Rose ‘Touches’ the Shark Alarm as Volunteer of the Round
As the Cronulla Sharks ran out onto Pointsbet Stadium for their Round 18 local derby clash against the Dragons, David Rose had the honour of sounding the Shark Alarm from the Aramex Lifeguard Tower after being recognised as the Volunteer of the Round for his commitment to nurturing the next generation of young players.
Passionate about player development and grassroots participation in Rugby League and feeder codes, Rose generously devotes his spare time to coaching and mentoring players within the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Touch and the De La Salle Junior Rugby League Club.
“As the coaching Director for Sharks Touch, I help coach the coaches and any teams that need help, and I also coached the boys under 12 development teams this year,” Rose said.
“Anyone who missed out on the State Cup or Rep teams, I put them in a training group and take them to Gala Days to keep them going.
“I’m also coaching the De La Salle Under 15 Silver Team this year, and it's more focused on skills and playing multiple positions, and not really on the winning side of it. It’s more getting them to enjoy playing footy so they keep coming back.”
Inspired by the work of his parents growing up and recognising the important role volunteers play within Junior Sporting Clubs, Rose is committed to making a positive impact on his players and encourages other parents to join him in offering assistance and supporting their children's teams.
“My parents volunteered when I played sports as a kid, so I suppose I’m following on from what they did,” Rose said.
“Volunteering gives you the opportunity to be a good role model for your children and their friends and demonstrate the behaviours that you would like to see them adopt as they grow.
“Without volunteers, the games cannot go ahead and sport is such a great way for kids to grow up…I wish there were more people who would volunteer.”
Rose's commitment to making a difference in young players' lives extends beyond the field as he recently completed the Mental Health First Aid Course through the Shark's Heart to Heart Program, equipping himself with valuable skills to provide essential off-field support.
“I come into contact with so many kids through Touch and Rugby League, so I thought it would help me pick up any issues that they’ve got and to be able to help where I can,” Rose said.
“After doing the course I found that looking after yourself first as well and doing mental health checks on yourself and other adults that come into contact with coaching, is just as important.
“People who volunteer give up so much time and they have other things that they are thinking about or stressed about and it can sometimes go unnoticed. If there are people that need help and you can pick it up, you can prevent any issues from happening just by paying attention in that course,” he added.
Across Australia, it is estimated that over 5-million people volunteer and to show appreciation for their tremendous work for the many organisations and sporting groups in need of their support, Sharks community and sporting partners will nominate a ‘Local Hero’ as Volunteer of the Round.
The community contributions of each Volunteer of the Round will continue to be recognised throughout the season, with their deeds and those of their club or organisation promoted through the Sharks website and Sharks Have Heart social media channels.
