Northland coach Robin Ball earns top Athletics NZ award

Robin Ball competing in the 75-79-year-old division at the North Island Masters Athletics champs at Kensington Park, in 2011.

Northland athletics coach Robin Ball has been recognised with a Merit Award for lifetime services to the Sport of Athletics in the area of throwing.

At the recent Athletics New Zealand AGM, Ball received the Merit Award and he was presented with it by another Northland coaching stalwart, Ian Babe, at the weekend.

An Athletics New Zealand Merit Award is one of the highest awards a coach or athlete can receive.

But it is a well-deserved accolade for Ball, and a lifetime of dedication to the sport has gone into earning this prestigious award.

Ball now lives in Kawakawa but he attended the Whangārei Athletics Track meet on Saturday, where he was presented the award by Babe.

It is fair to say that without Ball there would probably have been no Northland medals at NZ champs and few if any at NZ Schools, in field events. He is also an outspoken advocate against drugs in sport in Northland.

Ball is a worthy recipient in his own right, but with Northland's isolation and lack of coaches, it's an acknowledgement of perhaps the province's most successful coach (only Ian Babe can compare). And he is still going.

Northland athletics coaching stalwart Robin Ball, left, gets his Merit Award for lifetime services to the Sport of Athletics from another Northland athletics super coach Ian Babe.

Some of Robin Ball's many achievements:

As an athlete:

1952 set NZ U19 record javelin, won 3 NZ U19 titles in javelin and discus

1960-68 Won 6 NZ senior titles in javelin

1964 Won NZ decathlon title

Set NZ senior javelin record

1977 set world record at M40-44 Masters pentathlon

As a coach:

NZAAA Diploma coach (Trentham days). Attended coaching course in Australia.

Has coached athletes for more than 50 years and still does some coaching when as, in addition to high achievers, and helped at interschool sports in Hamilton and Northland.

At Hamilton:

- Son Oliver Ball (NZ pole vault title)

- Simon Werthmuller (NZ U20 pole Vault title and record)

- Melina Hamilton began her pole vault career with him at his school (Became NZ champ, record holder and Commonwealth Games rep)

- Stuart Farquhar began his javelin career at St Peters when he taught there

- While at St Peters (Hamilton, 1987-96) his athletes won 9 NZ schools titles (7 boys, 2 girls) in pole vault, javelin and hurdles

At Northland:

- Josh Woodman NZ schools pole vault title

- Scott Gregory started with him when he was 13 and went on to win 8 U18 and U20 NZ champs throws medals (5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) in shot, hammer and discus. Won NZ senior hammer title. Robin used to attend competitions at Mt Smart regularly, (3 hours each way) to help Scott and his brother and sister compete. Scott quit when he turned senior, to play Super Rugby.

- Numerous other placegetters at NZ schools champs