The following speech was delivered by Alex Brazette, head Club Coach Coordinator at Manly Warringah, at the end of season function as thanks for the staff and coaching throughout the season.
First of all a warm welcome to all Curly coaches, committee members and special guests Chris Adams Community development manager from the MWFA, Warren Grieves New Technical Director at Football NSW and Les Bee National Community Coach Development Manager from Football Federation Australia.
We are gathering tonight to celebrate the wonderful work of our curly coaches for 2018. It’s a night to say goodbye to all the session plans that never went to plan, picking up cones at the end of training that has helped keep the local physio in business, folding up the pop up goals that make you feel you are at the early stages of dementia because it was only 2 days ago you said to yourself “I won’t forget how to fold them again”
Further to celebrating our coaching season, I would also like to thank you for all the smiles and happiness you brought to your teams and players this year. Tonight is just as much as congratulating you on surviving this year but just as importantly to say thank you for coaching at Curly this year. Saying thank you is our clubs way of acknowledging how important you are at our club.
Many of you know that I’ve always gauged how successful a team has performed not by victories but by how many players return the following year. That can also be said for a club. Over the last 2 years the club has grown from just under 1000 players to over 1200 players, our junior development program that has grown from 100 to 160 players, we have more teams offering players the opportunity to play either at a competitive or social level, a player pathway now offering Curl Curl juniors the opportunity to play at the highest level in their local men’s and women’s premier MWFA competition when only 2 years ago most of our men’s and women’s u/16 and 18s would either leave our club or stop playing football all together. Numbers don’t lie and based on my statement you would have to agree with me that we must be getting something right at Curly.
So what are some of the things we are getting right at Curly?. Well the answer is either next to you, behind or in front of you. It’s our coaches. It’s you. Our clubs coaching structure is supported by a hardworking and proactive club committee led by David Lavings. Furthermore we have a committed bunch of coaches on our CCC coaching committee made up of Sue Lawson, Richard Lacey, Gareth Banks, Paul Trecartin, Brad Higgs, Joe Jones and Ludo Lideu and a hard working head Coach Anthony Seminara developing our senior football pathway for our juniors to aspire to. And complementing these roles are you guys the DNA of our Football Club. Curly Coaches.
As a result of our Club Coach Coordinator Program which was developed by Les Bee from the FFA and being rolled out by Chris Adams to all MWFA clubs, our coaching calendar is now full of initiatives to help and support coaches. Initiatives such as the coach’s only information night, coach’s manual, coaching workshops, CCC mentoring, coach education courses and a coach thank you night are some of the initiatives developed from our CCC program. The real effect of the program though is in the way our club recognises the importance of helping and supporting our coaches on an on-going basis. And next year, along with all the CCC initiatives there will be a stronger focus on our CCC attending more training sessions and games which our coaching committee and CCCs are committed to.
I also want to take this moment to thank all of you, club committee, coaching committee, Chris Adams and my incredible wife for helping me with my journey as a coach and past 2 years as coaching director at the club. I’ve enjoyed playing a role in bringing coaching to the forefront at this club, I’ve made some great friends, had a laugh or two, made some mistakes, had some victories but importantly the thing I’m most proud of is having the tag of being a Curly Coach which we should all be proud of.
Thank you, have a great night and to season 2019.