Sport
23 December, 2021
Lucas receives TDNA life membership
THE Terang and District Netball Association (TDNA) has awarded Carolyn Lucas with a lifetime membership after her years of generous service.
THE Terang and District Netball Association (TDNA) has awarded Carolyn Lucas with a lifetime membership after her years of generous service.
The association presented Lucas with the award at last week’s finals round for their term four COVID Cup.
Lucas said she was as surprised as she was touched to receive the lifetime membership.
“I’m quite shocked, a bit humbled by it all,” she said.
“It’s probably unnecessary, I’m pretty embarrassed, really.”
TDNA president Alison Kenna said the award was much deserved, and Lucas had been a “passionate and very selfless” member of the association for the last seven years.
Lucas had played netball at various clubs in the area, and then began playing in the TDNA’s Thursday night competition.
However, around a decade ago, the TDNA stopped running competitions due to a lack of interest.
After some time, Lucas saw the need for competitions which were more socially focused than those involving football/netball clubs.
For the first two years of her involvement the association had no committee, but with the help of her daughters Emma and Chelsea, she breathed new life into the ailing organisation.
“I thought there needed to be something with less pressure, where kids could have fun and just learn the skills,” she said.
“When I put something out to the parents I got an overwhelming response.
“So we started junior comps, and also some mixed ones to include boys.”
A couple of years later Monique Delaney and Lyndell Eldridge came on to form a new committee, but Kenna says Lucas has always been the “go-to person.”
“Carolyn didn’t have kids involved, they were already grown up, she did it for the kids in the community,” she said.
“All the time and effort she put into it, none of it was for her benefit, it was just for the joy of seeing other people’s kids playing sport and having fun.
“She just wants to see kids play. She understands how important sport is for communities like this.
“She’s a real community person.”
TNDA now runs three competitions (primary, secondary, and open) with a total of 16 teams.
“The primary comp is more organised, we put them into teams, but the secondary and open ones are very social, and the teams are mixed with no restrictions,” Kenna said.
“When she got involved there didn’t seem to be enough interest to run any competitions, but she got in contact with parents and just made it happen.
“The association was never going to fold, Terang’s too much of a sports town for that, but it was definitely in a bit of a lull.
“Carolyn basically revived the association.”