History of Little Athletics NSW
Skills and techniques developed in athletics are regarded as fundamental for all sport. In the over five decades of existence of Little Athletics NSW, over half a million athletes have enjoyed running, jumping and throwing with the Association. Their journeys in athletics have been as diverse as the sport itself. Hundreds have gone on to represent Australia, hundreds more have made lifelong friends, while many have taken those foundation skills to other sports. But one thing is assured, they have cherished their introduction to sport as they build discipline and self-esteem, learn dedication and respect, and become aware of the benefits of fitness and health in life.
The Beginning
Little Athletics in Australia grew from a small group of athletes in Geelong Victoria in 1963 under the guidance of Trevor Billingham. In 1967 Victorian Little Athletics Association was formed and a year later in October 1968 Dick Corish was the driving force for competition to commence in NSW at Randwick Botany Centre.
Just prior to the commencement of the 1970/71 track and field season moves were made to establish more Centres, resulting in competition commenced at Blacktown, Sutherland, Eastern Suburbs, Deniliquin, Murrumbidgee (Narrandera/Leeton), Manly Warringah and Hornsby. During this period, the Little Athletics Association of NSW (LAANSW) was formed on 8th December 1970 at a meeting at the Randwick Botany Club where a steering committee was appointed under the Chairmanship of Cec Hensley.
First NSW Track & Field Championships
The first NSW track and field championships were held at Hensley Athletics Field in March 1971 with the championships attracting 1,331 entries. All but one of the eight Centres, Murrumbidgee, competed. Events were held in the under-7 to under-12 age groups, with Randwick Botany the most successful Centre gaining 811 points, Hornsby second with 441 points and Blacktown third with 290 points.
In the under-12 boys, Michael Whitney was first in the long jump and second in the high and triple jumps. He would go on to represent NSW and Australian in cricket. In the under-11 girls, Beverly Wilkins won the 800m walk and as a senior athlete represented Australia in the Commonwealth Games.
Interstate Meetings / ALAC
The first interstate competition took place in Melbourne March 1970 with a team of U11 and U12 athletes from Randwick Botany competing against Western Australia and Victoria. On April 4, 1971 after only four months in existence, the first official LAANSW State team was selected as NSW hosted a very successful inaugural Interstate Competition at the Hensley Athletics Field.
Growth of the Association
No records were kept of registrations in the inaugural 1970/71 season, but the second annual report noted an estimate of 2,800 athletes and eight Centres. In their second year they had grown to 6,424 athletes and 18 Centres.
LAANSW surpassed 10,000 registrations in 1973, 20,000 in 1978 and 30,000 in 1983. For the next four decades, the numbers generally remained between 30,000 and 40,000. The peak year was 41,557 in 2013. A trend was a boost in registrations post each Olympics.
Similarly with numbers of Centres, they grew rapidly; they first surpassed 100 in 1979, 150 in 1983 and 200 in 1995. Since then, they have hovered around 200 Centres, peaking in 1997 with 207 Centres.
A yearly feature is the mid-year gathering of Centre administrators at the annual Conference, the first held at the Oceanic Hotel, Coogee in August 1972. The Little Athletics Association of New South Wales became incorporated on 19th January 1988.
The Athletes
The half a million NSW Little Athletes, who have during the last 50 years experienced Little Athletics in NSW, have evolved into all areas of sport, industry and society.
NSW athletes have also been good, very good, winning 37 of the 52 Australian Little Athletics Teams Championship (ALAC), first held in 1971.
The first NSW athlete to progress to the Olympic arena was ‘Emmaville Express’, Debbie Wells, who in 1973, and competing for Armidale Little Athletics Centre, won the State U12 100m, 200m and long jump, all in meet records. Three years later she was in Montreal at the 1976 Olympics Games. Over the next five decades, dozens more Olympians started their journey in sport in Little Athletics.
Three-time Olympian, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor from Narromine, competed for Trangie Centre in the early ‘80s. It was where she was discovered by the then LANSW Development Officer, Jackie Byrnes. Another country athlete was Amy Winters from Kempsey in the ‘90s, competing for the Macleay District – she would go on to be a four-time Paralympic Games gold medallist.
Currently national 400m record holder Darren Clark competed in the sprints in the Hornsby colours. Clark was not the best in his age, but did sneak onto the 1977 ALAC team before he became a superstar a few years later, running 44.38 for 400m in 1988. In the late ‘90s Paramatta LA Centre developed future world champion hurdler Jana Pittman. She would become the only Australian women to compete at the winter and summer Olympics.
NSW was very strong in race walking, with many going onto Olympic representation. In the late ‘80s sisters Jane and Natalie Saville (Randwick Botany) were in an incredible race-walking era, along with Athens Olympian Cheryl Webb (Penrith).
Many others moved into others sports after spending time in Little Athletics. In the very first state team was future Australian cricketer and television personality Mike Whitney (Randwick Botany). Two-time world champion Australian netballer Kimberlee Green was a terrific sprinter with St George LA Centre, selected in the 1999 ALAC U13 team and then again in 2001 in the multi-event. Also in the 2001 ALAC team was future world champion discus thrower, Dani Stevens (nee Samuels). Another Australian netballer Gabi Simpson (Randwick Botany) was a very good allrounder and hurdler and had some great battles over the hurdles against Rio Olympian Michelle Jenneke (Cherrybrook). They would in 2018 be Gold Coast Commonwealth Games teammates in their respective sports. Another Australian netballer was Sue Kenny who competed for Randwick Botany in the ‘80s, and also Natalie Avellino who was in the Diamond’s 1995 world championship winning team.
Rio Olympic Modern Pentathlon gold medallist Chloe Esposito competed with Liverpool Centre in distance events. Another Rio Olympian, Olympic cyclist Ashlee Ankudinoff, race walked at Illawong, while Ashlee’s Rio Olympic cycling teammate Rachel Neylan hurdled at Ryde LA Centre. A couple of other former Little Athletes in different sports at the Rio Olympics were, Matilda Alanna Kennedy (Ambarvale) and triathlete Aaron Royle (Wallsend).
An enormous number of rugby league players started their journey in sport in little athletics. They included James Tedesco and Chris Lawrence (Campbelltown), Mitchell Pearce (Ku-ring-gai Centre), Payne Haas (Macquarie Hunter), Jamal Idris (Bankstown), Tepai Moeroa (Doonside), Luke Rooney sprinter for Springwood, and Souths trio Craig Wing, Beau Champion and John Sutton, coaches, Ivan Cleary (Manly) and Todd Payten (Temora).
Some now in media were former NSW Little Athletes, like Channel 9 Weekend Today host Alison Piotrowski (Girraween), Justice Crew members John and Len Pearce (Ryde), Australian newspaper’s European correspondent Jacquelin Magnay (St George) and filmmaker Megan Riakos (Randwick Botany).
Some other Olympians include Jess Thornton (RB), Nicole Boegman-Stewart (Bankstown), Jane Jamieson (Ku-ring-gai), Fabrice Lapierre (Blacktown), Benn Harradine (Macquarie Shores), Brandon Starc (Parramatta), Nick Hough (Hills), Ryan Gregson (Albion Park), Madeline Heiner (Wollongong City), Jenny Blundell (Cherrybrook), Anneliese Rubie (Manly Warringah), Lisa Corrigan, Adam Rutter (Hornsby), Nicole Liestenschneider (Manly Warringah), Ella Nelson (Sutherland), Beki Lee (Minchinbury), David Geddes (Manly Warringah), Bronwyn Eagles (Camden), Debbie Sosimenko (Doonside), Petrina Price (Northern Illawarra and Helensburgh), Nick A’Hern (Campbelltown), Matt Beckenham (Queanbeyan) and Stephanie Price (North Rocks Carlingford).
Some recent Olympians include: Jye Edwards (Albion Park), Nicola McDermott (Gosford), Bendere Oboya (Prospect), Rohan Browning (Illawong) and Dani Stevens (Greystanes), Jessica Hull (Albion Park), Liz Clay (Hornsby), Joshua Azzopardi (Camden), Luke Boyes (Emu Plains), Sebastian Sultana (Hills District), Cameron McEntyre (Ku-Ring-Gai), Kristie Edwards (Manly Warringah), Ed Trippas (Northern Suburbs), Mackenzie Little (Northern Suburbs), Connor Murphy (Inner West Suburbs) and Sarah Carli (Wollongong City). Two recent Paralympians are Mali Lovell (Manly Warringah) and Tamsin Colley (South Eastern).
David Tarbotton for Little Athletics NSW - 2025