MOUNT Gambier and Districts Little Athletics coach Sally Taylor was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Coach award last Thursday, where she was surprised with the honour by her students and fellow volunteers.
The recipient of the award was announced at the South Australian Little Athletics Association presentation night a few weeks ago, but Taylor was unable to attend the event and hence was not aware of her achievement.
After receiving her prize with good spirits Taylor said the biggest reward she experiences as a coach was being able to help her students on both their sporting and life journeys.
“You don’t do this sort of thing for achievements,” she said.
“You just do it to develop minds and young bodies really – for the community.”
Having been a coach for more than 20 years, Taylor once represented Australia in her own athletics career, but after a battle with cancer she set her sights on the coaching role.
“I just love the sport and encouraging good kids,” she said.
“I don’t care if they have talent, I don’t care if they just want to get out and get fit – if they want to do it, come to me.”
Taylor is renown for giving anybody a chance – regardless of skill or background – and has helped many individuals through difficult times in their lives.
“I’ve had kids who have been even drug addicts who have come out and made a life,” she said.
“They have turned up and said ‘the best thing I ever did was athletics’.
“Everyone goes through a bad time, it’s what you do after that bad time.”
Masters’ athlete Lorraine Baron – who has been coached by Taylor since 2000 and has won 206 medals throughout her career – had nothing but praise for Taylor and the things she does for the athletics community.
“She’s never turned an athlete away,” she said.
Taylor’s coaching has seen a vast array of success and she said the hard work and commitment her students show in their training was also reflected in their day-to-day lives.
“What they do on the track and what they do off the track can be almost the same,” she said.
“It just gets them ready for adulthood.
“These kids put in, that’s why they are successful.
“And for a small squad, every one of these kids were in the state team last year.
“Who would have thought that would come from Mount Gambier.”
Taylor said Little Athletics would not be as successful as it was without the support and efforts of the many volunteers and parents who commit their time to running and organising events.
She said it is the work behind the scenes that others may not witness which allows the program to thrive.
The 2017 Little Athletics season will start on October 13 and Taylor is already hard at work training her students for upcoming competitions.
