On behalf of the Committee it brings me great pleasure to welcome all members, old and new, to the 2011-12 season and the community which is Little Athletics Chelsea. For returning members it is a time to set new goals for the season ahead, and for our new members I encourage you to give everything a go. We strongly encourage each athlete to do their best each week to accumulate as many Personal Bests (PBs) as possible. The position you finish is less important than the effort you have given. I encourage all our athletes to support and cheer on each other. Even the Usain Bolt’s and Sally Pearson’s of this world congratulate their fellow competitors at the end of a race, and that is the example I would like to see replicated by all our children.


The motto of the Centre is “fun, family and fitness”. Little Aths is all about the kids, and I encourage all parents to get involved as much as possible. Unlike other sports athletics provides the rare opportunity for you to be involved on the sporting field with your kids through measuring, recording, raking and giving out high fives. It is also indisputable that the event days will drag on if we don’t have parents getting involved to keep the days moving efficiently. Don’t be shy in coming forward to assist somewhere on the track, and if you are not sure what you can offer, then please ask someone in a high-visibility vest. The blue line on the cycle track is not there to keep you out, so come on down.


Our on-going affiliation with Little Athletics Victoria means all our athletes, regardless of level of achievement, once again have the opportunity to attend Open Days and regional competitions during the season, and ultimately State and National events should they progress through the qualification process. We will promote these events during the season, but our Centre’s primary focus is on the weekly fun and fitness of all our athletes at our Centre.


I wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful season ahead, and I hope you achieve your goals.



Murray Smith