Curtis Wooten was awarded the BBNZ Services to Coaching Award. Photo / Supplied
Curtis Wooten was awarded the BBNZ Services to Coaching Award. Photo / Supplied
Devoted members of the Hawke's Bay basketball community have been recognised for their contribution to the sport at the latest Basketball New Zealand Awards.
Donnette Daly, Di Robertson and Curtis Wooten received awards for their long-serving and 'outstanding' contributions to basketball at Te Papa Museum in Wellington on Saturday.
Wooten,who was awarded the BBNZ Services to Coaching Award, said he was very surprised but proud to receive such recognition.
"You don't coach to get awards, you coach because you enjoy being in the gym and trying to teach young people to become better athletes and better people," he said.
Wooten has coached basketball in New Zealand for 33 years, and in that time he has taught, mentored and administered the game at various levels, including the Hawke's Bay Hawks, Auckland Stars and the NZ U-20 men's team.
He was also the head coach of Hastings Boys' High School for nearly a quarter of a century before retiring in 2019.
Hawke's Bay's Donnette Daly was the winner of the Ian Goodwin Services to Officiating award and 40 Years Long Service award.
In 1986, Daly was the first woman to gain the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) referee qualification and is still only one of two to achieve the FIBA badge.
Donnette Daly won the Ian Goodwin Services to Officiating and 40 Years Long Service award. Photo / Supplied
From 1986 to 1997 she refereed 225 games in the Men's NBL, including three finals.
Daly was a key part of the first New Zealand Basketball Federation Referees' Commission, which was formed in 1996, and became a referee trainer in 1997.
She is often seen at games around the region spending hours training young referees and Hogan said she has Hawke's Bay leading the way when it comes to officiating.
Daly will also be awarded a services to sport award later this month at the Sport Hawkes Bay Awards.
Di Robertson won the Cedric Cudby Volunteer award.
The former Tall Fern captain recently retired from the Basketball Hawke's Bay board.
Di Robertson with her Cedric Cudby Volunteer award. Photo / Supplied
During her 14 years of service Robertson played key roles in the area of player and coach development, strategic planning, rules and regulations, and championed the women's game.
Robertson enjoyed much success on the domestic stage, winning seven titles with Hawke's Bay, playing 300 games and coached the women's team for three years.
In 2010 she was first basketballer to be inducted into the Hawke's Bay Sports Hall of Fame.
Basketball Hawke's Bay general manager Nick Hogan said the three award winners have given countless hours of their personal time to help the sport grow.
"Their commitment not just to the sport but to the community is incredible, and we are very lucky to have these types of people involved in Hawke's Bay," he said.
