About Us
Woy Woy Peninsula Little Athletics is held at McEvoy Oval Umina, every Friday night in summer from 6pm. Age groups range from U6 – U17.
We are a non-profit organisation that raises funds through the support of the local community. We are run by volunteers who put their heart and soul into making the club a success.
Little Athletics is all about encouraging children to be their best, emphasising positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles. It’s a family movement where parents, caregivers and children are encouraged to do something together. Children compete and parents get involved by assisting on the night. It is not a drop and run activity – Everyone is involved!
A range of athletics events are rotated each week for the children to compete in. The number of events athletes compete in depends on the age group. Little Athletics provides a competition in a friendly environment while athletes can learn about basic techniques. Results are available for each season, so you can track your progress over time.
For those athletes that enjoy extra competition, Zone, Regional and State Championships are also available to compete in. Regional and State competition are based on performance.
Our Committee
Jet James
President
Robert Cross
Vice President
Jade Smith
Secretary
| Treasurer | Holly Ashfield |
| Registrar | Raewyn Burden |
| Championship Officer | Paul Steel |
| Officer Results / Records | Charlie McLennan |
| Officer for Coaching | Kevin Wills |
| Officer for Social Media | Jess Foster |
| Officer for Trophies and Encouragement | Deb Van Breugel |
| Officer for Uniforms | Rochelle Martin |
| Officer for Grounds and Equipment | casual vacant |
| Officer for Track and Field | casual vacant |
| Officer for Canteen | casual vacant |
| Officer for OH&S / First Aid | Deb Van Breugel |
| Officer for Member Grievance | casual vacant |
Annual Awards
Bob Walkley Perpetual Award
This trophy is awarded to the highest overall point score.
Points are awarded 5 for 1st, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3 rd, 2 for 4th, 1 for 5th, in each event competed in. As the age groups have a differing number of events, averaging is used to assess the points equally.
Ron Finlayson Encouragement Award
Ron Finlayson has been a strong supporter of the Club for many years through his role on the Board of the Ettalong Beach club and wanted to personally donate an award. Ron requested that the encouragement award be made to both an under 12 Girl and Boy who have attempted their best throughout the season and all other recipients of the trophies are excluded. The Committee decides the Award winners after taking into account the recommendations made by the Under 12 Age Managers for their encouragement awards.
Eunice Harris Memorial Award
This is the club’s highest award. The criteria for recipients are Current Year Age Champion, representation at the NSW State Championships, Sportsmanship, Training at Club, representation at various carnivals outside club level. It is awarded to both a boy and a girl. An athlete can only win the award once. The decision is made by the Committee at the end of the season.
Keith Wilmot Award
This award is calculated using the athlete’s improved personal performance over the season. The recipients of other trophies are excluded from this award. Trophies are awarded for girls and boys.
Year Awards
Five and ten-year awards are issued for five and ten-year continuous membership.
Woy Woy Little Athletics History
Little Athletics began in 1964 in Geelong. Three boys turned up to an athletics event and were told they were too young to compete. An official saw the disappointment in the boys and the idea behind Little Athletics as we know it today was born. Today Little Athletics NSW has approximately 36,000 members who compete on a weekly basis at one of the 190 centres operating around the state. These little athletes also compete against each other at zone, regional and state competitions each season.
1983 – 1986
The Woy Woy Peninsula Little Athletics Centre (WWPLAC) commenced in 1983/1984. The first competition night was held on 23th September 1983 at Rogers Park, Woy Woy. At the time equipment was stored at the Youth Centre across the road and the committee members used to bring it across Ocean Beach Road to set up for competition. The canteen ran out of a box trailer.
Eunice Harris a local runner (and wife of a local dentist) donated her own medals to give out as awards to some of children in the early days. Today our club’s highest award is the “Eunice Harris Award” in memory of her generosity.
1986 – 1996
Activities were relocated to McEvoy Oval, Umina in the 1986/1987 season, and this remains its current home apart from a brief relocation to Ettalong Oval during McEvoy oval’s refurbishment. The club operated out of a humble shipping container for many years until 2017.
1997 -2017
In 2017 funding was secured to build a purpose-built clubhouse which was officially opened by Federal Member Lucy Wicks, Minister for Sport and State Member Liesl Tesh on the 8th September 2017. There is a commemorative plaque on the front of the building to mark the occasion.
2018 – today
The club has continued to thrive over the last decade. We have had an increasing registrations year on year and larger numbers of athletes representing the club at state and National level.
In 2019-20, Sydney was affected terrible heat waves, torrential rain and extensive bushfires which seriously interrupted activities for much of the season. Just as things started to settle down, the Covid 19 pandemic arrived, which ended the season altogether.
A period of uncertainty followed, but luckily for the club a few long standing committee members, Kylie Brown, Lisa Holt and Fiona Wadeson decided to rejoin the committee to ensure we could run the club despite difficult vaccination and social distancing protocols over the next few years.
Since then, the club has remained stable. We have continued to run uninterrupted throughout the summer athletics seasons since COVID lockdowns ended.
Little Athletics is all about the development of children to be the best they can be, emphasising positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles. The club exists today because of the work and dedication of volunteers and the commitment of parents who make it all come together. The club offers a range of events on a rotational basis every week and the children compete in a competition in their respective age groups.
Wonderful friendships and talented athletes
Over the years the club has nurtured wonderful friendships and some very talented. There is even an Olympian in our ranks. Athletics is a great foundation for any sport.
SIENNA SCAHILL – NSW State Champion U18, 1500 & 3000m Australian Junior Championships 2024. Sienna represented Australia at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji in 2024.
LUKA SZYMANSKI – LANSW State Champion 200m 2019. Luka represented NSW at National level was in the team that set the current U16B Swedish Relay Australian record at ANSW All Schools Championships in Perth. Luka was Athletics NSW Junior Champion 16 Boys, 200m in 2020.
KEVIN MOORE – Kevin represented Australia at the Commonwealth games in 2010 & 2014, for the 400m, and 4×4 relay winning Gold in 2010.
JOSHUA ROSS – Josh joined WWPLAC at the age of 7 and went on to represent Australia at the Commonwealth and Olympic games in the 100m and 200m events. He won the Stawell gift in 2003 and 2005. For more information on this championship, click here. Josh was the Australian National 100m champion in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013. Josh represented Australia at Athens Olympics in 2004 and the London Olympics in 2012 where he was an Olympic finalist and Australian 4x100m relay record holder.
AMANDA BARTRIM – Amanda represented Australia at the Commonwealth youth games in Canada for pole vaulting, and was an U20 State and National Champion 2010.
KATHERINE PEKSIS – Katherine was a State and National champion as a 400m runner 2010.
AMANDA THORPE – selected to represent NSW State team 2005.
SARAH WALKLEY – Sarah represented Australia in the World junior championships in Jamaica and was an U20 State and National champion, 2001.
MEAGAN UNDERHILL – Megan competed at National level for 1500M for Little Athletics 1996.
MARK BARRON – Mark won the 1st gold medal for the club at the state championships at Narrabeen for the 1500m, in 1985 (4mins 59.3secs)
WWPLAC Life Members
- Graeme Hutch
- Pat Hutch
- Sam Sammut
- Lyn Sammut
- Ken Petersen
- Frank Underhill
- Denise Underhill
- Peter Maxwell-Coghlan
- Lorraine Maxwell-Coghlan
- Julie Peksis
- Robert Walkley
- Mirelle Edwards
- Suzanne Shackleton
- Graham Morrell
- Joy Morrell
- Brian Wildman
- Jamie O’Donnell
- Stephen Dwyer
- Lisa Holt
- Kylie Brown
- Fiona Wadeson
Little Athletics philosophy is …
FAMILY…FUN…and…FITNESS.