In
the lead up to the 20th anniversary
dinner for the Mount Gambier
Pioneers on July 14, The Border
Watch is featuring the people who
have helped shape the national team
on and off the court.
Today we meet Beth Serle and Sharon
Venn, two women dedicated and
irreplaceable members of the club.
BETH Serle has been there with the
Mount Gambier Pioneers from the very
beginning, watching the club grow
from a committee idea to National
SEABL and ABL champions.
"I took the first phone call," Serle
told The Border Watch.
"They rang us, we didn't ring them."
When speaking to Serle about her
life with the Pioneers, she quickly
pointed out it had been a genuine
team effort between many passionate
basketball supporters, people who
wanted to see Mount Gambier on the
national sporting map and quiet
workers behind the scenes who do not
seek thanks.
But, if there is one person Serle
has worked closest with, it is good
friend Sharon Venn.
Venn, too,
has been with the Pioneers since
1989, is
a past administrator of the year awardee and someone who
simply did whatever it took to
ensure the club had everything it
needed to compete against larger
organisations.
"I was never employed full time by
the Pioneers, I was paid an
honourarium," Venn said.
"But it was just about a full time
job.
"I learnt a lot from Bill (Hately),
he was great in the early years.
"In the early days, on game days
here, I worked from 10 in the
morning until midnight.
"That just involved getting
everything ready for the game and
then making sure it was all
completely done at the end of the
night."
When Venn replaced Hately as
administrator, she was determined to
carry on his good work, but it was
far from easy.
"When I first took over the
administrator job we had fly-in
players," Venn said.
"I was terrified...it meant I had to
drive someone else's car out to the
airport and pick the players up and
I couldn't drive a manual."
"We took her out to our farm at
Tantanoola and taught her," Serle
said.
"Sharon was excellent at her job and
the administrator of the year award
reflected the job that was being
done.
"We also took great pride in making
our game nights very professional.
"There was always a smile and people
were made to feel very welcome.
"Nothing was ever too much trouble."
Serle and Venn obviously share a
very special bond, a bond that was
created through their tenacity,
dedication and never-say-die
attitude to ensure the club became a
success for the city of Mount
Gambier.
"The so-called experts from the city
gave the Pioneers a life span of
three years," Serle said.
"They thought we wouldn't have the
finances and they doubted our
ability to run a national event.
"They also questioned our player
talent, we were considered to be
country hicks from the sticks."
Venn said the support of the
business community over the 20 years
proved the 'experts' wrong.
"The good thing here is that we
haven't relied on one major
sponsor," Venn said.
"We've always had a huge number of
supporters and a lot of the
businesses and sponsors have stayed
with us."
It is easy to see what the community
would have lost if the Pioneers went
as predicted and faded into oblivion
after three years.
"Being a basketball community, we
would have lost a lot," Serle said.
"We would have lost sport being
playing at our door step on a
national level."
Venn said the different generations
of school children would have also
missed out on more than just
watching basketball.
"The schools would have missed out
on a lot," Venn said.
"The players made a lot of school
visits in the early days.
"The junior boys down here have
their idols that they watch each
week and they would have lost that
as well."
On the court, Serle and Venn admit
they have received the ultimate gift
for their dedication to the club.
"2003 was the reward we all needed
for the years of work we've done,"
Serle said.
"That season was the reward we all
got for everyone working so well
together."
When looking back on the early years
of the club, both Serle and Venn
have great memories of the Icehouse
being completely full and providing
the players with an atmosphere
unmatched in the league.
"For years and years our crowds were
known as the best sixth men in the
league," Serle said.
"The first final we were ever in, we
had no idea how to sell tickets,"
Venn said.
"I was sitting in the ticket box and
they were all lined up out the door
and across the car park."
With the 2007 season coming to an
end, these two women are looking
forward to being part of the 20th
anniversary dinner celebrations.
"I'm really excited about it," Serle
said.
"It's a tremendous achievement for
everyone involved that we've reached
20 years.
"I thank Sonya (Knight) for doing a
great job organising the night."