Football Queensland (FQ) and NAB are pleased to announce Capricorn Coast Football Club’s Scott Reece as the winner of the NAB Volunteer of the Month award for March.

Mr Reece, 42, volunteers for a number of roles across the Yeppoon based club, including junior coaching and development, coordinating the men’s community teams and refereeing games.

Capricorn Coast Football Club president Kerry Gray nominated Mr Reece for the NAB Academy of Awesome because of his sheer tenacity and tireless efforts.

“Scott became a life member of the club at the end of last year and has helped coach a number of junior teams, helps coordinate our men’s community teams, referees games on Saturdays and generally helps with any little thing that needs doing,” Mr Gray said.

“He has also given up his time over the summer to help develop a junior academy for our club.

“He just gets in there and gets things done. You can always guarantee after coaching and refereeing games, he will be down helping take the nets off the goals and packing up for the day.”

Mr Reece, an electrician, said he was thrilled but surprised to win the award.

“You just sort of do this kind of thing, not for recognition, but for the kids and the club,” he said. “It’s a surprise for sure.”

Mr Reece said he doesn’t think too much about volunteering, he just knows people need to play their part to build community clubs.

“The club is a not-for-profit, without volunteers it certainly wouldn’t run,” he said. “It’s the passion the club has got which makes you want to volunteer.

“I do the volunteering, not for the club specifically, but for the kids.

“The kind of area it is, a lot of parents go away for work. Mums and dads go out of town and if it wasn’t for the volunteers, it wouldn’t happen.

“To see the kids develop and the club be healthy is totally the reward in itself.”

Mr Reece said Capricorn Coast Football Club has approximately 300-400 players.

“The committee, the president and everyone else is made up of volunteers,” Mr Reece said. “We are struggling for coaches for junior teams and there are some great parents who have put their hands up.

“With some more experience we can provide mentoring for those guys at grassroots as well.”

Clubs have a way of building community, and Mr Reece said his club is a great example of passion people working together and the benefits of which are felt across the town.

“It’s a community sport, it teaches people things about life as well,” he said.

“If you work hard, you get rewards. It’s the foundation for life as well, teamwork, support, community.

“You go to a lot of these remote communities, who have fly-in fly-out parents, and their sporting communities have disappeared due to it.

“If we have communities as a home base with healthy sporting clubs, it’s a benefit to the whole community.

“That community spirit and that support is here. That passion keeps us going.”