The CEO’s who steer hockey development in Australia have an enormous and often daunting role. They can be in ‘hot seat’ for a minimal time before moving on to other positions and as a result they are not in the hockey position long enough to have a marked influence on hockey’s overall development. But this is not the case with Garry West-Bail.
Garry was 16 years with Hockey Queensland after leaving St Kilda AFL club as their club manager. Go Hockey News asked Garry what he believes his successes were while at the helm of Hockey Queensland. The areas he identified were
• Being able to continually reinvent and improve the HQ business model.
• Good working culture and a Team ethos.
• Sustained excellence both on and off the field.
• Strategic planning and thinking
Over his 16 years of leadership Queensland’s hockey performances grew to put Queensland as arguably one of the strongest States. However Garry is quick to give credit to the many faceted support he received from the three Presidents he worked with – Jim Quaite, Ken McElligott and Dr Karin Walduck who all brought their passion, commitment and unique style, the many volunteers and Hockey Queensland committee members, State Government and QAS support.
Since leaving Hockey Queensland Garry has worked at Lihir International School in Papua New Guinea; studied the Vietnamese language for one year an University of Queensland; drove charter buses for Brisbane Bus Lines; and travelled. All this occurred before taking up his current position as the General Manager of Deaf Sports Australia which is based in Melbourne. Currently he commutes from Brisbane with his wife, former Australian International hockey player Annette.
This role is a challenge Garry feels at home with. “The vision of the organization is to strengthen opportunities for all whilst aiming to ensure all deaf and hard of hearing Australians have an opportunity to participate and compete in any number of sports to the best of their ability. We run participation programs within the school system. There are deaf sports clubs and associations as well as mainstream sports that care for deaf and hard of hearing people. The stairway from participation can see individuals compete in mainstream National Championships, Olympics and Commonwealth Games as well as in specific Deaf competitions like the Deaflympics, Asia Pacific Deaf Games and the Australian Deaf Games.
The short to medium term goals of DSA are to clearly define strategies and operational plans that create not only a participation pathway but for DSA to become a central resource for coaching, teaching, families, schools and the community at large so an individual can have and maintain a positive experience in participating in sport as a deaf or hard of hearing person. Not only does DSA want to upgrade its relationship with its own community, the volunteers and committees, but it needs to take a leading role with NSOs and the ASC” said a passionate Garry.
We are sure Deaf Sports Australia will be recipients of Garry’s sport management expertise. Anyone considering this new role would assume that it would be consuming but not in Garry’s case. Garry West-Bail is a sport management CEO with a difference. There is more.
Garry is in training for a gruelling RunKotoRun 1000 klm run and ride fundraiser from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in Vietnam in October this year. He has teamed up with KOTO which is an amazing organization that takes in underprivileged children from all around Vietnam and educates them, teaches English skills and gives the children opportunities to work in the hospitality industry. KOTO has restaurants set up in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Over the last ten years there have been over 400 graduates of this program, many of whom have succeeded in gaining employment in restaurants and hotels in Vietnam, other parts of Asia and Australia.
Garry said; “I have had an abiding want and indeed a need to help the Vietnamese for many years”. His journey to Vietnam began in 1987 and from that moment he felt compelled to do something to help. He completed a Vietnamese language course at University of Queensland to give himself more insight into the culture and ways of the people. In 2011 he volunteered in an orphanage and although very confronting and sad it has not dampened his enthusiasm.
Go Hockey News asked Garry to share what is his motivation for organising this fundraising event. “With the convergence of many roads lately, I have decided the time is right to give something to the Vietnamese people. I have my health, I have support and I believe I can use these attributes for the betterment of the underprivileged in Vietnam. I am very proud of my connection with KOTO: its vision, mission, culture and philosophies. KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One and one of its strong beliefs is as follows: ‘if you are in a position where you can help someone less fortunate, then you should help them and the greatest thanks you can receive is to one day see that person be in a position to do the same for someone else’. KOTO was started in the 1990s by Jimmy Pham, a Vietnamese Australian.
The RunKOTORun concept was developed because it encapsulated the belief, inspiration and hope that “Forrest Gump” had in his” life”. Success, peace and love were the cornerstone of his life’s journey. My wish is that this is what the journey will give to the many students who participate in the KOTO program.”
RunKOTORun will be a difficult, challenging journey for Garry. It will begin at the Koto facility in Ho Chi Minh City and end in Hanoi. He has obtained the full support of KOTO International to embark on this project and is seeking support to ensure its success and in so doing give disadvantaged youth in Vietnam a viable future.
Garry’s aim is to raise a minimum of $36,000 which will support at least 15 students through their KOTO course. Should you wish to support Garry’s endeavour I am sure your donation will make a new life for these students a reality.
Tax deductible donations for Australian Taxpayers can be made by going to either of the following links:
www.givenow.com.au/koto
www.koto.com.au
(In both cases please indicate the donation is for RunKOTORun)
To find out more Garry can be contacted.
Garry West-Bail (m) 0419 641 645
www.runkotorun.com
garrywb1@hotmail.com
Go Hockey News and its readers wish Garry ever success for RunKOTORun and his new direction with Deaf Sports Australia. We thank him also for his contribution to hockey development in Queensland.
