Chris controls the nerves for debut speech to HETA apprentices
Hull KR coach Chris Chester (left) shakes hands with Iain Elliott.
THE highs and lows of a career in rugby league’s Super League provided a string of parallels to inspire young learners from Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA).
Hull KR’s first team coach Chris Chester set out the key qualities of achieving and maintaining success as he presented awards to apprentices from HETA’s Hull training centre.
Chris also added a new attribute – keeping nerves under control – as he revealed the event was his public speaking debut.
He said: “Whatever job you do, whether you’re an electrician, a mechanic, a rugby player or a rugby coach, you need a lot of commitment. You also need dedication. You will have to make sacrifices but, trust me, it’s worth it in the long run.
“Believe in your own ability and make sure you are resilient. When things go against you, don’t give up. Team work is also very important for success. I have surrounded myself with the right people.”
Chris underlined his points by drawing on his own experiences as a player and a coach over more than 20 years in rugby league. He spoke of how he took his eye off the ball after making the big time with Wigan, overdoing the high life, and finding himself released by the club after just two years.
He said: “I took it very hard but it was my own doing and it made me realise what a great career I could have in this game.”
Chris spoke about winning the Challenge Cup in 2005, when Hull FC beat Leeds against all the odds at the Millennium Stadium, and of bouncing back after Rovers crashed to a record defeat in this year’s final.
He said: “In 2005 every time we stepped onto the field we knew we weren’t going to get beat. We weren’t going to let each other down. The belief, hard work and dedication that we put in from pre-season got us through.
“It was the same this year but a different result when we got to the final because we didn’t turn up on the day. I took responsibility for that and I refused to let that one result affect the rest of the season. It hurts now and that hurt will never go away but we had a day off and then we came back and looked each other in the eyes. I still had belief in those guys and they still believed in each other.
“Make the most of your opportunities. Learn from your mistakes. You have a fantastic opportunity now to go on to bigger and better things and I wish you all the success in the world.”
The event at the University of Hull’s Staff House was attended by the apprentices, their families and mentors from businesses, many of which sponsored categories in the awards.
Iain Elliott, Chief Executive of HETA, said the presentations were the culmination of a lot of hard work by the apprentices during their first year with the organisation and their employers.
He said: “It has already been a long journey because some of these people applied to us in 2014. We received about 1,200 applications for about 250 places so for every apprentice we recruited there were about four more who didn’t get in.
“The Humber region has had its ups and downs over the years. It is now going through some changes which will help us achieve sustainable economic growth and apprenticeships are an important part of that.”
