Meet your Hockey NSW Community Award winners of 2023

Celebrating the backbone of any thriving sports community, Hockey NSW are proud to announce the recipients of the Hockey NSW Community Awards. Recognising the efforts and dedication of volunteers, these awards shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond for the love of our sport. 

From administrators to officials, coaches to volunteers, each award winner represents the values of Hockey NSW. Take, for instance, our Community Coach and Community Young Coach of the Year recipients, James and Heidi Wright - a father and daughter duo that embodies our family culture that become well known throughout the Hockey world. Their dedication will continue to propel our sport forward. 

Meet your Hockey NSW Community Award winners of 2023! 

Community Administrator of the Year

Adam Scarff - Manning Valley Hockey Association

Adam is the Treasurer of Manning Valley Hockey Association and also the Treasurer of Taree Tigers Hockey Club. He has had a positive impact on the Association and Club. 

Since accepting the role of Treasurer, Adam has continually looked for ways to improve every aspect of the running of the Association. He assists wherever possible, including helping to oversee plans for grants and championships/events and is always seeking economical ways to support our Association. 

Along with the accounting side of the Treasurer role, Adam oversees operations within the Hockey Centre and was instrumental in the implementation of setting up of a new POS system, a canteen reimbursement model as well as helping to oversee the setting up of a new Hockey shop and the purchasing of the stock for the Hockey shop. With the swtich to full implementation of Revolutionise in 2023, Adam has helped and guided many Clubs through the set-up process and has been of assistance to many during 2023. 

Adams commitment to helping others for the greater good of our sport is commendable. Adam was also on hand during the off-season to support the 2023 social competition. 

Adam plays for Tigers C grade Men. He is also the Treasurer of Taree Tigers Hockey Club and is always offering assistance to help perform club duties. Adam is a loyal and passionate member of Manning Valley Hockey Association and has devoted an incredible amount of his time too. 

Community Event of the Year

Grafton Hockey Association - "Doin it for Holly"

Grafton Hockey Associations, "Doin it for Holly" is an annual round to celebrate the life of Holly Butcher and promote blood donation which was one of Holly's final requests as part of "Holly's life advice". 

This special competition round includes all teams both Junior and Senior in the Association - aimed at raising awareness of the importance of blood donation and rare cancers. In 2023, Grafton Hockey Association raised just under $3,500 during this annual event. 

Community Young Official of the Year

Jack Margetson - Sutherland District Hockey Club/Sydney South

In 2023, Jack umpired over 70 full field Hockey matches and was selected for the second year in a row to be a part of Hockey NSW's Emerging Talented Officials Program (ETOP). 

Jack was selected on the U18s umpire panel for the State Field Championshis where he umpired the finals of both the men's and women's matches, umpired the U15s State Field Championship (including finals) and was selected as the NSWCIS umpire for the NSW PSSA Championships in Tamworth where he umpired the boys grand final. 

Furthermore, he was selected as the NSW representative for the U1s Australian Championships held in Tasmania in August, umpired at the Australian Defence Force Championships in April, umpired the U16s VIC vs NSW series, umpired finals in the U17s Metro competition and grand finals in SEHA juniors and was the umpire manager for the Sutherland District U11s Association Carnival (for the second year) where he scheduled all umpires, conducted rules briefings, watched and coached junior umpires and answered all rules clarifications. 

But that wasn't all that Jack managed to achieve in 2023, he also began umpiring PL2 and PL3 games in the Sydney Men's Premier League, umpired at the U15s and U18s Indoor State Championships (including finals at all championships), umpired regular games at Sydney Indoor Men's Premier League competition and he spent many Saturday mornings teachin and mentoring younger kids on how to be Hockey umpire. 

He is a Level 1 umpire and assists in running the Whistle Warrior SEHA umpire training program which develops his skills in explaining the rules to beginner umpires. He has written an online testing program to use with our new umpires. He attended ETOP sessions in 2022 and 2023. He has actively sorted feedback from umpire managers at end of State Championships. 

Jack is an active mentor to his clubs new umpires and assists both Sutherland Shire Hockey Association and Sydney East Hockey Association in mentoring and buddying new umpires. 

Community Young Coach of the Year

Heidi Wright - Kiama Hockey Club

In 2023, Heidi won Kiama Hockey Club's Junior Club Person of the Year. Heidi is a breath of fresh air when it comes to coaching the junior teams. She has successfully coached one of the clubs U13s teams, however is an important part of all junior and Minkey training sessions, always getting the children involved and they come away with big smiles and skills learnt. 

Heidi is always helpful for her team and promotes a fair environment, particularly with any younger player playing up a grade. She is always willing to help with the younger age groups and is an important player in our senior teams. 

Community Coach of the Year

James Wright - Kiama Hockey Club

James is a junior and senior coach and player for Kiama Hockey Club. James runs weekly training sessions with both junior and senior teams, as well as coaching for ISCH teams and focused coaching for a number of the clubs' junior players. 

James always shows a diverse range of coaching skills, from being able to coach some of the state and country's finest athletes, to then coaching beginner at the ages of 4 and 5 years. He is adaptable in his coaching methods, particularly with the seniors.

He is an imperative part of the junior coaching team and his whistle to gain attention can be heard throughout the sporting complex! His presence at games and feedback he provides, particularly to the juniors, has been an important aspect in retaining so many junior players. The club is lucky to have him. 

Community Official of the Year

Courtney Pearson - Burwood Briars

Courtney has won the Sydney Women’s Hockey League Umpire of the Year and in 2023 umpired Australian Masters and Women’s Indoor Championships.

Courtney is not only an official at Burwood Briars she is also a Committee Member and player and is delightful to deal with and continues to perform on the turf as a ML1 umpire.  

Community Inclusion Award

Anthony McInnes - Sydney Unniversity Hockey Club

Anthony McInnes is the long standing President of Sydney University Hockey Club. Under Anthony's leadership Sydney University Hockey Club have implemented a program to support rural and Aboriginal members. 

Congratulations to Anthony and the rest of the committee at Sydney University Hockey Club for providing the opportunity for all to get involved in Hockey.

Community Volunteer of the Year

Nikki Lloyd - Wagga Wagga Hockey Association

Nikki saw a need for an off-season social Twilight Hockey competition and took on the commitment to organise this in the past few years. In 2023 she reached out to the Board who gave the approval to go ahead with the competition.

Nikki first started with Come n’ Try days after the Winter season, following these days she then organised the format, marketing, advertising, coordination and became the contact for all things social Hockey.

For a person who did not hold a specific role within the Wagga Hockey Association Board, Nikki has facilitated a fantastic and well supported Twilight competition. The competition has again been supported in 2024.

The impact from this Twilight competition for Wagga Hockey has meant the inclusion of 12 teams involved in the competition and more importantly approximately 40 new players to the Wagga Hockey Association.

It is great to see the fields being used more often in the off season and it has been a great outlet for families to play together.

Nikki spends each Tuesday at the Hockey fields coordinating and facilitating the Twilight Hockey competition. Plus, countless hours of time in organizing the flyers, contacting the schools and promoting the Twilight competition.

Nikki has brought to the table a group of people who had not been involved in the Wagga Hockey before and has worked with the Wagga Hockey Association Board and the general Hockey community to bring together a very successful Twilight social Hockey competition.

Community Club of the Year

Bentstix Hockey Club

Bentstix Hockey Club is Sydney’s only LGBTQIA+ hockey Club. Established during the 1996 Sydney Mardi Gras Festival as a social network, the club has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most Successful LGBTQIA+ hockey clubs. 

In 2023 for the first time in the history of World Pride, the event was hosted in the Southern Hemisphere. Bentstix hockey club coordinated the hockey competition that was played at over three days at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Of the 13 teams that participated in the event 6 were local to Sydney with the other 7 from Western Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands and England.

The event plan was developed and delivered by the Bentstix hockey Club, as well as the hockey tournament it also included many social outings for the traveling international teams. The event was a huge success with World pride using the event plan document created by the Bentstix across multiple sports in the future.

Community Media and Communications Award

Lenice Heffernan - Kiama Hockey Club

Lenice is Kiama Hockey Club’s PR and Media Coordinator, where is utilises social media on a daily basis.

Lenice significantly grew the social media presence of the Kiama Hockey Club with creative use of photos and videos posting during pre-season to encourage registration and training and used a range of photos and videos during the season to encourage views and shares.

Community Distinguished Long Service 

Clinton Mallett - Far North Coast Hockey Association

Clinton Mallett has been a member of Far North Coast Hockey for 61 years. He started playing Hockey when he was 10yrs old and in that time he has held positions numerous positions from sub-committees to executive roles.

Currently he is the Association Secretary and Clint has also been Association President and the Complex Manager.He continually and consistently volunteers each and every year wherever there is a shortfall to ensure we get the season happening.Clint has been involved in all aspects of local Hockey from complex upgrades, he was there when our 1st synthetic Turf was installed, Clubhouse being built, 2nd Turf installation and now upgrading our water storage at the Complex.

Clint's calm manner and personality encourages others to help, and he is always willing to mentor. If he sees that help is needed say in the Canteen, he is in there helping, this goes as well if there is a gap in Control duties, he is there, Umpiring, he is there and often you see him just walking around the Complex he has a bucket with him collecting rubbish at the grounds. Plus many, many more ways Clint has assisted and helped over the years for Hockey – just too many to list!