Cadbury Volunteer Offical of the Year - Ruth Robinson

CONGRATULATIONS Ruth Robinson!!!
You have been an outstanding volunteer in the last few years and we can't wait to work with you moving into the future.

"Hamilton’s Ruth Robinson is another who has lent her skills to numerous jobs in the Waikato-BOP Zone, her multi-tasking earning her the Cadbury Volunteer Official of the Year award.

Robinson has been at the forefront during the past few seasons, a time impacted heavily by Covid, but also helping to implement new systems for the Hamilton Centre whilst also being an invaluable mentor to many volunteers and umpires.

She has played a key role in shaping the culture at the Centre over the past four years, as a board member but particularly with her roles in the Umpire Leadership Team.

Robinson also stepped up during the last two challenging seasons, impacted by Covid, filling various roles to help ensure the Centre ran smoothly despite a number of restrictions."

https://www.netballnz.co.nz/netball-nz/news/canterbury-volunteer-of-the-year-winners-acknowledged

Nomination:

• Board Member – 2016-present
• Umpire Leadership Team - 2019-present
• NZ B Umpire – umpiring at the Centre since 2012 at all levels.
• Umpire at Representative tournaments including in 2022 being named to umpire at Netball NZ Open Champs and in 2021 being a reserve for NNL games
• Umpire Coach
• Umpire Course Facilitator
• Umpire Coach Assessor

 Ruth has gone above and beyond in recent years at our Centre as a volunteer, from helping the Centre operate during Covid, to helping to implement new systems to being a mentor to many volunteers and umpires, to being a strong supporter of the staff and the direction the Centre is heading in.

 In 2022 with Covid, the flu and personal circumstances, we have had many umpires and volunteers unable to help in the way they normally would.  Ruth has stepped in without hesitation to help fill these roles.  What this has meant is that in 2022 Ruth has been doing her roles on the Board and Umpire Leadership team member, both of which are significant roles. Ruth has for a good portion of the season taken on the role of Open Grade Umpire Draw Convenor.  At times she has also covered the Premier Umpire Draw Convenor role and taken over other Umpire Coaches duties when they were unable to. 

 When we were short of Premier Umpires Ruth didn’t hesitate to not only find other umpires but also volunteered herself to umpire additional games.  She then went further again and sourced and allocated umpires for our Representative teams at tournaments including using herself when there were no other options. – Go the Fossils!!

 Ruth has been instrumental in the last 4 seasons with the Umpire Leadership team, implementing a strong system in the Centre, where we can ensure that over 200 pathway umpires are provided with Umpire Coaching and instilling a sense of belonging and support from the Centre.  This has taken many hours of trial and error and talking to people to get them to understand where we want to be with our umpires and what the journey could look like to get there.  Ruth has helped lead the many adaptations which are often her own ideas and has helped educate umpire coaches to aid in the system.  Her question to the Centre is always “What would be best for our umpires?”

 On Saturdays and Thursday evenings if she is not umpiring herself, then Ruth is courtside as an umpire coach and mentor for many umpires from beginning umpires through to NZ B umpires.  It is through this mentorship that we have seen 3 new umpires take the big step in 2022 to umpire our Premier grade.  They were able to do this as they knew Ruth was right beside them to support and answer any questions they may have and to give just the right words to boost their confidence.  Ruth even found a way to raise the money needed so that she could attend the 2022 Junior Champs in Taranaki as an Umpire Coach representing our Centre, so that our umpires were fully supported.

 Like all Centres in 2020 and 2021 we were hit with Covid restrictions.  As a Centre we choose to operate during Level 2 in a shortened 2020 season.  This took a huge effort from a team of volunteers to ensure we could operate over 7 days instead of 4.  Ruth was there as much as she possibly could be, often doing an 8 hour shift every Saturday and Sunday and some evenings, after she had finished working in her own business.  She was a strong voice to our community supporting how the Centre was operating under Level 2 restrictions as well as being a friendly face greeting people.

 As a Board member Ruth is quick to support the efforts of the staff and is often heard explaining to members of the community the intentions of the staff and how we are working towards a better Centre for all members.  She understands that she has various ‘hats’ and she is very aware what ‘hat’ she needs to wear in different situations.  To not cross over between ‘hats’ is a significant skill and one that the staff are very appreciative of.

 No request of Ruth is too hard, she will find a way to get it done either by doing it herself or finding people who can help.  If she says she will sort it; she does!  And everything is done with a huge smile and a positive attitude. 

 THANK YOU!!!

13 October 2022