Running the Frontrunners

Nick Mills will end his two-year stint as the president of the Frontrunners on 24 May. Though a possible candidate to take on the role has been found, Mills’s parting message is one of encouragement to anyone who might be thinking of taking on a senior role in a sporting club.

It is a perpetual problem for sports and general community organisations to find willing volunteers to take on the sometimes arduous organisational roles. While Mills would be the first to admit that there have been some rocky roads over the past two years, his overall experiences of heading a club have been positive.

My main goal over the past two years has been to do my best to represent the club in the best possible light and to have the most positive influence I can over our members, Mills said.

It has been so rewarding to have members come and, quietly, tell me that they appreciate my leadership style.

You don’t always get a lot of thanks when you take on community roles and there are always going to be times when you are up at the crack of stupid o’clock setting up a picnic or Fair Day or something and you can think, why am I bothering?

But the benefits aren’t always immediately apparent and for me stepping into this leadership role has just really helped me to toughen up and cope with other things in my life in a better way. I’ve developed leadership and strategic thinking skills and I’ve learned to put myself in other people’s shoes.

There also comes a time when you really start to appreciate community and want to give something back to the community, and taking on a role with a sporting club or another organisation is just a great way to do that.