Amateur Northland coach gains national recognition with award

It can be frustrating at times - dealing with kids and parents - I never miss a session and after working an eight-hour day and they don't turn up without letting you know, it is hard.Marty Hampton - rookie coach of the year Northland's Marty Hampton is making waves in the swimming world after being named rookie coach of the year at the recent New Zealand Swim Coaches and Teachers Awards in Wellington.
As one of the few amateur coaches to receive the award, it  underscored the passion and dedication Hampton has for coaching at Kawakawa's ASB Trust Pool at Bay of Islands College.
"I was pretty stoked about the award - I had been at the conference for four days but did not stay for the awards dinner, and then got a text from a mate saying I had won."
The coach at Kawakawa for six years attended the conference staged  before the awards ceremony last week, and said it was helpful and insightful.
"Olympic swim coach Jan Cameron along with some others ran seminars - and you learned a lot of ideas from other coaches and there was opportunity to do some networking," Hampton said.
Swimming NZ track  swimmers and their coaches and the progress made  by the 15 national level swimmers and the 10 or so regional level swimmers under  Hampton's  tutelage saw him  earn the rookie coach title.
Hampton also helps out with the 200 or so members who swim casually for the Bay of Islands Swim Club.
 Hampton said seeing kids doing well in sport  kept him returning to the pool for four or more two-and-a-half hour sessions a week.
"I like doing it - it's rewarding - seeing the kids jump out of the pool with a big smile on their faces gives you a kick," he said.
Staying dedicated and committed to coaching duties is not always easy for Hampton, especially after a busy eight-hour day working for his own home maintenance business in Paihia.
"You have your moments," he said.
"It can be frustrating at times - dealing with kids and parents - I never miss a session and after working an eight-hour day and they don't turn up without letting you know, it is hard."
However, the good outweighs the bad and that  would motivate him to stick with coaching for at least the near future, he said.
"I will carry out this season and then see what the attitudes of the swimmers coming through are like."
The 38-year-old is also part of the management team for Northland Regional Swimming Association.
As well he  recently put his hand up for the vice-president position  that will be decided at the upcoming annual  meeting in a couple of weeks, he said.
Other recipients of awards at the annual event included North Shore's Gary Francis, who was named open water coach, and Aqua Hawks Napier's Mike Lee, who was named provincial coach.
Coach of the year for a swimmer with a disability was Roly Creighton of QE2, Christchurch.
Creighton was also honoured for his coaching work at the Beijing Paralympics.
The special award - for an outstanding contribution to NZ's swimming industry went to Hawkes Bay's John Beaumont.
Coach of the year was shared between Cameron and Thomas Ansorg, who both coached the Beijing Olympic team.