Volunteers the secret behind the success
Rebecca Brosnan (back left) and the New Zealand Elite Women’s team in the Gold Coast as they attended the World Champs earlier this year, just one of the many accolades which has seen her nominated for coach of the year. Photo: Supplied.
Nelson’s strength in underwater hockey is no secret.
The region has punched above its weight in the sport for years on end, and it’s in no small part due to the dedicated group of volunteers like Rebecca Brosnan.
Having been recognised for her service as a nominee for coach of the year at the 2023 Sports and Recreation awards, she says it’s the people behind the scenes who have nurtured local underwater hockey into what it is today.
“Nelson is so lucky to have that high level of coaching. We also have a lot of people who give back.
“The main reason for that is Alex Coombs-King and Warwick King and their support over the years.”
Rebecca says that the sport has fostered a community where players who come back to town feel indebted to pass on their knowledge of the game, with Alex coaching her as a junior.
Having grown up in Marlborough, she moved back in the early 2000s after university, deciding to restart the underwater hockey scene in Blenheim, with her son starting to get old enough that he would be playing soon.
Five and a half years ago, the pool closed for redevelopment and the lack of a venue to play underwater hockey coupled with a new job opportunity, they made the decision to move over the Whangamoas.
Rebecca’s involvement with the sport spans over three decades, making her playing debut with the New Zealand team in 1991, retiring as one of the country’s most capped female players.
In more recent years, Rebecca has transitioned out of the pool and into coaching, where she has also found a wealth of success.
While she still gets in the water, having played a few games for the New Zealand women’s masters team earlier this year, it was in between her commitments as co-coach of the New Zealand elite women’s team.
She is also the co-coach of the Nelson Girls College Senior A team that came second at nationals, where she won the Top Coach Award.
Rebecca was also involved with the Trans-Tasman U19 Development Competition, coaching the three teams who finished first, second and third.
“As a whole, I think it is quite a big coaching load this year.
“I need to learn to say no.”
With all of her time to the sport unpaid voluntary work, she says she’s just one part of the cog that keeps Nelson at the top of the underwater hockey scene.
Without the support of Rebecca's family and community, her commitment to the sport would be unmanageable.
And that support has been invaluable, with her husband and two sons playing alongside her this year at club nationals.
As her profile on Underwater Hockey New Zealand’s executive page states, Rebecca is a devotee of the sport.
“Whether it is above the water or below the water, the Brosnan name is synonymous with the sport,” it says.
A full list of nominees for the 2023 Sport and Recreation awards can be found on Sport Tasman’s social media channels, the awards night is 1 December.