Arch Jelley, the coach who made the running
Arch Jelley’s reaction to beingmade a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) sums up the athletics super coach to a T.
‘‘I was totally surprised and wondered who on earth could have nominated a 98-year-old coach who hasn’t been coaching runners for the past few years, but is now coaching bridge players,’’ the ever-modest Jelley told Stuff.
Jelley, a former Athletics New Zealand president who coached Olympic gold medallist Sir John Walker, received the honour for services to athletics and bridge.
New Zealand Cricket president Debbie Hockley – for services to cricket – was also made a CNZM in the 2020 New Year Honours list, which also features Burton Shipley, Kendra Cocksedge and jockey Lisa Allpress.
International Basketball Federation (Fiba) vice-president Shipleywas made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to basketball, while Black Fern Cocksedge was made amember of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to rugby.
Jelley’s honour is far from the first time he has been recognised for his coaching career, which resulted in 20 of his athletes representing New Zealand, with 12 competing in either the Olympics or world championships.
He was inducted into the Athletics Coaches Association of New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2006. The following year, he received a Sparc lifetime achievement award for coaching excellence, before hewas awarded an Athletics New Zealand merit award in 2009.
But being made a CNZM takes the cake, he said.
‘‘It would have to rate at the very top, but it is difficult to compare this honour with awards made within one’s sport.
‘‘It’s a great honour tome and my family, and it is also a tribute to the dozens of amateur coaches throughout New Zealandwho give their time and expertise just for the love of their particular sport. Without these dedicated people, our sportwould perish.’’
Jelley retired from coaching in 2000 but returned in 2005 to coach runner Hamish Carson, who competed at the 2016 Olympics and has snared the national 1500m title six times under Jelley’s guidance.
‘‘It would be hard to go past John Walker’s gold medal win at Montreal [1976 Olympics],’’ Jelley said when looking back at his
‘‘I was a bit of a stunned mullet when I received the email, and have to admit to emailing the honours unit to see if it was for real.’’
Debbie Hockley
Companion of the NZ Order of Merit
coaching highlights.
‘‘I’m a fairly quiet individual, and the only time I got really excited at the finish of a race was when Filbert Bayi defeated John with both blitzing the world record. Apparently I stood up on my seat shouting, ‘it’s aworld record. It’s aworld record’.’’
Outside athletics, he has been involved with the Mt Albert Bridge Club since 1990, featuring as a tutor since 1996 and becoming president between 2003 and 2013.
Hockley, who was made a MNZMIN 1999, has been NZ Cricket’s president since 2016 and was the first woman elected to the position in the 122-year history of the organisation. ‘‘I was a bit of a stunned mullet when I received the email, and have to admit to emailing the honours unit to see if it was for real, and not someone playing a prank,’’ she said.
The 58-year-old Cantabrian represented the White Ferns from 1979-2000, when she retired after helping New Zealand win the World Cup.
She played 118 one-day matches and 19 tests, captaining the side 27 times. In 2013, she became the fourth woman, and first Kiwiwoman, to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
‘‘I’ve had the best time. If my nominator feels that during this time I’ve been able to do some good for cricket generally, and for women and girls in cricket, then I’m grateful and pretty chuffed.’’
Shipley, the Fiba vicepresident since last year, has been involved in basketball administration, both nationally and internationally, since the 1990s and chaired the 2019 basketball World Cup in China.
He chaired the New Zealand national league from 1999-2004, and the NZ Breakers from 2005-10, and has had two stints on the Basketball New Zealand board, serving time as deputy chair.
Cocksedge recently won a fourth straight Farah Palmer Cup title with Canterbury and is the first player to surpass 1000 points in the competition.
The two-timeworld Cup winner was named New Zealand and worldwomen’s player of the year in 2015, and in 2018 she was the first woman towin NZ Rugby’s top award, the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial.
Allpress, who has won four national jockeys’ premierships, became in 2013 the first woman in New Zealand to have 1000 career wins, with her tally now stretching tomore than 1600.
World champion and world record holding freediver William Trubridge, former world mountain running champion Melissamoon and Lega Tagoa’i Muipu La’vasa Sagaga, the boxer known as Battling La’avasa, are also recognised with THEMNZM honour for services to their sports – and also charitable causes, inmoon’s case.
Another sportsman to be recognised, with an honorary MNZM, is Emeritus Professor Yoshihito Sakata, better known to New Zealand rugby crowds in the late 1960s as Demi Sakata.
He toured New Zealand in 1968, being amember of the All Japan team that beat the Junior All Blacks in 1968. A year later he was playing for the Canterbury rugby team (and NZ Universities and NZ Barbarians) during his time at university.
He has been amajor force in Japan-new Zealand rugby relations in the years following and organised an appeal that raised more than $40,000 for Canterbury earthquake relief efforts in 2011.