Highly-deserved award nomination for a dedicated and hard-working volunteer

Narrabri Junior Soccer Club secretary and local women’s soccer advocate Sam Lubke-Wood recently travelled with her family to Newcastle, where she attended an awards night that was hosted by Northern NSW Football to celebrate 2022 Female Football Week.

The event was held on Saturday, May 15, at NNSWF’s Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.

Lubke-Wood was an award finalist after being nominated for Volunteer of the Year and being selected as one of the final three to be in the running to win the award.

While it was eventually won by Great Lakes United FC’s Lesley Campbell, Lubke-Wood was thrilled to be one of the three finalists and have the chance to represent her town and all of the ladies who play soccer within it.

“I was quite honoured, really,” she told The Courier.

“Being a volunteer means you’re part of a team. It doesn’t just take one person. It takes a lot of people.

“But to be recognised for my role in female sport within the community was huge.

“I think that it’s important for girls and women to have an opportunity to play any type of sport, whether it be competitive or non-competitive.

“It’s good to see so many females getting out and playing sport, not just soccer but all sports, and it’s great to see so many young females especially getting out there and having a go.”

NNSWF’s female participation and inclusion officer, Annelise Rosnell, said the night was a great success.

“It was amazing to get so many supporters of women’s football in the same room to share something we are all so passionate about,” she said.

“It was also great to recognise our award winners who contribute so much to their football community.

“We thank them for their hard work and dedication and congratulate them on their awards.”

Lubke-Wood has been involved in soccer for almost her entire life after she took the field to play her first game as a four-year-old.

More recently, she has been a committee member and a keen supporter of the Narrabri FC senior club, and has had an active role in promoting and advancing women’s and junior soccer in Narrabri.

She was the driving force behind bringing the popular program ‘Kick on for Women’ to Narrabri in 2018, organising women’s matches to be played before Namoi League fixtures and also the development of Namoi Regional Women’s Football.

She has also been on the Narrabri Junior Soccer Club committee for the past two seasons and is the manager of an under-7s team.

She has also taken on a new role as NNSWF’s female club ambassador for the Namoi region.