Knox Little Athletics Centre Inc.

The Premier announced on Monday 26th October, that community sport can resume from 28th October. This means that we are moving towards season start.

To help everyone to start planning for the season, Knox LAC has released the proposed 2020-2021 Summer Track and Field Season Calendar for competition at Knox Little Athletics Centre.

Please note that the calendar is subject to change as events are confirmed.

You can download the calendar here

We are waiting on further advice from LAVic on the registration portal opening and when that will be, and the updated covid protocols so that we can implement them for the start of the season. Further update will be provided in the coming days.

Knox LAC Season Training

We are also working towards getting training up and running as soon as we can. We are waiting on confirmation from LAVic as to when sanctioned training can start and what the Covid protocols will be for metro centres will and how they will effect our Centre. Please note that Covid Protocols will be in place for all Knox LAC training. An update to training schedules will be provided in the coming days. Please check the coaching page on our website for updates.

There will be further updates on the season as the information comes to hand. Please keep checking the website and our Facebook Page for the latest information.

Knox Council has approved the opening of the athletics track in line with the current Victorian Government Covid Restrictions for Exercise.

The track is now open for exercise purposes only.

Please Note: There is currently no sanctioned Knox Little Athletics Coaching or Training at the track until further notice.

Update. Given the Premiers announcement today we will updating advice training and getting the season underway as soon as we have advice from LAVic.

Any person using the track must do so in accordance with current exercise restrictions place. The following signage is posted at the track entry. Entry to the track is via the turnstile only.

• COVID PROTOCOLS APPLY
• YOU MUST OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING OF 1.5 METRES AT ALL TIMES
• GATHERING LIMITS APPLY
• USERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PERSONAL HYGIENE AND PHYSICAL DISTANCING
• IT CANNOT BE GUARANTEED THAT THIS FACILITY IS CORONAVIRUS (COVID) SAFE

Current Information provided by LAVic on Coaching , Training and Exercise

The following information has been provided to Little Athletics Centres from LAVic:

The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) has updated its advice and is now permitting sports coaching to be undertaken in metropolitan Melbourne, with restrictions. Note:

• Coaching may only occur for exercise purposes (see DHHS for full conditions), similar to personal training;
• coaching for sport purposes (conducting training, competition) is not permitted.
• There are currently no registered Little Athletes in metropolitan Melbourne Centres for season 20/21. LAVic can not approve insurance claims resulting from the coaching of unregistered Little Athletes.
• Coaching may occur by private arrangement between coach and athlete/family separate to Little Athletics. For clarity, this should be read in conjunction with the information below.

The DHHS website states:
Coaching or training people is permitted in limited circumstances. Coaching and training must:

• be for exercise purposes
• be undertaken outdoors.
• adhere to class size caps relevant to personal trainers (maximum of two people, in addition to the personal trainer or coach)
• adhere to face mask and physical distancing restrictions
• not allow for equipment to be shared during the class or coaching session
• be undertaken within 25km of the participant’s home or workplace (if they are a permitted worker and carrying a Permitted Worker Permit). Coaches and trainers may travel more than 25km to work but must have a Permitted Worker Permit with them while travelling

If you do use the track for exercise, please do so safely and in accordance with the guidelines. Council will be patrolling and checking regularly to ensure people are using track in accordance with current restrictions.

There is currently no sanctioned Knox Little Athletics Coaching or Training at the track.

Following on from Sunday 18th October, where Daniel Andrews, the Victorian Premier, made a series of comments in reference to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions including the Premier flagging the recommencement of community sport in metropolitan Melbourne as part of the ‘Third Step’ to take effect at 11.59pm on 1st November. Little Athletics Victoria today provided an update to Metro Centres on the Premiers Comments.

LAVic provided the following advice

• LAVic have advised metropolitan centres to take these comments into account and to start preparation to commence the seasons.
• It’s expected that the protocols for the conduct of community sport will be finalised by the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), and Sport & Recreation Victoria (SRV), to be adapted for practical application to Little Athletics by LAVic, in coming days.
• For Centre planning purposes, the protocols currently set out for regional Victorian Centres will provide a useful guide for what metro Centres are expected to comply with.
• Metro Centres are advised to finalise their affiliation arrangements well in advance of 2nd November.
• Centres are strongly encouraged to reach out to their member families to advise them that the commencement of Little Athletics season 20/21 may not be far away.

The above is positive news and provides some clarity that a season start may not be far away. If you want further information on the LAVic covid protocols you can go here https://lavic.com.au/covid-19/

What has Knox LAC been doing?

We have been busy over the past few weeks preparing for the season. We have drafted our covid safety protocols in line with above advice, noting that changes may be made in the coming days; we have been through the affiliation process with LAVic and supplied all necessary documentation for us to get up and running for training and competition as soon as we permitted to do so.

There will be further information over the coming weeks on our Covid 19 protocols and what it means for Little Aths at Knox for the season start. Be prepared that Little Aths is going to be different, from how enter the venue to how competition is run and it will take some time to get used to it.

We have also been liaising with Council to ensure that our protocols to train and compete are acceptable and meet councils requirements as a tenant. This has been the same for other tenants a the venue.

A Knox LAC competition calendar is being drafted which will help us plan what the season will look like prior to and after Christmas and how we will fit our competition in with regional and state events on from January to March. We will release the draft calendar dates soon so people can start to prepare.

New equipment has arrived, including the recently purchased handheld radios for centre communications that was funded by the recently received Coles Grant. New competition equipment has also been purchased and has arrived to replace some ageing equipment we have.

Track Access for Exercise

Following the announcement on Sunday that exercise at outdoor facilities can start, there has been a number of calls about access to the track. It must be stressed that we do not yet have access to the track to train nor is the public permitted at the track at this point in time. It is a council operated facility and we do not have control on access. Please be patient.

Council are still working through the requirements they need to have in place to allow people to use the track safely in accordance with the government guidelines. The track this point in time is still locked. We will advise everyone once council have given the go ahead and unlocked the track for general exercise. Please do not jump the fence to gain access if the track is locked.

There is also some track maintenance to be undertaken prior to the start of the season so track access may also be limited while this occurs.

Please be assured we are working closely with everyone to get our season underway when we are permitted to do so.

LAVic have released the season calendar for the 2020-21 Season.

The calendar is subject to change due to the ongoing Covid 19 however it is a positive step in getting a season up an running.

Knox LAC will be using this calendar to finalise our centre competition Calendar. We will be developing a centre competition calendar to best balance the centre needs as well the health an well being of our centre, parents and athletes. There will be further information in the coming weeks.

The factors that have influenced the competition calendar this year are more complex than normal, however, some fundamentals remain.  It has been developed to provide opportunities for our athletes, minimise clashes with other athletic organisations, provide adequate resources to deliver the programs in terms of our volunteer workforce and their capacity, balance the needs of participation at Centre level compared to Region / State opportunities, maintain an attractive athletic experience for athletes, parents, coaches, officials, administrators and committee members at all levels.

However, it must be understood, that this season it will require, us a Centre, parents, athletes, coaches and officials to carefully consider the most appropriate method of participation in order to look after the health and wellbeing of all concerned. 

The period of increased demand on everyone’s time and effort is extended over the months of January to April.  All Region, State and National events are condensed into this period, along with State and National events for both Athletics Victoria (AV) and Athletics Australia (AA).

For further information on the calendar you can head to the LAVic website here.

You can download the 2020-21 season calendar here

Knox Little Athletics Centre has been given a much-needed funding boost for its upcoming season thanks to a $4,800 grant from Coles.

Knox LAC was one of 158 grassroots sports club across Australia to share in $521,000 for sports equipment from the latest round of the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.

It is the single largest round of grants distributed to Little Athletics centres since the Fund was established two years ago to support little athletes hoping to follow in the footsteps of champions like Sally Pearson and Brandon Starc.

The grant comes amid research from the Australian Sports Foundation in July which found that over 16,000 local sports clubs were at risk of closing due to reduced revenues and increased costs arising from COVID-19.

Our President David Kearsley said the grant to purchase new radios, speakers and microphones will help get its athletes and volunteers back on track after a tough year.“The grant will have a huge impact to our centre. The equipment will enable our centre to run competitions more efficiently, improving the experience of both volunteers and athletes,” he said.

Coles State General Manager Mark O’Connor said Coles was pleased to support Knox’s budding athletes and parent volunteers. “We know it’s been a difficult six months for everyone involved in community sport, particularly little athletes. We hope news of this grant of more than $4,800 to Knox Little Athletics centre will give their athletes, families and volunteers a morale boost ahead of the new season,” he said. “Coles is passionate about helping kids lead healthier, happier lives. That’s why we’re delighted to have raised more than $363,000 in Victoria and $1.68 million nationally for local sports clubs through the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund in just two years.”

Funds for the grant are raised through the sale of specially marked chiller bags designed by Aussie kids, with ten per cent of every bag sold directed to the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund. Coles has raised more than $1.68 million to 376 Little Athletics centres across the country since November 2018.

Knox LAC thanks Coles for supporting Little Athletics and providing the grant to our centre.