Thank you Rod Hokin - Head Coach (2010 - 2024)
Coaches Association HKHDCCA | May 21, 2024
The Coaches' Association (HKHDCCA) wishes to pay tribute to its Head Coach, Rod Hokin, who has decided to stand down from the role after 14 years of wonderful volunteer service on our Executive Committee. Rod is a Cricket Australia High Performance (Level 3) accredited cricket coach and Life Member of the Coaches’ Association, who has led our team of qualified coaches superbly since our inception in 2010. He has also been an inspirational Head Coach at so many of our school holiday junior cricket clinics over the years, as well as three U/15 Boys overseas cricket tours to Sri Lanka (2015), Barbados (2017) and India (2019).
Our new Head Coach for 2024-25 onwards will be announced at our AGM on 19 June 2024 at Vikings Sports Club, Dundas (owned by our #ClubGRANTS sponsor Parramatta Leagues Club).
Rod provided the following summary of his reflections on the role.
14 years as Head Coach of the Coaches' Association has provided many wonderful experiences and plenty of lifelong memories. I was playing cricket in Ireland when I received an email from Bruce Wood asking me to be the inaugural Head Coach of the Coaches' Association. I loved the concept and the vision that Bruce had for the Association, so I decided to say yes. At the time, I had reached almost a decade of playing cricket overseas, and I was unsure where the rest of my career would take me. I had an Engineering degree as well as a teaching qualification behind me. Little did I know, that by saying "Yes", I was one step closer to a full-time career in cricket.
The vision of Bruce was to provide a pathway for coaches who loved the game and related well with children. As he said, “rather than working at Macca’s, flipping burgers”, HKHDCCA provided casual employment opportunities for those who were passionate about cricket coaching and keen to learn and develop their skills. In the early years, the Coaches’ Association expanded quickly. The initial Summer Coaching Clinics (with subsidised fees) proved to be very popular, and the numbers steadily increased to become regularly ‘Sold Out’. A Winter development program soon commenced with sessions held on Sundays, focusing on the overall development of players under 10. This graduated to specific development of older players with specialist sessions focusing on batting, pace bowling, spin bowling and wicket-keeping. These early years provided wonderful professional development for our coaches as we all learned from each other in a variety of areas. I still remember vividly, the passion of the late Tom Richmond OAM as he led one of the leg-spin coaching sessions.
Rod Hokin last coaching clinic as Head Coach in January 2024
In 2014, I spoke with Bruce about the potential of an overseas tour so we could continue to coach and mentor many of the up-and-coming players in the region in a more match specific environment. Bruce loved the idea, and with his outstanding management and organisational skills, a year later we were in Sri Lanka with an U/15 squad. The tour was outstanding, and it is so pleasing now to see two of those players, Baxter Holt and Sam Fanning, achieving their dreams of playing professional cricket. certainly,h, sitting in the grandstand at Galle Test stadium and watching Baxter score a magnificent 154, was certainly a highlight of the tour.
Two years later, we would be back on tour, but this time in Barbados. It was certainly one of my most memorable and enjoyable times overseas. From Disneyland and Universal Studios in LA to the catamaran cruise in the West Indies, this tour certainly had plenty of wonderful memories. A young Lachlan Shaw, who had been part of our inaugural U/10 Winter program, would show on the field the skills that would lead him to a professional career in the game.
Our 2019 India tour was also a highlight. The country is a must for anyone who loves cricket. From the highly competitive matches on the field, to the Taj Mahal, and an IPL match, the tour provided an unforgettable experience!
The Head Coach role has enabled me to make some wonderful connections and lifelong friends. Bruce Wood is certainly the central figure for the Coaches’ Association and his contribution has been immense. Josh Miller has been one of our leading coaches and it has been great to form a friendship with him and see him now also progress into a full-time career in cricket. Will Fielder provided plenty of wonderful memories and plenty of banter on the Sri Lanka tour in 2015, as well as at numerous coaching sessions. Nick Miller is an outstanding coach, and it is pleasing to now work alongside him at The King's School. There have been plenty more coaches who have been great to connect with and learn from over the years.
My decision to step down as Head Coach is partly due to me wanting a younger coach to have the opportunity to lead and develop, just as I have over the past 14 years. I am now fortunate to have a full time career in cricket and I still enjoy coaching as much as ever. Currently, my most challenging coaching of the week is leading the U/10 team that my youngest son plays for! As a father to 3 boys, I know the wonderful life changing role that a good coach can have in a player’s development. Hopefully, over the past 14 years, I have assisted a few young boys and girls on their cricket journey.
