The 34-year-old has accepted a Dunedin-based position with Hockey New Zealand as its community hockey manager.
Her last day with Otago Hockey is on March 14 and she will leave the organisation in a good state. She played an instrumental role in helping push the development of a third turf at King’s High School.
Arguably, that was her greatest achievement in the role, but Minton-Smith felt differently.
"There have been so many different facets to this job but I think what I am most proud of is uniting the members ... and I think I managed to build on the platform that had been created.
"Hopefully, I’ve made the place an organisation that members can be proud to be part of."
That said, a lot of hard work went into pushing for a third turf.
"It was not just me. There was a lot of people that played a part — our members, King’s High School. There was a lot of people behind the scenes.
"But I felt it was a great achievement for the organisation and for the community."
Minton-Smith hopes to stay involved in the project and see it through to completion. There is still work to do before it gets to the build stage but she hopes construction will begin before the end of the year.
Along with the wins, there has been frustration, as well. She wanted to give the pavilion at the McMillan Hockey Centre a good "spruce up" and "make it look all nice so it is a place people want to be in". But at the top of the list has been her campaign to get more adults involved in the sport.
"What I would have dearly loved to have achieved was to get more adults back into the game. But unfortunately it has not been possible, mainly due to the facilities. We just don’t have the space.
"No doubt when the third turf is up and running we will be able to run all those kind of things."
It has also been 10 years since Dunedin hosted an international hockey match, and Southern Hockey’s decision not to enter a team in the National Hockey League last season was damaging for the sport.
Southern Hockey and Otago Hockey are separate entities but it impacted Otago Hockey members.
"I’m not one for sitting around and pointing fingers. It is about, ‘how can we do the best by our members and make this a positive instead of a negative?"
The solution was to enter teams in the provincial tournament and the men placed a creditable third.
Otago Hockey Association president Andrew Booth said in a press release the board was sad to see Minton-Smith go.
"Rachel has been known as a popular member of our community, but the work she has done while leading Otago Hockey has played a key role in the growth and development of our organisation."
Otago Hockey board member Adam Walker has accepted an interim three-month appointment as facilities and development manager while Otago Hockey looks for a replacement.
● Southern midfielder Tessa Jopp is one of five players who have been added to the Black Sticks Women’s national squad.Added to the final squad of 25 athletes are striker Amy Robinson, defenders Steph Dickins, Jenny Storey and Kim Tanner, and Jopp.
The Black Sticks Women are next in action in two tests against the United States on March 25 and 26 in Rangiora.
