Talented cricketers turned coaches Roger Turner and Karl Treiber at the Kamo Recreational Ground where they would practise their cricket skills as teenagers. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Talented cricketers turned coaches Roger Turner and Karl Treiber at the Kamo Recreational Ground where they would practise their cricket skills as teenagers. Photo / Michael Cunningham
What started as two best mates having bouts of backyard cricket – with, admittedly, a few broken windows – has led to prestigious national and district cricketing awards.
Karl Treiber and close pal Roger 'Rocket' Turner both recently had their extensive years of contribution to Northland, Northern Districts, and NewZealand cricket acknowledged.
Treiber collected the Outstanding Contribution and Services to Coaching accolades at New Zealand Cricket's annual awards evening.
And Turner was the recipient of the Northern Districts Cricket Allan McBride Trophy for Service to Junior Cricket.
The fact both 65-year-olds received recognition around the same time was fitting, as the Northland and Kamo Cricket Club stalwarts evolved in the sport side-by-side after first meeting as 13-year-old neighbours, Turner said.
"We'd practise next door in Treibs' yard, break windows then move over to our place then break windows and move back."
Back then, practising on their own was basically all they had in terms of improvement as cricket coaching wasn't a thing, Treiber said.
Karl Treiber (centre) coaching the Northland junior secondary school cricket team during a match against Hamilton in 2019. Photo / File
It was a void the Northland Cricket Association pathway manager and Turner spent 40-plus years filling after finishing their representative careers in premier grade cricket.
"It was one of those things I didn't know I had a knack for," Treiber said. "I'd never done coaching in the past but the kids and I just clicked."
The left-arm spin and pace bowler brought the philosophy of fun with him into his coaching role and "the kids just seemed to pick up on it".
Treiber's coaching resume included multiple top teams in Northland, the Northern Districts Knights and national teams – including as an assistant coach for the New Zealand Women's team.
"I've coached all those levels through to the top," he said. "So it was nice to get the recognition after all those years of service."
Despite having contributed to the cricketing success of many teams and players, it is still the simple moments coaching brewed that Treiber enjoyed the most. Such as when he coached his son's high school cricket team and they named themselves Sea Birds. Treiber said the team drew numbers on the back of their white shirts with a black marker.
"They decided to call me Albatross and gave me the number 1 – so Albatross one I was. I had a good laugh."
Roger Turner was instrumental in funding and building a new pavilion at the Kamo Recreation Ground. Photo / File
Turner also had a massive hand in spurring on junior cricket in Northland.
He said he followed in his father Lyle Turner's footsteps – who held the post of president at the Northland Tennis Association and the Kamo Tennis Club for 34 years – by serving on the Northland Junior Cricket Board for 15 years.
Turner was also lauded as the driving force behind the ignition and continuation of Kamo High School cricket, which he said was his career highlight.
"We were always second fiddle to [Whangārei] Boys' High until about 2018 when we won the Northern Districts Wynne Bradburn Cup. We were the best co-ed secondary school in Northern Districts."
The forefront of Turner's coaching has always been focused on making sure kids can give cricket a go, which is why he fixes any damaged bats belonging to his young players.
"It's awesome – to see them come through the sport and pick up all the social skills and good habits along the way is really exciting for me."
Roger Turner (second from right) with a Kamo High School cricket team who won the reserve grade one-day title and the 50/40 declaration competition in 2014. Photo / File
Neither bloke has considered slowing down in their coaching roles.
"We are the best of mates and continue to be the best of mates," Turner said. "We bounce ideas off each other like we're trying to solve the cricket problems of the world."
The latest challenge these two cricket heroes are fronting is a lack of coaching at grassroots level.
Treiber hoped to recruit more volunteers and parents who could be upskilled to provide quality coaching.
