Kevin Holdgate- Melbourne Rugby Club and Ticknall Cricket Club
Kevin Holdgate is a keen volunteer, giving up hours of his time each week for both Melbourne Rugby Club and Ticknall Cricket Club.
Like many parents who volunteer, Kevin got involved in both clubs as a result of his children, and joined Ticknall CC when his son took up cricket and started coaching rugby when his son and daughter began playing the game.
Kevin has been cricket development manager at Ticknall since 2001, and enjoys organising and stewarding one of the largest junior sections in Derbyshire, with a membership of almost 200 children.
He also manages a junior team and captains the senior 4th team, and is the club’s child welfare officer as well as a coach.
During the summer this can mean three evenings a week coaching, in addition to a match on a Saturday, and around 15 hours a week of admin, while in the close season there is winter nets training every week.
The self-employed music teacher – who previously worked as a bank manager – also dedicates more hours of his own time to Melbourne RFC, and has been coaching rugby union since 2002.
Kevin said: “I keep myself very busy, but I am not unique. There are lots of people who do things like this – the sports world would not exist without volunteers as unfortunately most local clubs don’t have the finances to pay for the jobs we do.”
Having played rugby for a number of years, Kevin says it was the “logical next step” for him to get involved in coaching.
He is currently the lead coach for the U12 team, and works with four other coaches.
In addition to planning and running weekly coaching sessions, 17 fixtures a year and four tournaments a year, Kevin also organises an annual tour.
This year members travelled up to Lancashire for the weekend, playing two fixtures as well as enjoying entertainment such as a theme park – a massive project to organise for 137 people.
Kevin said: “My motivation is partly my own children, but also to make a difference in a practical way.
“I like to see kids do well and achieve, not just at the top end but any child. I get just as much enjoyment from seeing a kid who has never hit a cricket ball learning to hit it, as I do from watching someone representing the county.”
He added: “I enjoy coaching and would like to do more – as silly as that sounds given what I already do.
“I am looking for a job within sport. I was a bank manager for 20 years before I decided to do something different and started teaching, and am now looking to get more involved in sport.”
To find out more about Melbourne Rugby Club visit http://www.melbourne-rfc.com/ or to find out more about Ticknall Cricket Club go to http://www.ticknallcricketclub.com/