Renae Currie named Mackay’s best sports coach |2023

A former PE teacher and mum of three with a generation love for basketball, who is now the successful owner of Mackay’s Ready Steady Go Kids program, has been named Mackay’s best sports coach of 2023.

A former PE teacher and mum of three with a generation love for basketball, who is now the successful owner of Mackay’s Ready Steady Go Kids program, has been named Mackay’s best sports coach of 2023.

Raised in a family of basketball players, Renae Currie has been actively involved in sports — especially basketball — since she can remember.

Beginning her coaching journey at the age of 14, Mrs Currie has always been passionate about the health and fitness of the region’s youth.

“I was always coached when I was younger, and I just wanted to give back to the kids,” she said.

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Almost 30 years on, Mrs Currie has coached more than 100 basketball teams.

She has coached all the Whitsundays teams, and has become heavily involved with the Mackay Basketball teams, coaching six South Mackay teams this season.

Mrs Currie is currently coaching the U8’s, U10’s, U14’s and U16’s South Sharks Basketball teams as well as the U16’s and U18’s South Stingers.

“I had seven teams last season, with one being a representative team.”

“In the last couple of years, I’ve coached the U12’s and U14’s Mackay meteors and Comets, and been an assistant coach for the both the U16’s Mackay Meteors and NBL1 Mackay Meteorettes team.”

A former PE teacher at Whitsundays Anglican School, Mrs Currie taught students from Prep to Year 8 for seven years before leaving to have her first child.

Now a mother of three boys — Copper, Hudson, and Carter (aged 14,12 and 6) — has passed on her love for Basketball.

Mrs Currie's older sons play for the Mackay representative teams, and all three boys, including her youngest, playing for the local Souths teams. Pictured with her sons, Cooper, Hudson and Carter.

Mrs Currie herself played for the Mackay Meteorettes from 16, where she continued playing for nine years, with her team winning the 2003 Super 8 QABL Division championships.

After children, Mrs Currie discovered there wasn’t a variety of activities for parents to take their children in Mackay.

“A lot of the competitive sports, like soccer and basketball, don’t start until around aged 4 or 5,” she said.

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This revelation influenced her to start up as franchisee owner of the Ready Steady Go Kids in Mackay and has been running the program successfully for the last 10 years.

“I wanted to give kids more exposure to sport,” she said.

“As a multi-sports program, we run five sports a term and 10 sports in total each year.

We are exposing kids to a variety of sports at a young age.”

The program helps children aged 18 months to 6 learn basic skills, introduces structure, and fosters listening skills. It exposes them to various sports and skills, encourages peer interaction, and helps develop both gross and fine motor skills in a safe environment with suitable equipment.

The Ready Steady Go Kids Mackay is located at the Mackay Basketball Multi Sport Stadium and Mercy College School Hall.

Living in Mackay her life and ingrained in the region’s sports scene, Mrs Currie has worked with lots of families, and has found by getting down to a kid’s level, and balancing learning with fun.

“Sometimes kids may not have slept much or be feeling it, but you’ve got to try and encourage them to join in,” she said.

“It’s just finding what the kids like, and how to get the best out of their time.”

Mrs Currie has also recently been recognised as the Ready Steady Go’s best franchisee of the year across 87 locations nationwide.

The runner up was Earl Neilsen, with 11% of the votes.

“Any coaches nominated, or who volunteer and help kids with a variety sports and activities deserve recognition,” Mrs Currie said.