Peel Hockey volunteer gets state's top gong

The recognition comes shortly after she was named Hockey WA's volunteer of the month in September, and is an award she will cherish.

"I've been a little bit blown away by it all," she said.

"You don't get into volunteering for awards or recognition, but to have someone stop and say thank you like this is really nice."

The Peel Hockey board member, marketing manager and registrar has been helping to grow the sport throughout the region for some 16 years.

Having played hockey as a youngster herself to then enjoying watching her children progress through the ranks, it was only natural she take up the cause.

"I thought if I'm going to be sitting on the sidelines, I may as well be using that time to help the game grow," she said.

"From there I just got further invested in it as time went on and took on more and more roles with the years."

Those roles now include helping drive a digital-first approach for the club, which encompasses online player registration, as well as looking after data bases.

Alison has also helped oversee a new zoning directive for the association, which ties its local clubs to local schools as junior players take up the sport.

"That's been a big push for us," she said.

"Now kids who are in certain schools are likely to see a familiar face when they take up hockey, which we hope encourages them to play."

Volunteering can often be a thankless task, but Alison pointed to the connections she had made with countless people as reward for all the hard work.

"I've made so many good friends in my time," she said.

"I've got to watch players grow from juniors to seniors, and I've made relationships with people that will last for much longer than my volunteering days.

"That's what so valuable about being a volunteer. It's the people you meet along the way."

For more information on Peel Hockey, visit peelhockey.com.au