45thANNUAL REPORT

CONTENTS

2

President’s Report Page 4-5

Chief Executive’s Report Page 6-7

Resources Report Page 8

Business Assurance Report Page 9

Membership Development Report Page 10

Centre Liaison Report Page 11

Registrations 2012/2013 Page 12-13

Championships/Competition Report Page 14

Competition & Volunteers Report Page 15-17

Officials Report Page 18

Coaching & Development Report Page 19-20

LITTLE ATHLETICS

3

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

President Neil SandallChampionships/Competition Heather MitchellBusiness Assurance Russell BriggsMembership/Development Mavis GodberOfficials Peter BarnesBusiness Development vacantResources Greg Dickson

STAFF

Chief Executive Officer Kerry O’KeefeExecutive Assistant Georgie BoostAdministration Assistant Trish BrightCentre Liaison Officer Chantelle GrillsCompetition & Volunteer Coordinator Diane LevyCoaching & Development Officers Darren Wensor Alvin Umadhay Youcef AbdiRegional Athletics Coordinator - Hunter Scott WescottCoaching & Development Administrator Cheryl WebbOnline & Graphics Coordinator (part time) Amy HarrisFinance Coordinator (part time) Greg Skinner

MEDICAL ADVISORProfessor Marcus Vowels

LEGAL ADVISORJohn Bateman

AUDITORDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu

LANSW OFFICE90 - 92 Harris StreetHARRIS PARK 2150

Ph: 9633 4511Website: lansw.com.au

Email: admin@lansw.com.au

PRESIDENT

4

I have much pleasure in presenting this, my third annual report, as president of LANSW for the just concluded 2014/2015 season. Our registrations of 37,698 represents about a 3% decline over that reached in the immediate preceding season. A good result, but we do need to improve on that if we are to get our sport growing again in a very challenging contemporary junior sporting/entertainment landscape.

On that score we have continued a close working relationship with ANSW (Athletics NSW) through our Joint Working Party which continues to identify ways to better align our sport, particularly in the teen athletics space which we jointly share, so we can get even closer to a successful ‘one sport’ outcome. I particularly thank my fellow directors, Russell Briggs, Michael Gray (resigned 4 August 2014). Greg Dickson (replacement) and our CEO, Kerry O’Keefe, for their contributions throughout the 2014/2015 season on the Joint Working Party. This important work will continue in 2015/2016.

Our financial position has further strengthened thanks to prudent financial stewardship and growth in our sponsorship support, not only from our established state partners, but also the national Jetstar naming rights deal which has also directly benefitted all state/territory member associations. Thanks to our sponsorship partners, including McDonald’s, The Athletes Foot, Hart Sport and IMG STG for their ongoing support which helps keep Little Athletics very much at the affordable end of junior sport offerings. And welcome Jetstar!

Given our financial position and the growing importance of “on the ground” support for our largely volunteer base of centre personnel, coaches and officials, the board took the decision to begin to roll out the first tranche of Regional Athletics Support Officers this past season.

It has taken a little longer than anticipated, primarily because the logistical issues of establishing appropriate operating locations/office facilities etc., but the delay has worked in our favour. We have established the first of these positions in Dubbo thanks to a three-way partnership with Dubbo City Council and our ‘one sport’ athletics partners, ANSW. The council provided the operational base and related logistics, and all partners will contribute to salary and related costs over a three-year (initial) engagement. That position has been filled already.

We are also advanced in our discussions with Tamworth City Council who seem keen to follow the Dubbo appointment, by offering appropriate working space for a similar position there. Hopefully an expression of interest for the second position will issue before the upcoming season. And finally, as we will be in Wagga Wagga for our AGM/conference shortly, we have arranged to instigate like discussions for a third regional position there.

Our plan is to try and fund up to a further two such positions, all regionally based, and to this end, will pursue the others, once we examine the cumulative impact on our operational costs and have some measurable operational outcomes from the initial appointments. These are considered essential resource boosts to get our junior sport back on a sustainable growth plane.

The season just completed has had some memorable highlights, with just some of the more significant being:• The successful conduct of State Multi-Event Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre

(the first time not held in a regional centre, to see if we could generate renewed interest in this event, which has been declining over recent seasons.)

• 534 of teams entered in the Junior State Relay Championships• 578 of teams entered in the Senior State Relay Championships• 2600 competitors competing in our 2014/2015 State Championships• The successful completions of all 24 Zone Championships before Christmas (to reduce the competition

schedule in the final months of the season• Continued growth in the take up rate of online registrations and payments, thus reducing registration

paperwork demands, as well as reducing cash handling risks for nominated centre personnel (this is the way of the future, and centres slow to adopt need to re-think their business models)

PRESIDENT

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• Establishment of the Joint Working Party with ANSW and its initial successes in better aligning our respective athletic offerings

• Emergence of new and younger LANSW officials helping to replenish our official ranks

All in all another good season for LANSW and we look forward to seeing many of you back in the upcoming season as we begin to seriously tackle the absence of growth in our sport via a series of new regional support positions, along with more joint efforts with ANSW for the provision of some new and improved athletics facilities to help us achieve a successful ‘one sport’ outcome where participation and retention rates are strongly growing, rather than stagnating.

Neil SandallPRESIDENT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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I am pleased to provide the following report to highlight the activities, achievements, and initiatives of LANSW (Little Athletics NSW) throughout the 2014/2015 season.

Once again we saw an increase in the number of centres promoting the online registration system for membership renewals and therefore the number of families registering via this means also increased. Almost 50% of our members now register and pay online, meaning that contact details are current and accurate immediately following their renewal of registration.

Actual registrations for the season decreased however by around 3%, to 37,698 athletes. As this is now the second consecutive year of decline, I reiterate what I said in my report last year, being that membership growth must be set as a collective priority as failure to consolidate our position as a leading junior sport will have negative consequences for our organisation going forward.

One strategy aimed at helping to grow the sport that we have begun to roll-out, is the employment of ‘Regional Athletics Support Officers’. The first of these appointments has occurred, and Emily Ross will begin in this role, located at Dubbo, at the end of June. This first appointment is a three-way partnership between LANSW, Athletics NSW and Dubbo City Council. Emily, and the further officers to be appointed at Tamworth and Wagga Wagga, will be tasked with: helping to develop and enhance the capacity of centres; helping to increase centre membership; providing support to centres with such things as policies, plans, recruitment, retention, funding opportunities, competition programs, volunteer strategies, IT and overall product delivery; increasing the number of coaches and officials; and assisting with the establishment and support of new centres.

A further strategy we are employing in an effort to increase profile and membership, is the development of a marketing strategy and plan to improve both our advertising reach and effectiveness. We have engaged a marketing consultant to assist with this task.

Both of the above strategies are contained within the LANSW Strategic Plan for 2014-2018, which was endorsed by the board following extensive review and restructure. This plan was developed to align more closely with the plans of both Athletics NSW and Little Athletics Australia. The strategies contained within the plan centre on the pillars of participation, program delivery, commercial and relationships, and a set of clear performance indicators have been agreed to.

Despite the decrease in registrations, LANSW continues to improve its financial position, and recorded a sizeable surplus in the 2014/2015 season. This surplus has been allocated to 2015/2016 budget, enabling the strategies and initiatives to continue as planned, without the need to cut back in other areas of spending.

Our corporate support continues with the generous contribution of our partners McDonald’s, The Athletes Foot, Hart Sport, IMG STG, Instant Photos and GA Millers. Without the commitment and financial support of these organisations, LANSW would not be able to provide the programs or operate as we do currently.

At the national level, Jetstar became the new naming rights partner and the benefits of this partnership have cascaded down to state and centre level, through things such as: the allocation of funds to assist with overall operations and advertising and marketing initiatives; the provision of contra flights; the supply of a sun shelter to every centre; and the supply of a shoe bag to every member. We welcome Jetstar and look forward to an ongoing relationship.

LANSW was again able to offer a number of financial assistance programs to our members. Through the Athlete Assistance Program we were able to support the registration of 78 Little Athletes and note that over half of the families supported were single-parent families and ten families have three or more children registered. Through the Country Athletes Support Program, 52 Little Athletes from 20 country centres, were provided with assistance to attend the State Championships. Sixteen of these athletes were in three or

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

7

more events. Through the Centre Grant Scheme, we were able to support 11 centres (9 country and 3 metropolitan) with equipment and facility upgrade.

Other activities of note throughout the 2014/2015 season include: • Our Joint Working Party with ANSW (Athletics NSW) continued to meet to identify ways in which the

delivery of athletics in NSW can be improved and has recently initiated a major research undertaking for the season ahead.

• In readiness for the implementation of the new Working with Children Check requirements, 16 workshops were conducted across the state for centre personnel, with over 350 members attending.

• Following completion of the new centre constitution and regulations templates, over 60 centres updated and adopted a new constitution.

• LANSW presence on social media was significantly increased with greater use of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• Country seminars were held at four locations and attended by almost 100 centre personnel (Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Narrandera and Tamworth).

• Five new zone coordinators were appointed (New England, Mid South Coast, West Metropolitan, Western Plains and Central Tablelands).

My thanks as always go to the board for their support, and to the zone coordinators, advisory committees, officials, centre committees and volunteers, each of who play a vital role in the successful operation of Little Athletics in NSW. An enormous thank you is also extended to the staff for their dedication to Little Athletics and their commitment to ensuring the successful operation of our sport. The demands upon the staff are forever growing and changing and I commend them all on the way they deal with the many new challenges and responsibilities that come their way.

Kerry O’KeefeCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

RESOURCES

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The 2014/2015 season saw LANSW (Little Athletics NSW) continue to improve its financial position, which has gone from strength to strength.

Income in 2014/2015 was $58,584 or 2.6% above budget. This was due to additional sponsorship which had not been contracted at the time the budget was determined, and the receipt of two years of funding for LAPS (Little Athletics Program for Schools) from LAA (Little Athletics Australia). Income from championships was down, primarily with lower numbers entering and attending the State Relays event in 2014.

Expenditure was $177,981 or 7.9% below budget. The LAA levy was on budget but significantly higher than the previous year, which was explained when the budget was delivered last year. There was realignment between the LAA levy and insurance to more correctly pinpoint the individual components, as well as LAA charging us higher fees as they undertake additional functions within the organisation. There is however the opportunity for us to receive funding back as we reach specific targets. Insurance as a consequence of the realignment is lower than the previous year.

The item listed as centre grants, in fact covers other things including country athlete support, athlete registration support, and the costs of providing dual registration support.

The cost of online registration continues to increase each year as more families utilise this facility to register their families.

Salaries were below budget as the plan to increase the number of support staff didn’t happen, but has started in the current year.

The surplus achieved in the 2014/2015 year has been allocated to 2015/2016 where we anticipate a deficit.

Registration fees will remain the same in 2015/2016, which will be the fourth year in a row where the LANSW fees have remained the same. The centre component of registrations would have remained the same or increased over that four years.

Greg DicksonRESOURCES DIRECTOR

BUSINESS ASSURANCE

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My role as the Business Assurance Director has been at times hectic it has also been rewarding given a number of goals that have been in part achieved and progressed this season and I have enjoyed the challenges it has presented.

One of the key components over the last year has been the education surrounding the new Working with Children Check. In readiness for the implementation of the new Working with Children Check requirements, 16 workshops were conducted across the state for Little Athletics volunteers, with over 350 members attending. Implementation of the requirements will be a focus in the year ahead with the legislation requiring phase-in by the end of this season.

Following the release of the centre constitution template and accompanying regulations, we have had an extremely positive response back from centres that have either submitted their completed document or are in the process of doing so. At the time of writing this report we had received documents for over 60 centres to review which is a fantastic effort and I thank all centre committees for embracing the same. This does however leave approximately 120 centres still to finalise changes, so we will continue to monitor the progress by these centres in the coming season. The other major component of the role over the past season has been to oversee safety and risk policies and guidelines for our athletes, staff and volunteers. We have reviewed and updated several of our risk guidelines and policies (Contract Review Guidelines for Centres, Centre Budget Guidelines, Smoke Free Policy and Drug Policy) and developed a new guideline on the safe use and storage of starting pistols. The process of reviewing and updating policies and guidelines will continue throughout the season ahead.

From a safety and risk perspective, it has been pleasing to see the continued use of safety coordinators at zone and region carnivals and thanks are extended to zone and region coordinators for ensuring this role is allocated to a suitable person to ensure it receives the level of attention required.

On a personal level I would like to thank Wayne Thurlow, Chris Hudson, the LANSW staff and board, for their continued work and support within this risk management area. The safety of our athletes, officials, committee people and helpers is paramount and ensures they continue to enjoy the sport.

Russell BriggsBUSINESS ASSURANCE DIRECTOR

10

REGISTRATIONS 2014/2015 SEASONCongratulations to those centres who have been able to increase their registration over the past season. At the time of this report our registrations are 37,698 which is a disappointing drop from the previous season. We are finding that parents are expecting centre competition to be completed in a short time than has traditionally occurred and we are looking at ways to achieve the expected two hour completion.

NEW CENTRESOne new centre, at Cumnock, joined the Little Athletics family this past season. Gulgong, after being in recess for a number of years, has reformed and actively been developing their committee prior to taking registrations in the upcoming season.

FACILITIESNew opportunities continue to be investigated in conjunction with local interest groups and local councils. • Dubbo City Council facility is now complete and all will have the opportunity to compete there during

the State Multi-Event in March 2016. It has been a great experience for Little Athletics to work with the council and ANSW (Athletics NSW) to ensure that this development best serves athletes in the western region.

• Blacktown City Council’s proposed new facility, “The Ponds”, will not be completed until towards the end of 2016 so we are looking forward to it being available for the start of the 2016/2017 season.

• Camden City Council proposal has not proceeded at this point in time, but we are hopeful we can continue working with them.

• Lake Macquarie City Council and the Hunter Sports Centre are working through the development of a DA to allow expansion of the centre. This will involve a major restructure of the meet management area and athlete support areas.

• Penrith City Council proposal is still progressing and regular meetings continue.• Tamworth Council proposes to build a new synthetic track at a new venue. DA’s are in progress for an

expected completion by 2017, depending on available funding.• William Clarke College proposal did not proceed despite support from both the college and Little

Athletics.

Discussions continue to be held with other councils regarding the facilities in their areas.

CENTRE SUPPORTUnfortunately we had three centres who were unable to form the required committee or had declining numbers so that they we no longer viable. We are sad to see centres go into recess, so if your centre needs support please contact Chantelle, Centre Liaison Officer. Chantelle has also been assisting centres throughout the year.

Mavis GodberMEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

MEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT

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Another year has passed and a huge year it has been!

I was able to help, where possible, many centres throughout our state who needed assistance, whether it was by starting a new/reformed centre or working closely with any centre who had notified me of any concerns they had, e.g. not being able to hold an AGM due to lack of attendance, or not being able to form a committee, as well as those who had been declining in registrations over the past few years.

We had one reformed centre with us this year, Cumnock. Cumnock committee did an amazing job! I was lucky enough to visit them on their second running night and everything seemed to go very smoothly, with great parent helpers.

Huge congratulations to everyone involved - from committee members; to parents and athletes and thank you to Veronica Amor (previous Central Tablelands Zone Coordinator) for all her help getting Cumnock LAC back.

There were a total of four country seminars held in 2014 at Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Narrandera and Tamworth. Kerry O’Keefe and I conducted additionally 12 Working with Children Check seminars around NSW. I was fortunate to attend all 16 seminars, which is always a pleasure as I get to meet and greet centre personnel, who I have spoken to for many years but I’ve never met in person, and also to catch up with everyone again. I attended Region 8 at Sylvania Waters, as the information officer, in a very warm but enjoyable weekend. Again I was able to meet centre personnel which is always a highlight.

Over the past year, Mavis Godber, Membership Development Director and I have been liaising with councils about facilities and growth areas. Please refer to the Membership Development’s report for more detailed information.

I was excited to announce that 12 centres had been successful with their application of the Centre Grant Scheme. Congratulations to; Coffs Coast, Griffith & District, Inner West, North Rocks Carlingford, Northern Illawarra, Lockhart, Lake Illawarra, Oberon & District, Orange, Revesby Workers, Wauchope and Woy Woy Peninsula Little Athletics Centres. The scheme aims to assist centres throughout NSW, in obtaining track and field equipment and facilities that will better enable them to conduct events for their members.

A big thank you goes to the LANSW board of management and staff for their continued guidance over the past year.

Finally a huge thank you to all centres, centre representative and zone coordinators for your continuous support.

I look forward to working with you all again in the upcoming season.

Chantelle GrillsCENTRE LIAISON OFFICER

CENTRE LIAISON

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REGISTRATIONSRegistrations for the 2014/2015 season did see a decrease of around 3% from 38,925 to the current total of 37,698.

The season did however see an increase of 50% in the number of centres using the IMG online database for their registrations, with approximately 47% (17,790) registering and paying online and another 20% using the system to register.

The rebate of $5 per athlete was again offered in 2014/2015 and resulted in 93% of centres receiving the rebate, for a total of 33,245 athletes. This will continue for the coming season.

Trish BrightADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT

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5

CHAMPIONSHIPS/COMPETITION

14

This past season the Championships Advisory Committee has met on eight occasions, with one meeting being combined with the Officials Advisory Committee.

I would like to thank the Championships Advisory Committee for all their assistance and hard work during the past season: Peter Barnes, Di Levy, Alan Bartlett, Tim Batho and Simon Nicola all contributed in the various areas of their expertise.

Our state team selectors, Marian Bennett, Maria McConville, Greg Skinner, Kirsten Crocker, Grant Levy and Mark Elliott, as well as the Trans Tasman selectors, Aino Matwisyk, Maria McConville, Sally Richardson and Sharon Twigg, all did a great job in selecting the best NSW teams possible.

Thank you also to all the state officials and parent helpers, without whose help we would not be able to conduct our state events so efficiently.

For the first time the State Multi-Event championships were held at the two tracks at Sydney Olympic Park.

All throwing implements were weighed prior to all championships. The stocktake of our equipment stored at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre was another activity of the Championship Advisory Committee for this season, as was getting it all ready for transporting to the Trans Tasman Trials and Region Championships. We also have an equipment storage unit at Rydalmere to store additional items.

Heather MitchellCHAMPIONSHIPS/COMPETITION DIRECTOR

COMPETITION & VOLUNTEERS

15

The competition and volunteer coordinator is responsible for the organisation of all LANSW competition and major events and for ensuring effective recruitment, training and management of volunteers.

CHAMPIONSHIPSState Cross Country/Road Walks – West DaptoThis event was conducted at Kembla Joggers Cross Country Park, West Dapto on Sunday, 6 July and had 659 athletes from 79 Little Athletics centres enter, including athletes from Coffs Coast in the north and Tumbarumba in the south west. Following close of entries, the list of competitors was posted on our web and notified to centres. The running events were conducted on a very cold and windy day! After the drop off, 564 athletes actually competed on the day with some doubling up in the cross country in the morning and road walks in the afternoon. Thanks are extended to Kembla Joggers and Albion Park Little Athletics Centre, for their organisation prior to and on the day.

Trans Tasman Trials – ParramattaThank you to Parramatta Little Athletics Centre for hosting this event again at Barton Park on Sunday, 2 November. 278 athletes in the U11 and U12 age groups entered this event, all hoping for selection for the Trans Tasman Challenge Team who competed in Sydney on 18 January 2015. The team was announced on 10 November and posted on the Little Athletics NSW webpage.

State Relays – Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre Over 1100 teams competed at the 2014 State Relays on Saturday and Sunday, 22 & 23 November 2014 at Sydney’s premium athletics track, Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre. Numbers were down slightly from the previous year. There were 578 teams entered on Saturday for the Juniors (U8-U11) and 534 teams on the Sunday for the Seniors (U12-U17). The number of centres who took part was 53, which is slightly lower than previous years. We continued with our no calls for events, which works very well. Due to unexpected high temperatures on the Sunday, we ran all track events as timed finals. Thank you to centres, parents and spectators for accepting this decision. A total of 13 team records were broken over the weekend. Congratulations to all athletes.

Trans Tasman Challenge – SydneyOur team of U11 and U12 athletes competed against the children’s team from Auckland on Sunday, 18 January 2015 in the Trans Tasman Challenge at Campbelltown Athletics Centre. The LANSW team won the trophy convincingly. Congratulations to all athletes.

Many thanks to the members of Campbelltown Collegians Little Athletics, for their assistance with the organisation before and during the event. Zone/Region Championships – various venuesIn accordance with LANSW policy, all zone championships were held prior to the Christmas break. Following completion of all zones, the databases were sent to the office where the progressions to each region was done and the list of qualifiers posted on our webpage.

Regions were conducted in various weather conditions in February at: Tamworth - Region 1, Glendale - Region 2, Parkes - Region 3, Leeton - Region 4, Narrabeen - Region 5, Blacktown - Region 6, Campbelltown - Region 7 and Sylvania Waters - Region 8. The Meet Manager program was again used by all regions.

Regions with three zones had the first four places; regions with four zones had the first three places and regions with two zones had the first six places automatically progress through to the respective regions. This made up 12 athletes in each event. Then an additional four next best qualifiers from across the zone results, also progressed to region, making a total of up to 16 athletes in each event at each region. Three state records were broken at regional carnivals. Congratulations to all centres/zones who hosted these events and all athletes on their performances.

16

State Multi-Event – Sydney Olympic Park Athletic CentreFor the first time, our State Multi-Event was held in the Sydney metropolitan area. Over 1100 athletes from 115 Little Athletics centres entered the event, which was held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre on Saturday & Sunday, 7 & 8 March 2015. After the drop off, 757 athletes actually competed during the weekend. Even with this larger than usual drop off, the event was still a huge success. Athletes were able to enjoy various activities in between their events, such as slippery slide, basketball hoops, obstacle course, face painting and temporary tattoos. A huge thank you is extended to the many parents who acted as athlete controllers for the various age groups. They did a fantastic job in looking after our young athletes. One state record was broken at this event. Congratulations to all athletes, parents and our volunteer officials for helping us offer a fantastic weekend of athletes at a great venue.

State Track & Field Championships – Sydney Olympic Park Athletic CentreThe culmination of our Little Athletics season was our State Championships held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 20-22 March. A total of up to 24 athletes were in each event. This came from the progression from region to state whereby the first two places at each of the eight regions automatically progressed through. Then the next best eight qualifiers from across all regions were also added. The fully timed program worked well again, with athletes and parents knowing when to go to the call room. There were nearly 2600 athletes, representing 165 centres, who qualified through to our state championships. A total of eight state records were broken, with four being in track events and four in the field. 24 Para-Athletes competed on the Sunday in the invitational events, which were 100m, 800m, discus and long jump.

ASICS Australian Little Athletics Championships - PerthThe 2015 ASICS Australian Little Athletics Championships were conducted at WA Athletics Stadium in Perth on Saturday, 26 April in beautiful sunny conditions. The U13 team ended up in third place behind the teams from Western Australia and Victoria. Our U15 athletes also finished third behind Queensland and Victoria. Congratulations to all athletes.

OFFICIALSOnline Officials AssessmentThe Little Athletics NSW online officials’ assessment continues to be popular with 489 D grade and 140 C grade exams being completed during the last season.

To date, there are 1420 registered users who have done their D grade and C grade theory exams online, with 4195 exams having been attempted.

LANSW Nominated Officials There were 158 state officials active on our books at the end of the 2014/2015 season. These officials attended the majority of our major carnivals, including State Relays, State Multi-Event and State Track & Field. Many of these officials also assist at their local zone and region. As per advice from our 24 zone coordinators, there are a total of 1444 active officials spread throughout all centres in NSW.

Thanks are extended to all volunteers and officials, including our state officials plus the parents, grandparents and those who assist at their local Little Athletics centre, for without their dedication to our young athletes, we would not be able to operate as successfully as we do.

GETTING STARTED (formerly BEIC)The course is aimed at people who are brand new to the sport or who are intending to help out for the first time (as well as age managers). Only a handful of courses were held last season.

COMPETITION & VOLUNTEERS

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VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR This award was first introduced in the 2001/2002 season. From that season until 2007/2008, one winner was presented. From the 2008/2009 season, it was decided to present an award to both male and female volunteers of the year. The winners of the Volunteer of the Year award for 2012/2013 were Carmen Jones (Randwick/Botany LAC) and Paul Deane (Bankstown Sports LAC). Congratulations to both worthy winners.

THANK YOU I would like to thank the board, staff and zone coordinators for their assistance and support over the last twelve months. Special mention and my personal thanks are extended to Craig Scott, who was always on call to assist and answer my many queries in relation to the determination of additional qualifiers from zone to region and from region to state. Also to Alan Bartlett who called into the office whenever needed to assist with the Meet Manager set up for each of our state carnivals.

Di LevyCOMPETITION & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

COMPETITION & VOLUNTEERS

OFFICIALS

18

The following is a summary of some key aspects of the 2014/2015 season.

OFFICIALS ADVISORY COMMITTEEI would like to thank the members of the Officials Advisory Committee for their help and support during this season, ie. Heather Mitchell, Diane Levy, Lynne Whatman, Rosie Barnes, Brad Weyland and Les Kirkland. These officials have given up their time to review a number of aspects of the officials program this year.

APPOINTMENTS PANELThank you to the Appointments Panel of Greg Dickson, Ross MacLeod-Jones and Heather Mitchell for their assistance with the appointment of officials to Little Athletics NSW carnivals in 2014/2015.

OFFICIALS SEMINARSOfficials Seminars play an important part in the education and training of officials. The seminars should explain how to apply the rules in addition to outlining the rules. Zone coordinators have prime responsibility to organise the seminars. Where practicable, accredited Little Athletics NSW officials can be provided to assist with the presentation of the seminars.

I would like to thank the zone coordinators who arranged official’s seminars during this season and also like to thank the presenters.

LANSW KEY OFFICIALS SEMINARA seminar was held in September for Little Athletics NSW officials plus key officials from zones and regions and others. Agenda items included:• Rule changes for 2014/2015 season• Changes to procedures• Wrap-up of previous year’s championship carnivals• Workshop discussing scenarios• General discussion of officiating matters.

A field marking training session was held in the morning prior to the seminar.

ACCREDITATIONAlthough it was planned for the AAOES (Australian Athletics Officials Education Scheme) accreditation processes to commence during the 2014/2015 this has not happened yet.

The LANSW online exams for D Grade and C Grade remained open during 2014/2015 as the principal means of obtaining accreditation. Whilst many officials had passed the C grade theory exams there are a large number who had not completed their practical assessments at the time of writing this report.

OFFICIALSVolunteers are the backbone of Little Athletics; they fulfil a whole range of duties from the athletic officials on the field to the equipment officers, recorders etc. Thank you to all the people who have given up their time and volunteered to officiate this season. Without your assistance none of the Little Athletics carnivals can happen.

I would like to thank the dedicated band of officials (LANSW officials) who regularly officiate at the major carnivals. As we do not have sufficient Little Athletics NSW officials to cover all positions we have to allocate duties to centres. I thank the centres and officials who fulfilled the duties allocated to them.

Peter BarnesOFFICIALS DIRECTOR

19

COACHING CLINICSNumber of clinics: 22 (2013 = 16) (not including JETS or joint clinics)Number of centres: 22(2013 = 15) Metro 13 (2013 = 6), Regional 9 (2013 = 9)Total participants: 925 (2013 = 552) Average 42 per clinic (2013 = 36.8) • School Holiday Skills Clinics

The aim of the School Holiday Skills Clinics was to specifically cater for and offer appropriate activities for the particular stages of development, rather than just a generic model of ‘one size fits all’. The 2014/2015 season saw the introduction of half-day specific junior/senior clinics which proved to be successful.

• Northern Rivers Super Clinic The Northern Rivers Super Clinic was held at Toormina Oval on 15 & 16 November 2014. The clinic was attended by 93 athletes, with 23 athletes attending the skills extension workshops. Ten coaches were utilised. Youcef Abdi also conducted a workshop at the Coffs Ex-Services Club on the Saturday night.

• Super Clinic The Super Clinic was held at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre and was open to all registered Little Athletes in the U12-U17 age groups. A total of 84 athletes registered for this clinic and 13 coaches were used over the two days.

• Hunter Track Classic Coaching Clinic The Hunter Track Classic Coaching Clinic was held on 1 February, 2015 and was open to all registered Little Athletes in the U9-U17 age groups. A total of 50 athletes registered and 11 coaches were utilised.

• LANSW (Little Athletics NSW) & ANSW (Athletics NSW) Joint Clinic LANSW & ANSW continue to host joint clinics. July 2014 saw over 70 Little Athletes participate in a joint clinic.

JETS (Junior Encouragement & Talent Squad) The 2014/2015 season saw a total of 160 JETS members. The fourth annual JETS Camp was held 10-12 July at the Sydney Academy of Sport & Recreation.

COACHING CAMPS• Christmas Camp

The Christmas Camp was held at Blue Gum Lodge, Springwood in December. The camp consisted of coaching sessions and fun activities. A total of 63 (2013 - 67) athletes attended the camp.

• LAA (Little Athletics Australia) U15 National Camp The LAA U15 National Camp was held from Sunday, 28 September to Wednesday, 1 October 2014 at the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra. A total of 23 NSW athletes were selected. The LANSW managers were Cheryl Webb and Glen Howell, and Darren Wensor attended as a camp coordinator and member of the organising committee.

STATE TEAMThe 2015 LANSW State Team competed at the ASICS Australian Little Athletics Championships on Sunday, 26 April in Perth.

Two pre-departure weekend camps were held at the Sydney Academy of Sport & Recreation, Narrabeen. The NSW team managers were Youcef Abdi, Jemma Lekkas, Alvin Umadhay, Cheryl Webb and Darren Wensor.

In summary: the Under 13 NSW team finished third in the Trevor Billingham trophy for overall team point score; the Under 15 NSW team finished third in the Multi-Event teams point score; NSW team members achieved at least 17 personal best performances; in the 33 events on offer, the NSW team achieved 18 medals (5 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze); the NSW team achieved 41 Top 8 performances; Angus Beer bettered the existing ATC record in finishing second in the 1500m.

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT

20

COACH EDUCATIONIntroduction to Coaching Course (ITCC)A new national standardised 6.5 hour course timetable was introduced during 2014. In 2014 centres were targeted to host ITC courses, rather than relying upon centre requests. A total of 14 courses (five metropolitan and nine regional) were conducted for 181 participants.

2014 ATFCA NSW BRANCH LITTLE ATHLETICS COACH OF THE YEARAfter a 17 year history, no ATFCA Little Athletics Coach of the Year Award was presented this season, due to a lack of nominations.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS• School Visits

Number of requests: 54 (2013 = 49) Number of centres represented: 41 (2013 = 45) 10 cancellations; 2 rescheduled to 2015; 1 no correspondence. Total number of students contacted by LANSW: 25,088 (2013 = 21,285)

• LAPS (Little Athletics Program for Schools) In 2014 we saw the biggest year of participation from students in the LAPS program: Schools: 64 (2013 = 42) Students: 49,558 (2013 = 48,091) Bookings: 299 (2013 = 324) Coaches: 17 (2013 =21)

OTHER• Partnership with AFL

• In 2014, Little Athletics NSW and the AFL NSW/ACT (primarily the GWS region) began to work together on a number of projects. These included:

• Reciprocal promotion of each other’s programs and product• Joint visits to schools• Use of each other’s personnel at coaching clinics• AFL development officers conducting activities as part of the program at Little athletics centres

• Sydney 500 LANSW conducted ‘come and try’ activities in the Family Fun Zone over three days of the Sydney 500 at Sydney Olympic Park. Over 5,000 school students were in attendance on the Friday alone.

• Carnival of the Codes The Carnival of the Codes, held over five days in July, is a community-based program organised by the Cooks River Sporting Alliance. More than 1,500 students from ten local primary schools were in attendance to try five summer sports, including Little Athletics.

• Cathy Freeman Foundation As part of a joint initiative with the Cathy Freeman Foundation, Youcef conducted a coaching presentation to a number of students who were nominated representatives of their schools and excellent role models for indigenous children. The outcome of this initiative was to inspire indigenous children to apply themselves and follow their dreams, whilst reinforcing the importance of attending school, maintaining a healthy diet and focusing on positive and constructive lifestyle choices.

• Armidale Sports Awards Youcef travelled to Armidale as a guest presenter at the Annual Armidale Sports Awards. Whilst there he took the opportunity to visit a number local schools and conduct coaching clinics.

Darren Wensor, Alvin Umadhay & Youcef Abdi Cheryl WebbCOACHING & DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS COACHING & DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Scott WestcottHUNTER REGIONAL ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT