Athletics Wa Directory

2007-2008

ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Athletics WA Directory _________________________________ Annual General Meeting
2
3 – 4

Chairman’s Message

_

5

Chief Executive Officer’s Report

_

6 – 9

Facilities

7

7889
Integration_____________________________________ Coaching and Officials Development Finance

Programs and Events 2007/2008

10 – 19

Perry Lakes Final Hurrah Strive Track and Field Season WA State Championships Telstra Selection Trials & Australian Athletics Championships WA All Schools Championships IGA Australian All Schools Telstra Australian U20 & U23 Championships Development
10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 17
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Schools Knockout Regional Development Little Athletics Transition Program Coach Development Officials Development

Drug Free Junior Elite Squad Out of Stadium

-

2007 Australian Cross Country & Road Walking

Championships_____________________________________17
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2008 State Cross Country Season_______________________18 Synergy Gallipoli Run________________________________19

Vale Ed Neimanis 2007/2008 Audit Report
20 - 21
22

2007/2008 Financial Statements and Reports

23 – 28

2007/2008 Season Results

29 - 38

2007/2008 ANNUAL REPORT

Western Australian Athletics Commission (Inc) t/as Athletics WA
Page 1

ATHLETICS WA DIRECTORY

•

Life Members

The following individuals have been recognized for their significant contributions to athletics in Western Australia and are Life Members of Athletics WA:

Patricia Carr David Carr
Geoff Garnett John Gilmour Valerie Hancock Joan Harris Robert Harris Arthur Hindle Ross Holland Kevan Hook EV Horsley
Persephone Lazarakis Anne Masters Ray Mawson Ellen McKenzie Fred Napier * Ed Neimanis * Pamela O’Connell Valerie Prescott Jeanette Robertson Bruce Stanton
Jacquie Cattermole Rick Cattermole Robert Chalmers Gwen Chester William Collier * Martin Crowe Frank Day * Shirley de la Hunty * Margaret Devine Jacqui Dufall
Beris Johnson Terry Jones Don Keane
June Streeter George Tempest Mavis Tempest Bruce Wilson

Brian Foley *

Doug Lambert

* Deceased

•

Athletics WA Merit Holders

Lindsey Glass

Clive Murtha

Stephen Stingemore

Kate Glass Yvonne Flavel
Shirley Sardelich Anne Stingemore
Eric Weigel Lyn Weigel

•

WAAC Board Members

Peter Bacich (Chairman)

Wendy Ryan

Stephen Stingemore (Deputy Chairman) Steven McMahon
Russell Stranger Chilla Porter

James Taylor

Bob Schickert

Cameron Yorke

•

Staff Members

Chief Executive Officer

Wayne Loxley

Administrative Assistant

Jessica Stingemore July - March

Joanna Clucas

March - June

Development Officers

Accountant Consultant

Bronwyn Christie

Gareth Elliott July – August

Adam Erceg September - June Kylie Wheeler

Book Keeper

Roslyn Rogers

Page 2

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Western Australian Athletics Commission (Inc)
2007 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
5.30pm
Tuesday 30^thOctober 2007

Meeting Room Subiaco Hotel
Hay Street, Subiaco

1. Present: Apologies:
P. Bacich (Chairman), R. Stranger (D/C), C. Porter, S. McMahon, C. Yorke, J. Taylor, W. Ryan and W. Loxley (CEO).

B. Schickert and S. Stingemore The Chairman opened the meeting at 5.40pm welcoming all in attendance.

2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting:
It was moved R. Stranger and seconded S. McMahon that the minutes be accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting. Carried unanimously.

3. Business Arising: None 4. 2006 / 2007 Annual Report:
It was moved R. Stranger and seconded C. Porter that the Annual Report be received. Carried unanimously and without dissent.

5. Annual Accounts and Auditor’s Statement for 2006/2007
The Chief Executive advised that at the request of the auditors, the accounts had been adjusted since accepted by the Board to include a provision for Long Service entitlement for the CEO. This adjustment of $14,000 had reduced the profit to $17,700. C. Porter enquired if this was a pro rata amount and the CEO advised that this was for 11 years service.

It was moved C. Porter and seconded J. Taylor that the accounts and audited statement be accepted. Carried unanimously.

Page 3
6. Election of Board Members
The Chairman asked the CEO if any nominations had been received and Mr Loxley advised that there had not been any nominations resulting from the advertisement on 22^ndAugust. He had received written nominations from the retiring members J. Taylor, S. Stingemore and C. Porter seeking re-election.

It was agreed that the nominations from the retiring members be moved as a block. It was moved S. McMahon and seconded W. Ryan that the three members J. Taylor, S. Stingemore and C. Porter be appointed to the board for a two year period, expiring at the 2009 AGM.

W. Loxley also advised that the nominations from the Federation of C. Yorke and B. Schickert to the Board needed to be ratified by the WAAC.

It was moved J. Taylor and seconded R. Stranger that the nominations by the Federation of Mr Yorke and Mr Schickert be endorsed and they be appointed to the board for a two year period, also expiring at the 2009 AGM.

7. Election of Office Bearers.
The Chairman advised that he had nominated for a further year as Chairman and asked if there were any other nominations. There being no other nominations he advised that he had been re-elected as Chairman unopposed.

The Chairman asked the CEO if any nominations had been received for the position of Deputy Chairman. He was advised that a nomination had been received from S. Stingemore and with no other nomination, the Chairman advised that Mr Stingemore had been elected unopposed.

8. Election of Auditors and Agree to Remuneration.
The Chairman asked the CEO to comment on the current position and he advised that Francis A. Jones had been the auditors for several years and were familiar with the structure in place and they were happy to continue. The Chairman asked regarding the fee charged this year and he was advised that they had charged $1660. It was moved S. McMahon and seconded W. Ryan that they be reappointed for a fee of up to $2000 for 2008. Agreed unanimously.

The Chairman advised that the only item left on the agenda was the to close the meeting but before he could do so, Mr Porter suggested it was appropriate to compliment W. Loxley on the excellent contribution he was making to the sport and congratulated him on his efforts. The Chairman endorsed these comments on behalf of the board.

There being no further business the meeting was closed at 6.05 pm.

Page 4

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

In accordance with the constitution of the Western Australian Athletics Commission, my term as Chairman expires at the end of this year and I leave the position with a feeling that the glass is now half full, rather than half empty.

While there is so much progress to be made, particularly in relation to the sport having a functional development system in operation, there is a sense of optimism as a number of strategies are in place that will hopefully provide a better pathway for the many thousands of young people who start athletics at a young age.

The boldest of these is the WAAC decision to directly invite several Little Athletics centres to join Athletics WA in the hope that this will facilitate one administrative body the opportunity to coordinate athletics for all ages. This initiative is the last option our board believed we had after so many unsuccessful attempts to form a genuine alliance with WA Little Athletics. For the future of this sport, we sincerely hope this move is successful because its future is not bright without a more efficient development system.

Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen in athletics in WA since the Empire Games in 1962, is the opening of the new facility. We are confident that the presence of lights to allow twilight competition in our ideal climatic conditions will attract a greater number of participants to compete at senior level.

As a result of the opening of the new facility, the Drug Free Track and Field Classic in December was the last major event to be held at Perry Lakes Stadium. We invited many of the sports champions of the past to be recognized for their performances over the years and the crowd in attendance, were warm in their appreciation.

As Chairman of Athletics WA for eight years I have been amazed at the contribution of all the officials and volunteers that are responsible for the conduct of this sport. I salute all of you and together with our coaches, many of whom volunteer their time, your dedication and commitment is acknowledged.

It has also been my pleasure to have had Wayne Loxley as General Manager initially, and more recently as Chief Executive, during my tenure and have thoroughly enjoyed our association. There have been several staff members to compliment the management team and I would particularly like to thank Kylie Wheeler, Adam Erceg and Joanna Clucas for their current roles in supporting Wayne and the many volunteers.

One of the strengths of our board has been its stability and I would like to thank all members for their continued and long serving contribution to the governance of the sport. I hope to continue as a board member for a short time and will look to assist the new Chairman in the transition period.

Good luck to all current members and future participants in your athletic endeavours.

Peter Bacich Chairman

Page 5

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT

As we prepared for what many believed may be the biggest and best ever Olympics in Beijing, the 2007/2008 year should have been a year that athletics in Australia celebrated its existence.

To the contrary however, closer inspection of the state of athletics across the country, presents a far more bleak picture and future for this cornerstone sport.

The presence of two independent governing bodies for junior and senior athletic across the country, continues to prevent athletics from being able to plan and implement coordinated programs that enable it to compete against other sports and attract a higher percentage of first choice athletes.

This situation needs to be rectified to allow the sport to capitalize on the opening of the new state facility, which should provide a great fillip for its growth and development.

Further detail on these developments will be provided later in the report. On behalf of all athletics members and supporters I would like to thank the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and Healthway for their continued support as our partners. The support and advice in particular from our designated consultant, Evan Stewart at DSR, is greatly appreciated.

Other corporate partners we acknowledge are Synergy and West Coast Eagles along with media partners Channel 7, The West Australian Newspaper and Radio 6PR.

During my time in athletics I have been fortunate to have a fantastic group of people to work with over many years and this year one of my favourite and most productive employees in Jessica Stingemore left us to continue her full time studies. Thanks to Jess for her contribution and personal assistance, and we look forward to seeing her back in some capacity in the near future.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge Kylie Wheeler, Gareth Elliott, Adam Erceg and Joanna Clucas for their commitment to the conduct and promotion of this sport which often places a heavy demand on their time.

My gratitude is also extended to the board of directors who have always provided every support in pursuing our agreed objectives and have operated in a manner that allows the staff the freedom to get on with the task at hand. I would also like to make special acknowledgement of our retiring Chairman Peter Bacich, who has been strong and supportive throughout his tenure.

It is with pleasure that I offer you this account of our business for the year, that relates to the Key Performance Indicators from the Athletics WA business plan.

Page 6

Facilities

As this report is released, we are literally months away from the opening of the new boutique style facility that, in addition to providing ‘state of the art’ conditions for our athletes, will provide an administrational base for the sport.

It has been well documented that astute planning ensures that this facility is unique in having the finish line on the eastern side to allow the runners to enjoy a tailwind as they run in the traditional direction.

We are confident this facility will attract world wide interest with best performance conditions that the orientation of the track, combined with the Western Australian climate, will provide.

We look forward to all of our members finally enjoying the benefits of this facility which will hopefully attract a new generation of athletes that elect to participate in this marvellous sport in more appropriate surroundings.

Once the state facility is opened, we will need to encourage the state government to revisit the State Sporting Facilities Plan that proposes four synthetic tracks in the metropolitan area. These are imperative for the sport to grow, particularly in the southern and northern corridors.

Integration

At a meeting in June with senior representatives from the Department of Sport and Recreation and the advisor to the Minister for Sport and Recreation, the WA Little Athletics Chairman expressed the view that they were not responsible for promoting a pathway into athletics.

This position was reaffirmed at a national level by the Australian Little Athletics Chairman and Chief Executive to the Australian Sports Commission when they advised them that they did not see themselves as a feeder sport to senior athletics but rather as a movement, in a similar vain to Scouts and Girl Guides.

The sport of athletics can no longer afford a system where there is no cooperative pathway for junior participants to progress through to senior athletics as the talent pool this sport has to develop, diminishes every year.

Consequently, this year the Athletics WA board resolved to invite several Little Athletics Centres to join Athletics WA to commence a national program and to establish a clear pathway for transition.

Importantly, Athletics WA received the support and endorsement of the Department of Sport and Recreation, Athletics Australia, the WA Institute of Sport and the WA Sports Federation to proceed with this course of action.

It is critical for the future of this sport that we continue to explore avenues and opportunities that provide an efficient, clear development pathway for all participants.

Page 7

Coaching and Officials

The dysfunctional pathway referred to in the integration section above, has an equally detrimental effect on the development of coaching and officials as it does on the athletes. An effective pathway would be a positive outcome for all participants of the sport.

We have been working very closely with Athletics Australia (AA) in an endeavour to streamline the accreditation process for coaches with a particular focus on decreasing the costs of the course to attract an increase in participants. AA’s National Coaching Coordinator, Michael Poulton, has worked diligently in managing the Australian Track and Field Coaches Associations’ attitude to these changes and he is to be commended for his perseverance.

AA have also introduced a national coaching licence that will encourage coaches to register with their member association that will facilitate a quality of control over the many coaches that currently operate in isolation to the sport.

We are confident that these initiatives, combined with improved communication to the many coaches in the junior area, will enable us to better support and develop athletics coaches in WA.

Our officials remain the backbone of the sport and in addition to supporting our current group, we are anticipating that the initiatives discussed earlier in this report will bolster the number of registered officials.

Jeanette Robertson again fulfilled the role of Officials Education and Liaison Officer admirably and I thank her for her efforts in this regard. Her report detailing those activities appear later in the report. Jeanette’s contribution and dedication to athletics was recognized this year when she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal which was richly deserved.

Two of our long serving servants to the sport were recognized for their contribution during the year when AA upgraded them to higher honours. Congratulations to George Tempest who was elevated from Life Member to Life Governor and Lyn Foreman from Merit Award to Life Member. They will receive their awards at a ceremony in Melbourne later this year.

Development

The specific objectives in the area of development as outlined in the business plan are referred to in detail by our Development Officers in their report.

The area of development has been a paradox as it has provided a sense of frustration in not being able to achieve a unified model for the sport, but that predicament has led to me forging a number of professional relationships with volunteers at Little Athletics Centres.

These individuals are outstanding people as they lead productive professional and family lives while still finding the time and energy to be the driving force at their local athletics centre. Their attitude and energy towards providing a more effective development pathway for the sport has been refreshing and motivating for all of us to feed off. I look forward to working with them and other like minded individuals to foster a better development system for the sport.

Page 8

Finance

It is disappointing to declare a small loss in trading this year, the first in many years, which is a direct result of two contributing factors.

Firstly, the state of Perry Lakes Stadium has resulted in a downturn in some membership activity and the general use of equipment. Secondly, we have invested above our original budget in our attempts to forge close links with several Little Athletics centres and for the long term benefit of the sport, the board believed this investment appropriate.

We continue to look for new partnerships and believe this more likely when we move to the new facility, hopefully in March 2009.

We are extremely grateful for the financial support of the Department of Sport and

Recreation, Healthway, Synergy and the West Coast Eagles. Media partners Channel 7, The West Australian and Radio 6PR also provide vital

support to the promotion of our events. Finally, it is also important to note the contribution of and assistance provided by our national body Athletics Australia and the Western Australian Institute of Sport.

One of the key indicators for this sport is the success at national and international level of competition and Athletics WA continues to fight above its weight in this regard. This is largely due to the guidance and support of these two organizations and their role is important to our future in the high performance area.

I would like to conclude by acknowledging the support of the following businesses that participated in this year’s Corporate Classic. Thank you!

Ascot Capital Limited Community Newspaper Group Eziway Yokine
BG Agencies Develop Finance Fremantle Football Club

Hire Society

Greenwood Hotel

J Y Signs

Motive Travel

Mustard Catering Phoenix Holden
Perth Central Sports Media
Stephen Browne Lawyers Tabec
Strategy Finance The Marketing Mix

Wilson Parking

West Coast Group

Youngs Holden

Page 9

PROGRAMS AND EVENTS 2007/2008

Perry Lakes Final Hurrah

Athletics WA hosted the last major athletics meet at Perry Lakes Stadium with the Drug Free Track and Field Classic on December 15 2007.

First opened in 1962 to host the Empire Games, Perry Lakes has been the home of athletics for hundreds of thousands of school children, members of Little Athletics, interclub and elite athletes.

The stadium which has also played host to some of the worlds best athletes, including Cathy Freeman, Linford Christie and Betty Cuthbert, will be replaced by a new boutique style, state of the art facility adjacent to Challenge Stadium. With lights and the orientation of the track designed to facilitate a tailwind, this facility will provide some of the best performance conditions anywhere in the world.