AWARDS: Plenty of reason to be proud of our own

Now that the Commonwealth Games are over, what do we concentrate our attention on?
We could start with the Hawke's Bay Sports Awards to be held at the Pettigrew-Green Arena tomorrow night.
This is our region's chance to honour and showcase our provincial sporting talent, which could very well include future Commonwealth contenders. Flying the flag high for Central Hawke's Bay at the Sports Awards will be three CHB nominees.
Lance Hamilton, who is a member of the CHB Cricket team, and a representative at Hawke's Bay, Central Districts and New Zealand level, made his debut for the Black Caps last year.
Westley Gough, our junior world cycling team pursuits champion, will be there also. Westley scooped the HB Secondary School and CHB Sports Awards titles. Adam Lawrence, a motocross and supercross rider, has been nominated in the Fair Play category after displaying outstanding consideration to a rider who had crashed during an event.
So we are extremely proud of our CHB sporting prowess and our representatives who will attend the awards tomorrow night.
As the winter sporting season draws closer, now is the time that our trustworthy volunteer coaches and team management start to rally their troops to weekly training sessions.
Here in CHB we have very high participation in winter sport and that is something to be proud of. We are constantly able to foot it with our city counterparts in most sporting endeavours.
As the Regional Sport Trust, Sport HB offers many training opportunities for team management to improve their knowledge to further develop their players and here in CHB we have many of those on offer to clubs and organisations.
One of the first on Monday night is a coaching clinic run by Eastern Netball, with the very formidable Lois Muir, a former coach of the Silver Ferns. She will be taking two sessions for coaches of all levels. What an opportunity right here in CHB to have one of the world's best coaches on our doorstep! Registrations will be taken by Eastern Netball or at the Sport HB office. If you haven't already registered, it's not too late.
The next opportunity is on Sunday, April 9, at the AW Parsons Stadium, a basic first aid course presented by St John's, targeted at sports injuries for all team management staff. If you are involved in any sport, this is the course for you. Be safe with the knowledge that if your players get injured you know what to do. Register with Sport HB.
Following on from that is a Getting Started in Coaching course for all winter codes, to be held on Wednesday, April 26, at the AW Parsons Stadium. This is aimed at beginner coaches, volunteer helpers, parent helpers, teachers and anyone interested in learning some basic skills and drills.
This course is free and all participates get certification, and coaching resources.
So this is just the start of things to come with the coming sport season. There is a saying that goes, 'Use it or lose it', and it's my recommendation that people support and attend these seminar/workshops on offer or the opportunity may not present itself again.
The weather at present does not enthuse one to get out and about to 'Push Play 30 minutes a Day', but, come on, you can do it! You will feel better for having done some physical activity. As for myself and several other CHBites, we are looking forward to competing in this weekend's Snow Wilkins 6-Hour Adventure Race. Go CHB people!
* To register for any of the above workshops or for details, please contact Dianne at the Sport HB office at the Westpac Indoor Pool complex, Ph 06 858 6253, or e-mail chb@sporthb.net.nz