Aaron Dyson
Logan Park High School
Volunteer roles: Coach for junior boys A basketball team and adviser of junior boys basketball programme.
Previous coaching experiences: Two years coaching for Logan Park High School and previous coaching for Balmacewen Intermediate and St Gerard’s primary, 6-8 hours a week.
Aaron is an ex-pupil of Logan Park and he describes himself as being lucky enough to be coached by the legendary Carl Dickel, who was incredibly committed as a coach and passionate about basketball in his time as a staff member at Logan Park.
Aaron started coaching his son and daughter when they started playing miniball at primary school.
"There is a growing number of committed players in the junior school at Logan Park and I want to give them the same opportunity as I had to develop their skills and love of this great game," he said.
"The best thing about volunteering my time is seeing the players’ skills progress and enjoying themselves being part of a team."
Logan Park values having such a dedicated and enthusiastic coach as Aaron on board, and the basketball players think he is just great.
Alan Gunn
Blue Mountain College
For nearly two decades, Alan has been a steadfast presence in the lives of clay target shooters at Blue Mountain College, offering his time, expertise and passion for firearms education.
Hailing from the West Otago Rod and Gun Club, where he has been a member since 1967, Alan’s commitment to coaching and supporting BMC’s clay target pupils, along with a team of volunteers has been hugely appreciated.
Asked about his motivation behind dedicating his time to the school, Alan said: "I do this because it’s an opportunity to give kids a grounding in firearms and safety, and an appreciation for firearms, and to learn a new skill."
One of Alan’s fondest memories was receiving a heartfelt letter from an overseas exchange pupil.
The pupil had spent a few days with Alan, learning the skill of skeet shooting. Despite having no prior experience, they mastered the art in no time, a testament to Alan’s exceptional coaching abilities. The letter expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity highlighting the impact Alan has had on the lives of these young individuals.
James Ussher
Otago Boys’ High School
Volunteer roles: Cricket coach and manager.
Years/hours involved: Fourth year. Every Saturday during the season.
Legacy: Attempting to instil a greater understanding and love of the game in the players.
Story behind them: James is a parent helper and a longtime cricket tragic who had been involved in junior cricket for several years before his son started at Otago Boys’. He volunteered to help and has been looking after teams on a Saturday (and at a tournament) ever since.
James has really enjoyed the opportunity to help and work with the boys. He would want to be there anyway, so it was not a hard decision to get involved.
