Dual honour for CQ sports coach
Lisa Morgan recognised by game's governing body
Sport
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HOCKEY: She wore the green and gold of Australia as a player, now Rockhampton's Lisa Morgan is earning plaudits as one of the game's leading coaches.
The tactical mastermind has just received two major gongs from Hockey Queensland, named the 2017 Coach of the Year for both indoor and outdoor.
Morgan was presented with the awards at last weekend's Poligras Super League, in which she coached the Central Mudturtles women to third place, their best finish.
"It's really nice to get the double,” she said.
"It was one of those things where I knew I had been nominated but I didn't know how it would go.
"I coach because I love it, not to get awards, but it is very rewarding when people are telling you they are well-deserved and a long time coming.”
Morgan coached the Queensland under-18 girls outdoor team to a third consecutive national title last year.
The Maroons went through undefeated and collected every team and individual award handed out at the championships.
She was also coach of the Queensland open women's indoor team which finished runners-up at the nationals.
Morgan is now gearing up for her next assignment - assistant coach of the state under-21 outdoor team which will head to Sydney in July.
On the local scene, she is at the helm of the Souths A-grade women and the Frenchville Rovers A-grade men.
Morgan played with both clubs in her junior years before moving to Brisbane, where she secured impressive honours as a player.
She was a member of the Australian under-21 outdoor squad and played for Australia in the first indoor World Cup in 2003.
Work brought her back three years ago to Rockhampton where she joined forces with the Souths women for a year.
The players urged her to coach again this year and her nephew Jarrod Bass, who plays with Frenchville, encouraged her to take on the men's coaching role.
"I had some spare time so I thought it would be a good challenge,” Morgan said.
"It's really interesting because men and women play a different style of hockey.
"I think if I was coaching two teams of the same gender it would become a little boring or frustrating.
"It's great to be able to switch between the two. I learn things from the men that I can use with the women and vice versa.”
Souths are leading the women's competition, while Frenchville are fourth on the men's ladder.
"I think for the girls, anything less than a grand final and a premiership would be disappointing because I believe they are a stronger team than the one that has won for the past couple of years,” Morgan said.
"I think the men, if they work hard at the back of the season, are a chance.
"We're continuing to build. We need some improvement but if we can find it we might just spring a surprise.”
Morgan wants to continue growing as a coach, and says seeing her charges learn and develop is her greatest reward.
"That's the most satisfying thing, knowing I've contributed in some small way to that,” she said.
Originally published as Dual honour for CQ sports coach
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