Help sought for growing club

The soccer season is drawing nearer, and the Greytown Junior Soccer club is looking for volunteers to help with the myriad jobs involved with running a growing club.
Current club chairman Tim Bockhop said volunteers are needed for a variety of roles, from fundraising to pitch preparations, and the club's AGM will be held at Greytown School on March 1 to give parents the opportunity to get involved.
Mr Bockhop said the club has grown significantly since its establishment in 2000 from three teams in early seasons to seven, involving 70 young players, last year.
Help is needed to keep things going.
"We need as many people as possible to help out. I hope to see as many people as possible at the AGM to keep Greytown soccer growing."
He said most of the jobs that need doing are pretty minor, like going to Greytown School to help out on registration day or helping at a working bee one Saturday, but when left to one person they quickly build up.
"It was all just left to me last year, and I was out doing stuff after work getting pretty tired."
Many people can be put off helping out a soccer club because the commitment of coaching is daunting, but he said they should be all right for coaches this year.
"They're easy jobs, nothing that will make the club fall over. We don't need coaches, the coaches from last year have all indicated they will be going through this year."
However, there will no doubt be a call for more coaches in the future, and for those interested courses in coaching will be available, in Wairarapa, at no expense.
He said Greytown has Bill and Lorraine Curtice to thank for the feat of starting up a football club.
"Greytown is lucky to have a family like this. Many hours of organising and fundraising went into setting up and outfitting the club and Greytown is very thankful to this family."
He took over the reigns of the club a couple of years ago after the Curtices' children went on to college.
"I was coaching a 10th grade team, which I had a step kid playing in, and Bill dropped out when his went on to college. I've gone from coach to administrator - I didn't want to let it go."
A very patient man, he said coaching junior soccer, which he has done for four seasons, has its own unique challenges.
"My son Thomas spent the whole season as a five-year-old climbing trees as I coached. Last year I got him as far as pre-match warm-ups. Then as a last resort I took him to the middle of the soccer field and told him he had 15 minutes to make up his mind. It was a bit hard reffing the game and holding his hand, but that was for about 15 seconds and then he was skipping around the field. He ended the season as joint most improved player and with two goals."
One player used to run around the pitch picking flowers and another once lay down on the halfway line, refusing to play.
The Greytown Junior Soccer AGM will be held in the staff room of Greytown School, 7pm, March 1.