Dampier’s Conor O’Brien has been awarded life membership of Football West for his more than a decade of dedication to grassroots soccer in the Pilbara.

Since beginning his coaching career in the region in 2015, O’Brien has played a pivotal role in shaping soccer pathways across Dampier and Karratha.

At an association level, he has served as president, registrar, and referee co-ordinator of the Karratha Soccer Association since 2018.

He was also instrumental in establishing female soccer pathways in the region, helping launch Dampier’s first girls’ teams in 2022 and the girls’ under-16 competition in 2023.

The Dampier Junior Soccer Club awarded O’Brien life membership in 2023 in recognition of his leadership and work behind the scenes.

As a Football West Pilbara Academy coach, O’Brien delivers twice-weekly training programs for players aged nine to 16, helping them take the sport to the next level.

He has also supported seven North West Championships in addition to six country week campaigns, and contributed to the creation of the Pilbara i-League all-abilities competition.

In 2024, O’Brien led the full rewrite of the Karratha Soccer Association’s constitution.

He said gaining life membership came as a surprise.

“It’s nice to get the recognition but it’s not really just for me,” O’Brien said. “There are an awful lot of people putting a lot of effort in all over.”

O’Brien said he first got involved in soccer in Ireland some 50 years ago, and had enjoyed coaching junior teams in a range of sports since he was a young man.

“I coached my first under-age team as an 18-year-old when I coached a badminton team, so I’ve been involved in coaching for over 40 years,” he said.

“When I got to Dampier, my kids started playing and I got involved. It reignited my passion for coaching.

“It evolved to the next level when my son started to play a lot, who is quite a handy footballer himself. I stayed involved to help encourage his game and his growth.”

Dampier Junior Soccer Club president Tanya Argent said O’Brien had been a huge contributor to the club and the sport in the region.

“Conor’s Football West life membership is a richly deserved recognition of more than a decade of outstanding service to football in the Pilbara,” she said.

“Through his leadership, dedication and countless volunteer hours, he has helped create opportunities for generations of players, coaches and officials across our region.

“This honour reflects not only his contribution to the game, but the lasting impact he has had on our community. (The club) congratulates Conor on this exceptional achievement”

Football West chair Sherif Andrawes congratulated O’Brien and fellow new life members Oriano Colli, Paul Afkos and Carl Duxbury.

“All four have made telling contributions to the game in WA over many years and are richly deserving recipients of this honour,” he said.