Knox Little Athletics Centre Inc.

LAVic have released updated training and competition protocols in a memo to all Victorian Centres late yesterday. While most of the changes have been expected some key points will apply for the start of competition this weekend.

• All attendees must sign in with the Vic Government QR Code. These will be posted at the entry gate. A manual sign in will also be available for those that cannot use the QR code.
• 500 patron limit is in place – Note this is being clarified by LAVic with Government.
• NO SPECTATORS ARE PERMITTED. Please do not invite grandparents, or other friends for family to spectate. Parents/guardians are permitted to attend for child supervision.
• Athletes MUST be registered (paid) or registered as a trial athlete to attend training and competition.
• All attendees will be required to maintain physical distancing of at least 1.5 metres (those people with whom they ordinarily reside are excepted).
• Attendees 12 years and older must: carry a face mask at all times; wear a mask while in an indoor space; and where a mask outdoors when physical distancing is not possible.
• Participants must use hand sanitiser prior to commencement and completion of any sanctioned activity.

You can read the LAVic memo here https://lavic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Memo-Victorian-protocols-for-competition-training-03.11.21.pdf

You can read the full protocols here – https://lavic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LAVic-Victoria-COVID-19-Protocols-v6.4tf-03.11.21.pdf

Other News – State Relays Cancelled
With the ongoing lack of certainty regarding the conditions for conducting large events under the Public Events Framework, LAVic has made the decision to cancel the State Relay Championships (scheduled to be held on 11th & 12th December).

Little Athletics at Knox starts this Saturday 6 November.
Please arrive early and sign in with the QR code. Entry is via the gate at the grandstand end (Southern end).

Events will start 8.30am
If you are on duty please arrive early and sign in at the duty table. Please help chief officials setup the event you have been assigned to.

Have you Registered Yet?
If you are still deciding whether to register for little athletics you have until Midnight Thursday to register to be able to compete this weekend.

If you need to register you can click this link https://memberdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=login&OrgID=1370

If you register later than this your child will not receive their registration patch for this Saturdays competition and they will not be able to compete. We will not be able to print patches on the day for people that register after Thursday.

New to Athletics – Trial Athletes
If your child is new to athletics and you want to undertake a two weeks trial, you must have registered as a trial athlete with LAVic prior to attending on Saturday.
LAVic have advised that all trial athletes must be registered and no walk up trials are permitted.
If you need to register as trial athlete you can register by clicking this link https://lavic.com.au/membership/new-member/ and choose Knox as your centre.
You will need to register for the trial by Midnight Thursday for LAVic to provide updated information to us on Friday.

See you at the track.

Yesterday afternoon LAVic have sent to centres the updated protocols for training to begin within metro areas. Importantly LAVic also clarified the late changes to the Victorian Government vaccination requirements issued last week. LAVic has sent this information via email to all families last night.

Effective immediately, the vaccination status of our volunteers, parents coaches etc- is not required to be checked and recorded. In practical terms, parents/guardians and all volunteers – vaccinated and unvaccinated – can attend Little Athletics activities without having to confirm their vaccination status.

In the light of the changes, LAVic will be reaching out to those Members that have requested a refund on vaccination grounds, to confirm their membership intentions. Please contact LAVic if you did seek a refund and now wish to register.

Sanctioned training will begin on Wednesday 27 October 2021 from 4.30pm. If you are new to our training please contact the coach before hand.

Quick summary of the protocol requirements for training:

• All athletes (Competitive Members and Trialing Athletes) attending training must be registered with LAVic (This is an insurance requirement for LAVic)
• You must sign in with the QR code (manual sign in will be available)
• Masks must still be worn for those 12 and over unless training.Coaches and parents are required to wear masks at all times. (at least until Friday)
• Entry for training is via the turnstile at the northern end of the venue
• Only those required to conduct training may be in attendance: athletes, coaches, volunteers, COVID-Safe Officials (CSOs) and parents. No Spectators
• No training activities will be conducted indoors.
• CSO will be on duty at the turnstile to ensure everyone signs in and that the protocols are being met.
• All attendees will be required to maintain physical distancing of at least 1.5 metres (those people with whom they ordinarily reside are excepted).
• Participants must use hand sanitiser prior to commencement and completion of any sanctioned activity.
• Athletes are encouraged to bring their own equipment.

You can read the full protocols here https://lavic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LAVic-Metro-Melbourne-COVID-19-Protocols-v6.3tf-25.10.21.pdf

We hope to see as many athletes as we can at training while we head towards the start of the season.

LAVic late on Friday last week provided an updated to all centers on the Covid Protocols.

At this state LAVic do not have the information from the State Government to develop the protocols and have advised that until they do sanctioned training cannot occur.

Therefore sanctioned training at Knox will not start on Monday 25 October and will not begin until we have been advised by LAVic.

We are still hopeful to start on Wednesday and we will advise once LAVic have provided an update.

You can read the LAVic Memo here https://lavic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Memo-Metro-Melbourne-protocols-delayed-22.10.21.pdf

The track remains open for exercise only at this stage. The executive committee is also working with council to seek formal approval to use the facility for training and competition and meet the councils requirement for covid management.

The Victorian Government has announced mandatory vaccination requirements for all authorised providers and authorised workers (including volunteers) who are not working from home. This applies to the ‘Physical Recreation’ sector, which includes community sport, and Little Athletics.

LAVic is required to implement these measures at all levels of the sport (Centre, Region and Association) and has sent out to all Victorian Little Athletics Centres information regarding the requirements for vaccination and attending Little Athletics training and competition.

Please note that this information is a directive of the Victorian Government and is not a decision made by our Executive Committee. However, it is the centre’s responsibility to comply and enforce any requirements.

These rules require that all employees and volunteers of Little Athletics (inclusive of
parents/guardians, coaches, officials, Committee Members, Associate Members, Honorary Members etc) to be vaccinated in accordance with the directions listed below (or have a valid medical exemption) in order to attend a Little Athletics venue, deliver a service/activity in person or participate in an activity in person.

Regions, Centres and clubs situated in Victoria are required to request, sight, record and store the vaccination status of all attendees (listed above) in all activities.

Requirements for Regions, Centres & clubs: vaccination directions as per State Government directions:
From 22nd October 2021, individuals must be able to provide evidence that they have:
– received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, or
– have a medical exemption, evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 26th November 2021, individuals must be required to provide evidence they have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (unless they have a medical exemption).

This includes all supervising adults, parents/guardians, coaches, officials, Committee members, Associate Members and Honorary Members, who attend, participate in, or deliver activities in person, at all levels of the sport.

Key Questions and Answers Provided by LAVic: Please Note: Further FAQ’s can be found at https://lavic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LAVic-COVID-19-FAQs-20.10.21-v1.pdf

As a parent / guardian am I considered a Volunteer?
Yes. All parents when registering their child have agreed to volunteer at Little Athletics. Therefore parents/guardians are required to meet the vaccination requirements to attend any sanctioned Little Athletics events.

Is it compulsory to tell my Centre/club/Region/Association if I am vaccinated or not?
Yes. Under the Chief Health Officer’s directions, Centre/club/Region/Association are required to collect and store COVID-19 vaccination status if you are attending, delivering, or participating in person.

If I don’t meet these requirements, can my child(ren) attend or participate in Little Athletics?
No. Athletes can only attend if they have a supervising adult in attendance responsible for them that meet the vaccination requirements. Athletes can’t be handed over to another parent for that parent to assume responsibility for that athlete(s).

Do athletes need to be vaccinated?
Government directions do not require athletes to be vaccinated at the current time.

As a parent/guardian of a registered Trial Athlete, do these vaccination rules apply to me?
Yes.

Do the vaccination rules apply to training and competition?
Yes, they apply to any sanctioned/official activity attended, participated in, or delivered in person at the club, Centre, Region or Association. Other examples include attendance at committee meetings, working bees, Open Days, Skills Clinics, and education courses/seminars.

Vaccination-related refunds
Parents/guardians requesting to cancel their membership on account of their inability or unwillingness to comply with the State Government vaccination directions will receive a full refund upon request. Refund requests are to be submitted in writing to the LAVic office at office@lavic.com.au.

Trialing Athletes
LAVic has also confirmed that all prospective athletes wishing to tryout MUST be registered as a trailing athlete through the LAVic member portal. Athletes are not permitted to just turn up and try out. If you have any questions please contact our registrar at registrar@klac23.org.au

Further Information
If you have any further queries please check the LAVic FAQ’s first by clicking here and should you need any further assistance please contact LAVic directly.

The Knox LAC Executive Committee is working hard to understand and implement the procedures ready for the start of sanctioned training and competition. Please support our committee. This will enable the season to get started as early as we can and as easy as possible.