This week we take some time to pass on our thanks and share some background to some incredible individuals who ensure that school sport can happen, and that the lessons, life skills and love of sport is experienced by the students across our region.
Marnie Green
Role: Coaches senior-A girls volleyball team
Motivation: Being an ex-pupil of Bayfield myself, I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to my old school and the sport that provided me with so many opportunities at the same age.
I love seeing athletes reach their full potential on the court as well as develop skills that they then transfer to their everyday lives.
I gain immense satisfaction from watching my athletes grow into well-rounded and successful young people. I am very lucky to be part of a group of coaches and managers at Bayfield who are like minded and provide a sense of connection as a coach and with whom I can exchange ideas and feel part of a team.
I am often asked to provide references for players for academic and vocational positions and it is very easy to speak with pride as to their sporting and personal growth while I have known them.
The school says: Bayfield is exceptionally grateful and lucky to have such a wonderful coach in Marnie Green, and know that she has helped so many of our students across the 10 or more years that she has helped to run our school volleyball programme. As a school we would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Marnie.
JOHN MCGLASHAN COLLEGE
Nic Friedlander
Role: Hockey head coach
Motivation: His dedication isn’t just about drawing up plays — it’s about the time he invests. Between weekly practices, weekend matches and making the annual trip up to Hamilton for the Tanner Cup, Nic pours hours into these boys. When asked why he keeps giving back, he says it is all about the next generation.
‘‘I want them to fall in love with hockey the same way I did,’’ Nic said.
‘‘Watching the boys improve and retaining that connection with the school is a massive driver for me.’’
But his impact doesn’t stop at the turf. He’s the creative engine behind the John McGlashan hockey social media pages, building a community of over 700 followers. From sharp graphics and player interviews to keeping track of every single stat, he’s brought our wider hockey family closer together.
Best of all, he brings his own sense of humour to the job, whether it’s a legendary April Fool’s prank or some witty match commentary. What started out as a side project has become the go-to hub for our teams.
‘‘The Facebook stuff started because I was playing alongside the senior boys at the time,’’ Nic explains.
‘‘Now, those seniors are the ones I coached back in year 9 and 10. It’s great to come back each year, watch their progression and highlight their achievements.’’
The school says: Nic is doing so much more than just coaching a team, he’s championing the sport, one game and one post at a time.
To our coach, content creator and community connector: Thank you, Nic.
Duncan Trickey
Role: Teacher in charge of rugby and e-sports
Motivation: Duncan Trickey is very passionate about both roles. He loves to see akonga progress and enjoy their sport especially rugby.
Duncan said he recently had great pleasure in seeing eight of his ākonga playing in the Otago Spirit and took pride to see them constantly pushing the women’s game of rugby.
He loves working with the community and making sure that all ākonga get all the opportunities that are offered.
He has been instrumental over the years with organising and hosting e-sport tournaments with other secondary schools around Dunedin.
The school says: Otago Girls’ High School is so fortunate to have such a passionate and willing community, and Duncan is one of the many who we wish to extend our thanks to.
Belinda Colling
Role: Co-coach of the senior-A netball team and manager of the rowing squad
Motivation: I enjoy giving back where I can and using my skills to support the school my children attend. I also understand how important volunteers and parent contributions are to strengthen a school.
I really enjoy working with the girls and being part of their sporting journey. I truly believe that sport is such a valuable vehicle for building character, resilience and confidence. I also value the connections formed with other parents — particularly through rowing, where we’ve built a strong and supportive community around the programme.
The school says: Belinda’s commitment highlights how much school sport relies on people willing to give their time and expertise for the benefit of the next generation.
This combination of skill, commitment, and care makes her contribution highly valuable to the St Hilda’s sporting community, and we will forever be grateful for what she has done and continues to do.
TAIERI COLLEGE
Hayley McHutchon
Role: PE and health teacher, and teacher in charge of year 10 camps
Motivation: ‘‘It’s the people you meet and the connections you form with them for life,’’ Hayley says.
‘‘Seeing people shine in the activities they are doing, while also learning at the same time from the people we met, about ourselves.’’
Hayley is what can be described as a teacher who is busy everywhere. Not only is Hayley busy in the areas of athletics, equestrian and hockey, but over her time she has also been involved in adventure racing, cross country, touch, rugby, rugby league, just to name a few sports. This reflects her passion for all students within school but especially in school sports.
She goes above and beyond to support, encourage, motivate and challenge students so that they can realise their true potential.
The school says: Taieri College would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all our amazing community for their hard work and dedication to school sport, and a special shout out to Hayley for the tremendous amount of passion and commitment to sport at our school.
