Linda Hall: Night to celebrate success

Linda Hall

The Hawke's Bay Sports Awards were held on Saturday night and it was an evening full of humble triumph, applause and emotion.

With sports journalist Phil Gifford as MC and Black Caps cricketer Kyle Mills, a member of the World Cup squad, as guest speaker, the night was also interesting and entertaining.

Organised by Sport Hawke's Bay with main sponsors Hawke's Bay Today and Radio Sport, it was held at the Pettigrew-Green Arena in Taradale.

I was impressed with new Sport Hawke's Bay CEO Mark Aspden, who has big shoes to fill following Colin Stone's resignation.

He must have felt nervous but his message to the crowd was one I'd like to pass on to you.

He challenged everyone there to encourage someone they know to get moving.

Try a sport, perhaps, or just take that first step and walk around the block with them.

That is such a good idea.

The thing with sport and any form of exercise is you really don't know how fantastic it makes you feel until you just get out there and do it.

Setting yourself little goals and achieving them is a great feeling. And it is never too late. It doesn't matter how old you are or what shape you are in: just take that first step.

You never know where it might lead you.

Anyway, back to the awards. Every person who won an award, whether they were an athlete, a supporter, a coach or an administrator, thanked their family for supporting them.

These people put hours into training and volunteering.

If they didn't have the support of family they probably wouldn't be able to do what they do.

It's thanks to parents, coaches and hundreds of supporters and volunteers who quietly work away in the background that Hawke's Bay has such talented sport achievers.

I also really liked what one of the service award recipients said.

Mark Carter (softball) said "Every kid in sport is a kid out of court."

How true that is. Keeping children busy and engaged in a sport leaves them no time to get into mischief.

Of course it doesn't always work and it doesn't have to be sport.

Learning to play an instrument, dancing or joining a club of some sort is so good for children.

Not only does it get them moving and away from the telly or computer, it helps them learn to socialise, helps with confidence and teaches them to set goals.

You never know, your child could be a champion in the making just like cyclist Regan Gough.

The night belonged to Regan, who was named Hawke's Bay's Sportsperson of the Year.

He has achieved so much.

He has won the most medals as a junior track cyclist in the history of New Zealand cycling.

That's incredible.

I bet his family are proud of him. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Congratulations to all the nominees, winners, their supporters and families.

Keep up the good work, everyone.

-Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.