Noel Steele, West Coast, QSM, for services to hockey
Mr Noel Steele has had a 42-year involvement with hockey in the West Coast region, including as a West Coast representative player. He continues to represent both the West Coast Men’s A and B teams at a national level. He has spent 20 years umpiring and coaching hockey at a range of levels from primary school to West Coast Women’s representative teams. Some of the women he has coached have made the Māori Development U18 Squad and Blackstick triallists. Mr Steele maintains a four- to five-day a week commitment to hockey, travelling from his rural home 45 kilometres to the nearest hockey turf for games and practices for his own teams and the teams he coaches. He received the Centennial Trophy for volunteer services to hockey at the annual West Coast Hockey awards in 2011, and a long service award at the West Coast Hockey centennial celebrations in 2006.