Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a normal guy, married with two children, I have an interest in staying fit and sports.
How did you get involved in volunteering in sport?
I got involved through my children.
What is your volunteering role within the club?
I am a coach for the Panthers.
What does your role entail?
I would help undertake the coaching of the Panthers teams on a Saturday morning, either assisting other coaches with the drill or indeed helping the young people to do the drills as some have disabilities that require us to physically assist them.
What attracted you to the role?
Just the genuine caring and family feel to the Panthers club, I wanted to become a bigger part of that.
How long have you been volunteering in sports and has it always been in this role?
8 years now and this role has encouraged me to get involved in other sports as well.
Did you have any rugby experience before you started volunteering?
Yes, I played rugby in my youth at school and at clubs during university.
Do you think it’s essential to have rugby experience to volunteer in your role or can anyone do it?
Not at all.
Why did you decide to Volunteer in your club?
My son has ASD and joined the Panthers after an Ulster Rugby summer scheme and I found myself on the pitch helping him to take part and I just naturally transitioned into volunteering and coaching.
Have you gained any new skills through volunteering?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to undertake some training from the IRFU, specifically for Disability Rugby, however there were a lot of skills that are transferrable. I have learnt better communication skills, to keep my language clear and simple as well as learning to understand how a scenario feels to the other person.
Has volunteering improved your confidence, if so, how?
Yes, I am certainly more confident in my skills as a coach.
Has volunteering in sport led to any other opportunities either in sport or outside of sport?
I also volunteer for children's football as well.
Has volunteering in sport impacted positively on your life?
I think Panthers has really improved my empathy and patience massively, it has forced me to take time with people and understand that someone's inability to do something is not always their "fault" it can sometimes be how it's been explained or described!
Have you had any volunteering highlights?
Our team tour to Dublin was amazing, just a weekend of fun and rugby.
What would you tell other people who would like to get involved in rugby but who don’t play or have no experience in rugby?
Go for it! It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all; better yet to try and succeed is the greatest feeling of all.