Recently, Katrina Davis sat down and took a look through some old photos.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
While leafing through more than two decades' worth of images, it was not long before the long-time Tamworth Junior Oztag convenor came across a familiar face.
"I've been going over old papers and newspaper clippings," Davis said.
"Jada Taylor, who's now playing in the NRLW, was an eight-year-old running around on the Oztag fields. It just brings back great memories.
"I've seen so many of these kids grow up and develop into adults."
In recent years, the 54-year-old began thinking about how long she wanted to continue overseeing the junior Oztag.
And, after much contemplation, she recently took to Facebook to announce that her 21-year-long term as convenor was done.
"I've been doing PE teaching part-time to juggle with the Oztag demands," Davis said.
"Which has been a really nice balance while the kids were growing up and at school. But now that they've pretty much flown the coop, I've gone back to work full-time ... and I thought well, now's the time to say goodbye."
A product of Camden Haven on the mid north coast, Davis' work as a teacher took her to Griffith, then Muswellbrook, before she landed in Tamworth in 2000.
Once there, she was offered a job as a rugby league development officer by then-Country Rugby League chairman, Dave Barnhill.
She accepted, and introduced kids to league tag at various schools around the region for two years.
Then, she fell pregnant with her son, Jack.
"I thought 'Well, I've got some spare time now that I'm on maternity leave'," Davis said.
"Pam and Rob Potts had been running [the senior Oztag competition] for about five years ... but the juniors had lapsed.
"I said 'Well, how about I step up and take on the juniors?' And it went from there'."
In the association's first season, they had 14 teams. That number grew quickly, peaked at 100, and currently sits at roughly 90.
It was a huge task, but Davis threw herself into the role wholeheartedly, and was bolstered by her passion for both sport and education.
Growing up, she had been encouraged by her parents to try her hand at any athletic opportunity that came her way.
Davis was best at volleyball - "I did quite well in that sport" - but also swam and played netball throughout her childhood.
And, once she and her equally sport-obsessed husband, Paul, welcomed their kids Jack and Alyssa into the world, they took the same open-minded approach to parenthood.
"That's been our motto as a family: 'Let's give everything a go and see what fits'," Davis said.
Now that she is into her fifties, she has truncated her mountainous list of sporting commitments.
But she will always reflect on her time within the Oztag community fondly.
"It has been a great ride. I've enjoyed every season, and watching the kids grow," Davis said.
"Tash Allan and Casey Davis, who are going to be running it locally now, they've been assisting and involved for many years. It's in capable hands, and obviously Bill and Lesley Harrigan are the license holders.
"They'll try some new things and keep it growing."
