By JARROD POTTER
THEY might run, jump and throw their hearts out in the next town over, but the next generation of City of Casey little athletics champions are showing off their best at the Dandenong Little Athletics Centre every Saturday.
The centre is located at Robert Booth Reserve – at Clow Street, Dandenong – and is home to three of the area’s junior athletics teams with Narre Warren, Doveton Endeavour Hills and Hampton Park competing at the venue.
With 100s of little athletes competing in the complex each week, centre president Steve Fenton believes the great facilities and great community bring people back to DLAC each year to compete giving young athletes from Doveton, Endeavour Hills, Narre Warren and Hampton Park a venue to call home.
“We have got good facilities here,” Fenton said.
“It’s a really good grass track and the facilities are as good as anywhere with our amount of jump pits and discus rings… it all runs along fairly well.
“We’re always looking for more people to come down and get involved and once people have signed up they grow to love it.
“It’s only the second week on Saturday and with new families it can be daunting – but all the parents do the right thing and do their duties and the kids benefit.”
“We certainly encourage the parents cheering for the kids and we’re very family oriented.”
The centre has been part of the little athletics movement since 1968 and relocated to Robert Booth Reserve, Dandenong, for the 1970-71 season.
Dandenong Little Athletics Centre runs its season from October to March when it culminates at the State Track and Field Championships, held at Albert Park.
For more information on the centre, contact secretary Peter Craig on 9799 1113 or officials representative Kerry Fenton on 9703 2239.
There are three little athletics centres in the City of Casey, with Cranbourne Little Athletics (Casey Fields Athletics Complex) and Casey Little Athletics the other two centres operating in the council area.
