was recently the editor of the Hamilton Spectator before returning part-time as a sports writer due to poor health – died suddenly from a heart attack.
He is survived by wife Julie and children Michael and Rebecca.
South Gambier Football Club president Leigh Winterfield described Mr Koopman as an outstanding sports editor at The Border Watch.
Revealing Mr Koopman was a talented footballer in his younger years, he said his passion for the sport also flowed through to his reporting.
A celebrated junior player, Mr Koopman was awarded the under 12 Western Border Football League best and fairest in 1976 and in the following year played in the under 16 premiership side despite being just 13 years old.
He also holds a record for playing 103 games between 1972 and 1978.
“Pat played on average two games every week in his age group and in a higher age group – he was a very talented junior,” Mr Winterfield said.
Moreover, Mr Koopman played in the under 18 state Teal Cup alongside AFL greats such as John Platten.
“Pat was well-respected around South Gambier Football Club,” Mr Winterfield said.
Regarding his sports reporting, Mr Winterfield said his stories and editorials were comprehensive and helped promote football in the region.
“Pat was so passionate about covering football during the 1990s,” he said.
Former Western Border Football League president Norm Facey yesterday described Mr Koopman has a great friend and a pivotal media writer for regional sport.
“Pat was a great bloke and I really enjoyed his company,” Mr Facey said.
“He was a straight shooter and you could trust him with any story.”
He said Mr Koopman made his mark not only as a talented Western Border footballer, but also promoting the league.
“He was unbiased in his reporting and he didn’t take sides,” Mr Facey explained.
Mr Facey revealed he was so well liked he was invited to league bus trips.
“Apart from being a Collingwood Football Club supporter, he was a hell of a nice bloke,” he said.
The Border Watch chairman of directors Graham Greenwood OAM said Mr Koopman served the newspaper with great distinction since he joined the staff as a sports cadet.
“He had a great love of all sports and was a champion under age footballer with South Gambier,” Mr Greenwood said.
“His work ethic and friendly nature made him popular with readers, the sports industry, other work colleagues and his editors.
“He wrote with great fairness and clarity and his depth of sporting knowledge eventually enabled him to climb to the position of sports editor.
“Pat will be missed by his colleagues and friends at The Border Watch and the owners, management and staff offer their condolences to Julie and his family.”
Mr Koopman’s life will be celebrated tomorrow at Carinya Gardens Chapel at 2pm.
