Michelle Ramirez of the Brindabella Blues Football Club (BBFC) is the Summerland Football Club Hero of the month for May, after she was nominated by a junior footballer at the club.

The nomination came as a surprise to Michelle but the Junior Coach said she was thrilled to receive the award.

“It was a surprise, albeit a very gratifying surprise.”

“You don’t do these things for an award, but when I first got the phone call I had a smile from ear to ear, because it is nice to get that recognition.”

Michelle got into coaching as her eldest son entered football, initially helping out as an assistant coach at Brindabella while looking after children of her own.

Michelle said that the Blues were a great club to come across and become a part of when she was looking to get her children in to the sport.

“To find BBFC just down the road from us was great” she said.

“Once I got involved with the club I found that there was a really good community spirit, a strong football focus and with my passion for the sport and watching the kids play, I felt I had something that I could pass on to them through coaching.”

Michelle loves her involvement with football, having been involved with Kanga Cup, Gala Days, summer academies for Brindabella and Tigers FC, completing her various coaching certificates and much, much more.

The importance of being a role model to the next generation, who she was nominated by, is not lost on the coach either.

“For the nomination to come from one of the kids rather than a parent, that’s the ultimate reward,” she said.

“That’s massive because it means you’ve made a positive impact on the child.”

“You’ve motivated them to love the sport and to stay with the sport.”

“We’re role models and mentors to these kids, so the way we behave on the sideline during the game is also testament to the sportsperson they become as they grow up, in terms of respect for themselves, referees and each other. It really is very humbling to find out it was one of the kids.”