Athletics season to launch in Lucas

AFTER months of build-up, the volunteer team bringing a Little Athletics club to Lucas and surrounds are ready to begin their debut season.

Following its formation late last year, the Lucas Little Athletics group will introduce itself on Friday 18 October, kicking off a program of weekly athletics.

Club president Patrick Jenes said the occasion will mark an exciting start.

“This is the first sports club to start in Lucas and the first Little Athletics club out that way,” he said.

“It’s pretty special to start a sporting club to get kids involved in athletics and after the Olympics it’s probably a good idea to kick off a season.”

With a storage container secured for equipment, and backing through Lucas property developer Integra, and Coles, the club will operate from Lucas Primary School’s oval with track events held at Siena Catholic Primary School’s oval.

Mr Jenes said the club will be offering regular athletics activities through to March.

“Each week, kids will do around three events on the night each Friday,” he said. “It’ll be your Olympic events like throws, shot put, discus, and javelin, and your high jumps, long jump, and triple jump.

“We’ll do some running events up to probably 400 metres. The only event we won’t offer is hurdles until we can some source some hurdles.”

With about half a dozen people involved in the committee, Mr Jenes said the club is looking to build their volunteer base to help the initiative grow.

“Because this is a non-profit, volunteer-run organisation, we pretty much need every parent who signs up to volunteer for some sort of role,” he said. “That might be to help run events, set up, pack up, run the barbecue, handle social media, we need everyone to jump onboard.

“We want parents to be directly involved in their child’s sporting development. The main goal over the first couple of years will be aiming for community engagement.”

The launch event will be held at Lucas Primary School from 5.30pm.Those interested in registering their child or in volunteering with the club can reach out via lavic.com.au/centres/lucas.