‘I JUST LOVE WATCHING THEM PLAY’
RUGBY league runs through Ged Laherty’s blood, inheriting his passion for the sport from his father and now imparting it to his son through his role as coach.
Laherty stepped up to the task of training the U10 Nanango Stags when his son Beau’s team needed a coach, and now just a couple of years later he’s claimed the title of Burnett region’s best sports coach.
“I used to play back in the day, a long time ago, and then in the last few years my son became interested in football, (he) loves football,” he said.
“The young fella is a handy little player. As long as he's interested in it, I’ll keep an interest, too.”
Like father, like son, Laherty kicked off his own footy years in the Stag’s under 6s’ team and played through to the under 18s. He now loves nothing more than to watch the young ones fall in love with the sport as he did.
“Saturdays are always a good day with the kids. All they want to do is play football, so I just love watching them play,” Mr Laherty said.
“At training you’re trying to drum things into their head – where they should be on the field or what they should be doing on the field. But then on Saturdays they just get stuck in.
“This season in particular they’re getting a bit older and starting to show a bit of football in them.”
Mr Laherty said he was grateful for the parents who voted for him as top coach and hoped more would get involved with the club.
“If you’ve ever thought about coaching or just volunteering in your club, just get involved,” he said.