Football Queensland (FQ) and NAB are pleased to announce Wayne Borellini of Proserpine Taipans Junior Soccer Club as the winner of the NAB Volunteer of the Month award for April.
A player, coach and volunteer at the club across more than 30 years, Borellini has been involved for so long he’s now coaching children of parents he coached when they were Taipans juniors.
Borellini has coached every age group at Taipans at some point and is currently the volunteer coach of his youngest daughter’s Under 14s team.
“There are a few parents that I’ve coached and now their kids are coming through,” he said.
“I like watching the kids develop, to see how far they can go. If they’re committed and if they’re good enough, I tell them they can go anywhere in the world.
“But as long as they’re enjoying it, that’s the main thing.”
Borellini was nominated to NAB’s Academy of Awesome by the club’s treasurer and registrar, Maria Sala, who described him as a club stalwart.
“If something needs to be done around the club, we ring Wayne,” she said.
“As well as coaching, he’s a linesman, a handy man fixing bits and pieces, sorting goals and nets and ferrying kids around to game and training left, right and centre.
“If it’s anything to do with football, he’ll do it. This is all while he operates his building carpentry business and cane farms.”
Borellini said the NAB Volunteer of the Month award came as a surprise.
“It does give me a bit of a warm feeling [to win] but I don’t do it to be recognised, you’ve got to do your bit for the community,” he said.
“You find time for the things you love. Being around the club keeps me young, fit and healthy.
“Our town is mostly a rugby league town, so our football community is quite tight-knit.”
Is there a volunteer at your local club who should recognised for the time they dedicate to football? Nominate someone for the NAB Volunteer of the Month here.
