When Werribee Centrals Football club coach Glenn Ballard found out he had coached his 250th game recently, the Hoppers Crossing resident was shocked.
“I had no idea at all, no idea, I’ve never, ever, ever made it about me. It’s always been about the players,” he said.
Ballard says there’s one thing in particular that has inspired him to keep coaching.
“Being involved in their football journey and trying to teach them the basics of football and just seeing the improvement of all the players in all age groups,” he said.
“The Werribee Centrals Football Club is an amazing place to be around, I just love being involved, I bleed red and gold.
Ballard grew up around sporting groups, as his father was always heavily involved in coaching and helping sports committees, and was compelled to continue coaching by someone close to him.
“I was coaching in another competition and I had finishing coaching and I had been done with it to be honest,” he said.
“[My partner] her nephew didn’t have coach, and they kept on saying for me to do it and I was just like ‘nah, nah, nah’, and then I said ‘all right, if they don’t have a coach I’ll do it.
“Ever since then, there’s 250 games late and i’m still there.”