Lismore Little Athletics opens for registrations

LISMORE Little Athletics is back on track post-floods, with new field lights installed at Riverview Park allowing it to begin on the evening of Friday, September 13.

“Before the floods we always used to start at this time of year, but the floods destroyed our lighting, so we’ve had to wait until daylight savings starts for the past couple of years,” the club’s president Paul Moretti said.

“We lost everything in the floods, but the canteen has been refurbished, the discus cage replaced, we have new boys’ toilets and disabled toilets, and we have replaced most of the equipment that was lost.

“It’s been a long process in getting everything back up to scratch but we’re just about there.”

About 150 participants aged from three to 20 are expected to take part in Little Athletics this season, with the age extended from 17 due to a new partnership between Little Athletics NSW and Athletics NSW.

“Numbers will trickle in at first but when the winter sports finish you get a big influx,” Moretti said.

“We usually give people a month’s grace.

“If someone comes in later, we’re not going to turn them away, but we want to get the majority to sign up early because when you have major championships you want to make sure kids have been involved for a certain period of time.”

Tiny Tots, aged three to five, do activities that help develop gross motor skills, but do not compete in competitions.

“They play games designed to get them to learn balance, how to run properly and how to throw a ball,” Moretti said.

“They’re pretty energetic so they also get to run short distances.”

Older children compete in track and field sports, including shotput, discus, long jump, high jump, javelin, hurdles and walking or running distances from 70m to 1500m.

For more information and to register, head to lansw.com.au/lismore-little-athletics