Getting Player's Player award a boost for all the hard work

Sarah Van Der Kley and Martin Good.

Martin would say there's no need for me to explain why I'm writing about football again, but just in case you don't know, this season I joined a football (or soccer) team for the first time since I was eight years old.

I was extremely nervous turning up to my first practice and was convinced I would never go back again. But I loved it and thoroughly enjoyed increasing my fitness and skills with every game.

I happened to be lucky enough to join a club (Port Hill United) that had three women's teams in competition this year; something that no other club in Hawke's Bay currently has.

The team I joined didn't exist before this season started and there was some doubt that we would amount to anything. But we exceeded our own and I think everyone else's expectations and won both the Division 2 League and Plate.

With our medals hanging proudly around our necks, my team attended the Port Hill prizegiving on Saturday where many people were rewarded for their great efforts on and off the field.

I certainly wasn't expecting to receive an award and was absolutely shocked when I was named the Player's Player for our team.

Martin claims that people in a football team vote for the person who they don't think will win any other awards to be the Player's Player, but I choose to pay more attention to what my coach Scotty says.

He wrote, "There were many memorable moments from the night but I would like to share one. One of our newer members, Sarah van der Kley, picked up the Player's Player award which is the award where the team votes for the person that has contributed the most in many areas for the team.

They aren't necessarily the best player but they have the respect of their peers and it is a great story to share because you don't have to be the best to get respect, you just need to work hard for your team and believe in them.

Sarah joined our team at the start of the year and has worked hard, as all our players have, and has improved to be one of the better players in the team.

It just goes to show that with a little bit of hard work, some thinking about what your role is and a whole lot of teamwork you can achieve anything."

- Don't miss Martin Good and Sarah Van Der Kley on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am Monday to Friday.