Emotionally charged end to 40 years of coaching
Malcolm Walker’s final day of coaching junior players at the Central Western Cricket Club in Winton ended in tears and second thoughts on stepping down.
It was a big call to step down after 40 years of coaching at the club. His final day came in competition last Saturday and he knew it was going to be emotionally charged.
‘‘After the games, the kids came up to me . . . they were sad to see me going,’’ Walker, who was in charge of four teams, said.
A few days earlier he sent the club’s Year 7 and 8 players a message wishing them the best for the future. Cricket gear he had in his car last weekend was given to junior players.
‘‘I came home on Saturday night and thought, how could I give up?’’
To settle the emotions he went for a walk, cleaned [cricket] gear and had a few bowls in his cricket nets at home. A day or two later he realised he had made the right decision.
The sportsman said he needed to pull back from coaching to get more work done on his sheep farm at South Hillend and for his commitments as a member of the Deep Cove Outdoor Education Trust. He said three projects were coming up at Deep Cove – a pest eradication programme, construction of a resource room and the appointment of a guide-communications person.
Walker will remain a helper in the club and continue as secretary.
‘‘I believe the club is as strong as it’s ever been,’’ he said.
‘‘There’s a lot of talent around at the moment . . . it’s just amazing.’’
Children travelled from Hauroko Valley, Nightcaps and Mossburn to be at practice, Walker said.
‘‘The parents would drop them off, stay and help out with practice.’’
He coached three or four times a week during the season.
Walker has used his own money to buy cricket gear for junior players in central and western Southland.
In 1980 he imported 400 Hunts County cricket bats from England. When he went to collect them from customs in Invercargill, staff there asked if they could have a couple for the customs team playing in a competition.
Walker was honoured to be named New Zealand Volunteer Coach of the Year in 2001.
While his cricket coaching has been cut back, he will continue mentoring in junior athletics, rugby and touch.