Top Honour Bestowed on Lifetime Devonport Hockey Tragics

Hockey Tasmania provided a double dose of Devonport recognition as it bestowed Life Membership on two volunteers with more than 100 years of service between them.

At last month’s annual general meeting, Lorraine Smith and David Saunders were inducted as Life Members of the state body acknowledging playing, officiating and other off field devotion dating back to 1969.

Lorraine first became involved in hockey in her early years living in Railton watching cousins play for Latrobe High School, itching to have a go herself while David describes his first taste of the game as “the fat little kid in the corner who got thrown in the goals and went from there.”

Half a century or so on, both are now heavily involved as match and tournament officials.

Both agree that is the people they have met along the journey that makes hockey so special and keeps them involved in the game.

Lorraine was overwhelmed by the honour after receiving a call from fellow HT Officiating Committee member Janette Neilsen.

“Getting the phone call from Janette and being told congratulations was extremely exciting as I had no idea and I burst into tears,” Lorraine said.

“She told me of David getting his too and getting it along with one of my besties in hockey was even more exciting.

“It’s very thrilling for Devonport to have both of us awarded.”

David was also surprised to have his name up in lights.

“It was a bit of a shock,” David said.

“It’s not something you put on your bucket list that you’d like to be awarded in my mind at all, but it just happened and I’m so grateful.

“When you are awarded these sort of things you think there are probably other people around who do twice as much work as you do and probably deserve it more.

“At the end of the day, to me, life membership is a culmination of a lot of work that you do for other people and not what you do for yourself but for others to make them better.”

Lorraine was desperate to become an umpire from day one but was forced to wait until she was 15 before she was allowed, a wait well worth it having been involved in multiple National events since.

“Right from my first game (in year seven at Latrobe High), I wanted to umpire the next game and I couldn’t wait for Saturdays to come around,” Lorraine said.

“Dave would be the same, we loved the playing aspect and enjoyed all that but as you go through you learn there are avenues for you to keep going.

“I’ve travelled twice around Australia with that and loved every moment of it.”

David’s playing included representing Tasmania and a National level indoor hockey keeper but umpiring has been a passion since the 1970s.

“When I finished playing it was another avenue to still be involved at a reasonable level and I always enjoyed umpiring, even when I was playing,” David said.

“Once I finished my state career it evolved and there was a chance to be involved at a national level.

“I also look at umpiring as a way of giving back to the game because we do need umpires and we aren’t always as kind as we should be.

“It’s a thankless task at times but without the umpires there is no game.”

Both Lorraine and David offer plenty of encouragement to young umpires who would like to follow in the footsteps of another HT Life Member, Minka Woolley, who has been involved in four Olympic Games.

“I always ask ‘where do you want to go with your umpiring?’,” Lorraine said.

“I’ve seen where David and Minka are and seen where they’ve been on their travels and this is available to umpires.

“Now with radios it’s opened up a huge world as we are now a united team out there and it’s great for juniors.

“I love working with junior umpires.”

David agreed saying he would encourage others to learn more about the game through umpiring.

“I think a 15-year-old wanting to learn to umpire is great as they learn the rules of the game,” David said.

“As you get a bit older the more you know the rules the better you can play to your advantage.

“Coaches, captains of teams and senior players need to know the rules that suit the style of play they want legally.”

As is the mantra among the Kookaburras, Lorraine and David believe wholeheartedly in volunteering saying what they do is for passion, not pension.

“There is no money made as it’s all about the love,” Lorraine said.

“I’ve never, ever thought of asking for money.

“I wouldn’t want to put the extra expense on the players to pay for it.

“For me, now I’ve retired from playing, it’s now the friendships I’ve made through the sport and that would never have happened if I wasn’t involved in umpire as a volunteer.”

David said it’s the passion that drives him.

“If you thought you could make a living as an umpire, you’re sadly going down the wrong track, you do it purely for the passion,” David said.

“Umpiring has been a passion to give back as there have been a lot of people over the years who have done so much for me and I think it’s only fair that I give back to the young ones coming through.”

David said remaining humble is the key to being a top class match official.

“We’re trying to develop a culture within Hockey Australia where we have good people,” David said.

“I use Pat Rafter, the tennis player, as my idol because of how he played the game.

“He played with passion but it never went over the top.

“He was always so controlled and he was never the guy throwing his tennis racket all over the place.

“You might get to the top but be humble.”