Country footy or netball clubs or any sporting outfit in the bush aren't just about the game.
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Yes, getting out on the field or the court plays a big part of it, for the competition is a passion for so many people.
The weekend often cannot come around quick enough for another run around the park.
But the passion goes much further than that, especially when you live in a country community.
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That's because the social connections are every bit as important, if not more so, than playing the sport.
This is especially so at the clubs in smaller leagues, where literally the whole concept of community revolves around local football and netball.
It means not only pulling on the boots but being given the job of organising the weekly fundraiser, or filling some other post in the club.
The clubs simply wouldn't exist without this jack-of-all-trades approach, and in turn the communities in which they exist would be significantly poorer for their absence.
And so it's not just about being active and loving your sport, or going through the gate for a couple of hours' entertainment then heading home and getting on with normal life.
It's about something that is an indelible part of the fabric of life.
Out Tallangatta way, the Maddock family is an example of that spirit, of why such commitment is so important and why it delivers benefits - many of these unseen - to keeping a community in great shape.
In Monday's The Border Mail, Hoppers John senior and John junior take us through what this means in everyday terms.
Both they and various relatives have long been stalwarts in football and netball.
But beyond that, the commitment has been just as strong.
For instance, John senior has been president, secretary and coach, while John junior has done his stints as coach, assistant secretary and vice-president.
Their story though is just one small piece of a much larger picture that pays tribute every day to the volunteers who keep our country sporting clubs going and in so doing, make our communities even stronger.