It's often bittersweet when individuals who contribute so much to their local sport communities decide to pass the baton. Last week, Australian Taekwondo Queensland (ATQ) said farewell to their long-time President, Darryl Green, after four years at the helm.
Green came into the role after being Chair of the ATQ Referee Committee some years beforehand. Disillusioned with a management structure that wasn't working, Green saw the Presidency as an opportunity to create positive change with a vision to unite the state and strengthen Taekwondo in Queensland.
"I decided to run for the Board to help get ATQ into a better position and we've accomplished that. We got our funding back, a new website, governance and business structures in place, and we've built relationships with our stakeholders. Queensland is in a really happy place at the moment," said Green.
"My goal was to get our funding back and reunite Queensland by connecting us as one, and I feel Queensland has done that.”
“You often see problems when people have been in positions too long; things get stale. It was time to move on and let others develop new ideas and lead us from the front."
Australian Taekwondo's Chief Executive Officer, Heather Garriock, thanked Green for his service and the positive outcomes he and the Board have achieved.
"I'd like to sincerely thank Darryl for his contribution to Taekwondo. The work he and the Board have undertaken over the last four years to move Queensland forward aligns directly with Australian Taekwondo's direction to modernise and professionalise all aspects of our sport and martial art. It's been a pleasure to work with Darryl and I wish him all the best for the future."
A stand out achievement for Green has been re-establishing relationships in regional areas and doing more in terms of servicing and support.
"We needed to do something for our regions. Queensland is a lot bigger than Victoria or New South Wales; you can't drive from one end to another in one or two days. It's a three-day or four-day drive. Our event in Cairns in July is significant, it's our first ever regional competition run by the state and it will be a highlight for me."
While he is stepping away from the boardroom, he's not stepping away from Taekwondo. Green plans to invest more time into his family and his club, Edge Taekwondo. He is also contemplating a return to international refereeing as COVID lessens around the globe.
"I'm looking forward to having my weekends back," said Green.
"I'm going to miss the role. I've been doing it for so long and felt it was time to take a break and spend time with the family again. Change is good."
"Being a President is not just a position. The role requires 15 to 20 hours a week, usually on the weekend. People ring you up at eight o'clock at night about something, or you'll have a Zoom meeting on a Sunday night, and then you'll have another one. It's those sorts of things that people don't understand that you're doing. It's easy to be a keyboard warrior, but until you're in there, you don't know how much work people are actually doing,"
On behalf of the Australian Taekwondo staff and Board, we thank Darryl for his leadership and service to Taekwondo in Queensland and his contribution to our broader national Taekwondo family.
