Tireless volunteer Marie Wise recognised with sports award

The latest recipient of the Sportsmans Warehouse Community Sports Award has been heavily involved in sport all her life as a participant, a coach and a volunteer.

The positivity sport brings into Wise’s life has always helped boost her spirits and winning this award had the same effect on Wise.

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“Receiving a phone call [to be told I’m] a recipient of this award, I was quite shocked, but honoured at the same time,” she said.

“It just shows it’s true what I tell my children, my own team or the teams I coach, ‘you just never know who is watching you or talking about you. Do your best at all times’.”

Wise started coaching at the age of 13 in Orange where she learnt the value of volunteers within sport.

She has coached football and hockey teams her children played in at Orange, Queensland and then in Tamworth.

Wise’s involvement with Northern Inland Football started 10 years ago when she managed her daughter’s representative team.

After her daughter finished up in the program, Wise was encouraged to stay on in a coaching role.

The following year Wise coached three teams.

“This was where I found my passion and I was hooked,” Marie said.

Wise now proudly watches her grandchildren play sport and is involved in a range of junior championships throughout the year.

What Wise loves most about her involvement in sport is seeing children garner confidence and a passion for the game along with the bonds they develop with their teammates.

She hopes to pass her passion on to the juniors coming through the ranks.

“My goal for the upcoming years is to mentor our younger generation to give back to the sport and community and make a difference in their own lives as well as for the little ones coming though by stepping up and becoming junior coaches,” Wise said.

“My passion and dream is to get more girls in our area to know and understand the pathway that we have here in our zone to go further in football. The beauty of being a volunteer is it is your choice to be there and you truly can make a difference as well as enjoy what you do.”