Heroes of Hockey I Kerry Gallagher

Hosting Hockeyroos, uniform shop and kitchen duties, a junior year coordinator and the Premier League team manager. There's not a lot Kerry Gallagher doesn't do for the University of WA Hockey Club. Around that - she finds time to be a full-time midwife at St John of God hospital. Here's why Kerry does it, and a little insight into why she's a life member at UWAHC.

"As a child I actually played netball!! I played hockey at high school for a term, but as a tall girl I found the shin guards very small on my long legs and they offered NO protection. 

I then got involved in hockey because my twin daughters needed a coach in grade five when they moved to play full field hockey at University of WA Hockey Club. 

A lack of coaches led them to say 'come on Mum, why don’t you coach us and our team?'

I did a community level coaching course through Hockey WA that year, and read lots of coaching books and coached the team that year. 

Coaching is not my preference, but I am happy to do anything else.

I fell into the Junior Girls Coordinator role in 2008 when we restructured the running of the junior club at UWA with Craig Boyce.

I thought I may as well take on the main role in the girls coordinator role and organise it the way I wanted it done!

I then acted as the junior coordinator until 2015 when I stepped down from the role.

Since then, I've been the women's Premier League team manager, and have had a variety of other roles within the club.

I coordinated the UWA summer hockey competition from 2012 to 2020, was the General Manager at UWA in 2018-19, and volunteer in the uniform shop as well as coordinating the J7/8 girls. 

I was asked to manage the under-18 mens hockey team in 2016 - when the boys won the gold medal in Launceston, Tasmania. 

It was such an amazing 10 days of hockey - and to take home the gold medal was such a proud moment. 

One of the boys in that under-18 team has just made the 2022 Kookaburras squad - James Collins (he was the youngest boy in the team that year) - I'm so proud! 

It is fun meeting new club members and helping them at the uniform shop level, through to interacting with the technical staff on game day for the Premier League games, generally being involved helping out wherever I can.

I still love watching and following junior players improving their skills and improving game play as they get older and play through the age groups. 

I usually meet them when they are 8 or 9 years old and watch them as 15-year-olds - it is so rewarding.

Hockey people love to watch and support their club their state and their country in the sport. 

So as parents of juniors we meet other parents playing on Saturdays, if your children make a state team and you are lucky enough to go on a state trip to watch them, clubs get put aside as we support the kids playing for WA, then having the Australian hockey program AIS here in Perth means we get allocated players who become involved in the club - and we support and watch these players too. 

Hockey people are generally really great people - plus the sport is able to be played from the very young to the Over 60s - walking, running, and at the very highest level it is amazing entertainment, outside in the fresh air sometimes in the rain, often in the cold.

The WA hockey community is so unique due to its tolerance, friendship and longevity playing the sport - juniors to over 60s.

People play hockey and are a big part of the club culture for a very long time - what else is there to do on a Saturday other than go to the hockey? To play it or watch children, grandchildren, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives.”

By ERIN HARWOOD