Young & District Little Athletics

Young & District Little Athletics is a sports club located in the Young Shire Council area. The club, situated at Gus Smith Oval in Young, offers a wide range of athletic events for children to participate in. The club welcomes both old and new families to join and believes that family involvement is crucial to the success of the centre.

Parents not only get to witness their child's enjoyment but also have the opportunity to see their child develop new skills in various events offered by the club. The club emphasises the importance of family support and requires each family to provide assistance at least 75% of the season to ensure the smooth running of competitions. With many children and a variety of events held every competition night, the support of families is vital.

Young & District Little Athletics competes in the Central Tablelands Zone against athletes from various neighbouring areas such as Bathurst, Canowindra, Cowra, Cumnock, Forbes, Grenfell, Molong, Orange, Parkes, and Peak Hill. The zone championships take place in Bathurst on November 12th & 13th, where the top four placegetters from the zone championships are invited to compete in the Regionals against athletes from Western Ranges and Western Plains. This year, the regionals will be held in Dubbo on February 11th & 12th.

In the previous season, the club had a total of 157 athletes who enjoyed the family-friendly, fun-filled, and fitness-focused environment of Little Athletics. The club's website (www. youngla. org.

au) has been a success, and all families are encouraged to refer to the club's Facebook page for information about news and upcoming events.

Little Athletics originally began in Geelong, Victoria, in 1964 and rapidly grew in popularity. By 1967, a Victorian Little Athletics' Association was formed, and within five years, the Australian Little Athletics Union was established. Today, there are 196 Little Athletics centres in New South Wales alone, showcasing the wide reach and appeal of the sport.

The club's President, Aileen McInerney, expresses gratitude to the committee, parents, grandparents, and other family members who work together to ensure the smooth running of the club's activities. Last season, the club witnessed outstanding achievements, with several athletes breaking records in their age groups and qualifying for regional, state, and even national competitions.

The club boasts impressive statistics for the ongoing season, including 22 athletes, 81 personal bests, 78 throws covering a total distance of 532 metres, 67 jumps covering 145 metres, and 202 runs covering a total distance of 57,086 metres.

The club does not currently have any news items to share but provides a calendar of upcoming events. In instances of inclement weather, cancellation information will be provided on local radio stations 2LF and 93. 9 FM after the 3:00pm and 3:30pm news segments. If a competition night is cancelled, it will be rescheduled for the following week.

However, skill nights will be skipped in favour of competition nights in the event of cancellation.

Young & District Little Athletics prides itself on creating a supportive, inclusive, and fun environment for children to develop their athletic skills while enjoying the benefits of fitness and family involvement.