Ben Cooper has dedicated nearly two decades to Young Touch, leaving an indelible mark on the club and broader community. Ben’s journey began when he arrived in town as a school teacher and took on the role of coaching a high school team in the local competition. His involvement continued to grow and not only has he coached numerous local high school teams to state finals, he has also held positions as treasurer, field officer and uniform coordinator at Young Touch Association.
His determination to ensure Touch Football is accessible and enjoyable for everyone has been instrumental in shaping the club into what it is today. Under his guidance, teams coached by Ben have participated in the NSW State Cups, NSW Junior State Cup, and Country Championships, showcasing the talents of the region.
As our Volunteer of the Month for July, we spoke to Ben about his journey in the sport, his various roles and some of his favourite memories.
Congratulations Ben, can you tell us how you became involved in Touch Football?
I arrived in Young over 20 years ago to teach at the local High School. There was a bunch of spirited (semi-wild) Year 10 boys who were extremely energetic and Anna Barker, the Head Teacher of PDHPE at the time, asked if I would coach them to play against Cowra High in the annual competition. I loved that experience so much that I have coached multiple teams every year since!
I played in the local Young competition whilst also becoming involved in refereeing. I was then asked by Young's greatest publican, Jamie Canellis, to help him run the competition and I have been involved ever since. I have been on the committee for around 15 years and love being able to help run a weekly sporting competition that so many people in our community love to be a part of.
Thanks to the support of NSW Touch, we were able to establish an affiliated competition for Young and created the Young Bluetongues Club. We have had representative teams at NSW Junior State Cups, State Cups and Country Championships over the years and we love providing these fun experiences for our players.
What do you enjoy/love the most about Touch Football?
Touch Footy brings the community together- it is social, fun, inclusive and everyone can get involved. I love how people look forward to Thursday Nights in summer because they get to play the game they love in a community and family-friendly setting.
Touch brings people from all walks of life together. You can just play for fun or you can be super competitive in representative teams. I love the grassroots aspect of our sport and how it fosters friendship, camaraderie and community spirit.
I absolutely love our committee; we have all been together running Touch Football for over a decade. Jess McInerney, Shelby Inwood and Susan Wilkinson have been long-term committee members and we have had many other amazing helpers over the years. I love that people are willing to volunteer their time and energy to the game we all love to play/watch/coach or referee.
You wear many hats? What element do you enjoy the most?
I do a range of roles such as treasurer, field set up and uniform ordering to provide opportunities for people to play - they aren't always the most glamorous roles, but they've got to be done and they’re worth all the effort when you see everyone out there enjoying the sport!
The element I enjoy the most is witnessing the skill progression of players as they become more experienced in the game. I still love coaching after 20 years- seeing groups come together, form friendships and help each other to achieve success is very rewarding. I also love seeing the junior players you coach progress to coach their own junior teams- that makes me very proud.
What is your favourite memory or moment in the game?
Our trips away are always memorable. We just have so much fun together. Whether it is our Masters team hobbling around at Coolah or our rep teams playing NSW Country Champs or State Cup, we are always laughing, having fun and enjoying plenty of banter. Watching our homegrown referee Brandon Sanderson climb up to being a sensational referee makes me proud as does every person who pulls on a Bluetongues Singlet and gives it a shot!
Starting a club with a great group of people and seeing the opportunities it provides so many is a real honour.
What have been the biggest advancements in the sport in your opinion?
It has been great to see the growth of the game in regional areas such as Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Dubbo. It’s been great to see the game open opportunities to people living outside of cities and urban areas.
Congratulations Ben and thanks again for your commitment and dedication towards our sport.
Ben is now eligible for the overall TFA Volunteer of the Year award. To recognise volunteers from your community please click here
