After 30 years as a stalwart of Earlwood Wanderers and presiding over the judiciary as the ‘iron woman’, Vicki Belton-Crowe personifies the commitment and loyalty of volunteers within Football Canterbury.
Words by Liam Cook
Vicki’s sense of duty to her community club arose from taking a plunge when others wouldn’t.
A manager, competition secretary, president, life member, chairman of judiciary and administration assistant throughout her time, Vicki’s first volunteering opportunity was as a coach.
“I was Bernie Ibini-Isei’s first coach: that’s my feather in my cap,” she said.
“At the beginning of the season you see kids running around in a group one after the other and by the end of the season you see how far they’ve come; you can sit back and say ‘I had a hand in that and I’m pretty proud’.”
Perhaps her most impactful role came overseeing the Football Canterbury judiciary where she earned the reputation of an ‘Iron Woman’.
Those who uphold the ethics and laws of the game are not always viewed favorably by players and coaches, and so individuals of the utmost integrity are required for the task. Enter Vicki.
“I can be harsh but I am also human: I can see both sides of the story.
“If I think it’s warranted I will increase the sentence and if I think they’ve been a little bit hard done by, I’ll take that into account with the other panel members as well.”
Her motivation for volunteering in positions like the tribunal came from a realisation that throwing yourself in the deep end is not only personally fulfilling, but benefits others.
“You realise things don’t run as smoothly if it’s run ad hoc,” said Belton-Crowe.
“You need people who know what they’re doing and the only way to get them to know what they’re doing is to pull them in and get them to join.”
Having sowed the seeds for 30 years, Vicki is now reaping the rewards of her investment at community football.
Friends made over three decades have similarly taken up the call to volunteer and involve their families at club level.
“There were kids that my son played with since kindergarten and now they’ve all got their own families and bringing their kids along to Little Wanderers: there are three or four generations involved in the club.
“I enjoyed it too because I got to know who my kids were hanging around with and my network of friends and acquaintances grew through them.”
Meeting people through the beautiful game that she may never have otherwise known has been incredibly rewarding for Vicki.
She encourages everyone to take the same plunge and get your hands dirty as a volunteer - it’s more than worthwhile.
“Give it a go, you never know. It could be the thing that’s been missing in your life.”
