Gary Searles has been honoured for his dedication to community sport
“The smile on the kids’ faces is three-quarters of the reason why I stay involved with the game,” Gary Searles says. For the last three years, the Bilgola Plateau local has been president of the Peninsula Cricket Club and a committee member for the previous 10.
His commitment was recognised earlier this year when he received the Northern Beaches Council Outstanding Community Service Award. “I was surprised. That was probably the first reaction when I got the phone call initially, because at the end of the day, I’m just another volunteer out in the community,” Gary says.
“There are so many amazing community volunteers out there doing amazing things across all sorts of different sports and all sorts of not-for-profit organisations that, for me, to be nominated for what I do, was quite humbling,” he adds.
His commitment to the volunteering he was doing for the club gave him the courage to change careers 18 months ago. He left behind his job in finance and banking to dedicate time to his true passion: cricket.
“Unfortunately, it was a redundancy that sort of forced my hand. And I decided that I needed a bit of a change. I started to explore additional opportunities I had a passion for,” he says. “Luckily enough, the stars aligned, and Cricket New South Wales came knocking on my door.
“They loved the fact that I had such a vast volunteering and grassroots cricket background and, based on all the work that I’ve done in the local community for the Beaches over the years.
“Call it fate, call it destiny, whatever you want. I feel if you have a passion for something it will find its way to come back to you,” he adds.
Gary actively volunteers as a coach, mentor and coordinator of cricket workshops and competitions. He also coordinates ‘come and try’ sessions for children aged six through to young adults.
Although his involvement with the sport started as a child, it wasn’t until a decade ago that Gary reconnected with the game.
“I’ve always had a passion for cricket. I started playing when I was eight years of age. I’ve always had a love and a passion for the game. I started volunteering in the local area for the cricket club probably about 10 years ago when my son decided that he wanted to start taking up the game. So, I just started helping out with the local club, and I got more and more involved in the space,” he says.
Gary has not only been a mentor. Ten years ago, there were no local girls’ teams, and now, through his persistence, there are three.
“Girls’ sport in Australia is going leaps and bounds; cricket is another avenue for girls to get into the community space. The work I’ve done over the years, working with the girls, is probably the main reason why I got (the award). (It’s) probably more for providing the opportunities for the girls, working closely with our girl’s coordinator and driving opportunities in the area.”
The key to his success is that he presents the game in an inclusive, fun, accessible way that encourages all children ‘to have a go.’
“Ultimately, it comes down to if the kids are having fun, the kids are having a great time, they’re getting great experiences, and if they keep coming back year in and year out, my job is done.”
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