’I don’t need a prize – my prize is my team’

Ricky Davies ‘stoked’ to win CQ’s best junior sports coach in The Morning Bulletin’s poll

STOKED: Frenchville Boomers’ under-14 coach Ricky Davies was voted CQ’s best junior coach in a poll run by The Morning Bulletin. Photo: ALLAN REINIKKA

FOOTBALL: Ricky Davies doesn’t coach for plaudits and premierships. For him, “it’s all about the kids”.

“If they’re happy, I’m happy,” he said.

“I don’t care about trophies or anything like that; I just care about the kids.

“I don’t need a prize – my prize is my team.”

Davies has coached the Frenchville Boomers under-14s for the past two years.

The team finished last in 2017 before he took the helm.

The Boomers finished fourth in 2018 and won the grand final this year under his stewardship.

Their dramatic turnaround was among the reasons why Davies was voted CQ’s best junior sports coach in a poll run by The Morning Bulletin.

There are smiles all round as Ricky Davies and his Boomers leave the field after one of their fixtures.

He received high praise from those who nominated him.

Among the submissions were: “Ricky is an amazing coach who goes above and beyond for his team”, “The team have come together and improved so much with Ricky’s support and guidance” and “Ricky has turned this team around by showing these kids he believes in them”.

Davies was thrilled when he was told he was the winner but initially needed a bit of convincing.

“This is real, isn’t it? I feel like it could be Australia’s Funniest Home Videos and someone’s setting me up,” he said.

“Seriously though, I’m stoked. I can’t believe it.

“Team for me, that’s what it is. I don’t like to take the credit, the kids should take the credit.”

Davies said while his focus was not on winning, setting goals was integral to his coaching strategy.

“It’s important for them to see where they’ve come from to appreciate what they’ve done,” he said.

Ricky Davies launched his playing career in Kingaroy.

“They need to see something that shows them just how much they’ve improved.

“I got some stats together which showed that in 2017 they conceded about 90 goals and scored something like 30.

“Last year they conceded about 60 and they scored about 55.

“This year they conceded 36 goals and were the highest goalscoring team, scoring somewhere in the 80s.”

Davies’ assistant coach was Harry Dean, the hero of Frenchville’s Wesley Hall Cup win this year.

That thrilling extra-time victory reignited some fond memories for Davies who claimed several Cups of his own in his playing days with Frenchville.

He started football in Kingaroy before his father’s work brought the family to Rockhampton where he joined Frenchville.

A teenage Ricky Davies collects another trophy at Frenchville.

A talented left fullback, he quickly progressed through the ranks, making his CQ Premier League debut as a 17-year-old.

Davies left Rockhampton for work and ended up in Bundaberg where his two “soccer-mad” sons Brody and Sonny started playing.

They returned to the Beef Capital about 10 years ago and Davies started coaching with Bluebirds United before moving back to Frenchville.

Davies’ greatest reward is seeing his young charges succeed, be it on the field or in their other pursuits.

“For me, it’s about showing the kids that sport’s not about winning – it’s about friendships and forging bonds and all the other things that come with it.

“At the end of the day, it’s a game. Win, lose or draw we’ll all wake up the next morning.

“If they’re smiling and enjoying it, I know I’ve done my job.

“As long as they’re improving as a player and a person, that’s all I care about.”