Debbie Wark
Debbie Wark has made a substantial contribution to the
advancement of Hockey at both Club and Association level. Debbie has been a
player, coach and administrator taking on a diverse range of responsibilities
across her long and varied involvement in hockey within the Brisbane Women’s
Hockey Association and at Club level through her tremendous contribution made
to the Redcliffe Hockey Club.
Debbie’s association with the Redcliffe Hockey Club began in
1988 when she joined the Club as a player, moving from City United. She played
in the Redcliffe Division 1 team from 1988 until 2000. Debbie was awarded the
Club’s Best and Fairest trophy for Division 1 in both 1991 and 1996. She then
moved to DP1 and her career extended across a further two decades. Across this
time Debbie played across a range of divisions and represented in Masters teams
earning selection at Regional, State and Australian levels. She was part of
premiership winning teams and won a number of individual awards across this
time. Debbie always played in a highly competitive way, but with a deep sense
of respect for her team-mates and opposition players.
While Debbie had an outstanding playing career she also
contributed at both club and representative level as a coach and her commitment
to this aspect of the sport saw her lead teams and guide young players in a
positive and highly professional way. Debbie coached at Club and representative
levels taking Junior Representative sides to numerous State Championships.
As an administrator for both Redcliffe and BWHA, Debbie’s
contribution has also been substantial. At Club level, Debbie sat on the
Management Committee in the capacity of Senior Women’s chairperson and as Vice
President; her position as part of the Management Committee at Redcliffe
extending across almost a decade.
Debbie also saw the importance of developing umpires and
worked extremely effectively in this area, convening the Junior Umpiring at
Redcliffe from 2006 to 2010.
At BWHA level Debbie served on the Competitions Turf
Committee from 2006-2012. She was a member of the Grading Committee from
2005-2015. Debbie stood as chair of the Junior Girls section from 2009-2012.
She was also a selector for Under 13s and Under 18s.
Debbie’s contribution to Hockey has a length and depth that
reflects her passion for the game. She is a genuine Hockey person whose
involvement has always been about growing the sport she loves. She has been a
tremendous contributor to Hockey in Brisbane and a highly valued member of the
Redcliffe Hockey Club.
At the Annual General Meeting of the Redcliffe
Hockey Club held in December of this year, Debbie was awarded Life Membership: the highest honour
the Club can bestow on a member of it’s community. This honour is richly
deserved and the Club thanks Debbie for the wonderful contribution she has made
over the past 35 years to the advancement of Hockey on the Redcliffe Peninsula
and to the broader Brisbane Women’s Hockey Association.