Official of the Month

Every month Little Athletics SA recognises the Official of the Month for their dedication and commitment to the Little Athletics Community. Please see below the following Officials of the Month.

Jasmine has been involved with Little Athletics since 2018, starting as an athlete in the Under 11s age group at Coastal Districts. In the 2023/24 season Jasmine began officiating, joining her mother so they could spend weekends together while her siblings competed.

Jasmine is motivated by the fun she has with other officials at events, as well as the opportunity to expand her athletic knowledge, transitioning from athlete to official. She also is one to consistently stay back after state events and assist staff in packing up equipment, highlighting her commitment to supporting Little Athletics.

She appreciates the friendly and supportive nature of the officiating community. Jasmine’s advice to anyone considering officiating is simple: “Definitely give it a go!” Jasmine has made so many friendships and has had a blast in the process. Her experience at the 2023/24 ALAC was fantastic, and she is looking forward to the 2024/25 ALAC!

Craig’s Little Athletics journey spans 20 years, beginning with his children at Coastal Districts LAC (Formerly Southern Districts LAC).

Craig has been an official for 19 years, with his last 9 being at state level. He became an official due to the club looking for people to assist at home meets. Both of Craig’s children had very positive experiences with Little Aths, and he wanted to provide his support to an organisation that has offered so much to his family.

Craig has always appreciated the supportive and welcoming atmosphere within the Little Athletics Community, both among officials and volunteers. For Craig, the recent Australian Little Athletics Championships were an incredible experience, showcasing expectational young athletes and facilitating valuable knowledge sharing with officials from across the country.

Officiating offers a unique and rewarding perspective. Join Craig and the team and experience the thrill of witnessing these young athletes excel from the best seat in the house.

Hantie got involved in Little Athletics about 9 years ago as a parent chaperone for her kids, and now she is in their 8th season as an official. Growing up in South Africa with parents who were both officials, she always wanted to follow in their footsteps. For Hantie, officiating offers her the chance to support youth athletes and witness the excitement they experience when they compete and achieve their best. She describes the officiating community as a brilliant group, where the support and friendly banter are key to the success and enjoyment of every season.

When it comes to anyone considering becoming an official, Hantie encourages them to just do it. Becoming an official means joining a supportive, knowledgeable, and inclusive community that makes giving back to the sport a truly rewarding experience. Reflecting on ALAC 23/24, Hantie describes it as an incredible experience, seeing people from all over the country come together to make the event happen. She is looking forward to ALAC 2024/25 and is proud to represent her state while cheering on the athletes.

 

Caitlin has been involved in Little Athletics since before Tiny Tots, first watching her brother and then competing herself. She began officiating during the 2020/2021 season but has always helped her dad on the track. Caitlin started officiating due to an injury that prevented her from competing, and she wanted to remain involved in athletics. Caitlin’s parents encouraged her to officiate so she could continue being involved in the sport.

What motivates her to officiate is seeing all the smiles around the stadium and the connections between officials and athletes. For Caitlin, becoming an official has been an amazing experience that has connected her to a community that is so pure and can bring so much happiness. ALAC offers an incredible opportunity to learn and connect with Officials from across the nation and Caitlin looks forward to what she will learn in the 24/25 ALAC.

Bob has been involved in athletics for nearly 60 years as an athlete, official, committee member, and team manager. He started officiating in 1993 and has worked at events like the World Juniors, Sydney Olympics, Paralympics, and Commonwealth Games. His granddaughter’s involvement with Golden Grove LAC in 2006 drew him into officiating at Little Athletics, and he later joined the Little Athletics Officials Committee.

A highlight of Bob’s officiating journey is seeing athletes celebrate personal bests and helping parents learn about the sport. Most officials at State Events have or had children in Little Athletics, which keeps the sport moving forward. It’s also great to see older athletes stepping into officiating roles within the association. ALAC 2023-24 was fantastic, and Bob was thrilled with how well everyone worked together to put on a great show. By becoming an official, you help your club, the athletes, and the sport. Give it a go.

 

Amanda has been part of Little Athletics for 13 years, starting when her son joined Port Adelaide Athletics Club as a Tiny Tot. She’s been officiating for two seasons and loves helping athletes achieve PBs while learning from a supportive team. Amanda’s first ALAC experience was fantastic, and she encourages anyone considering officiating to give it a tryit’s incredibly rewarding. 

 

He has been involved with Little Athletics at Golden Grove LAC for 16 years in various roles, and for the past 9 years, he has been officiating at State Events at the SA Athletics Stadium. Like most officials, he joined because he saw the need and importance of volunteers in our sport. We don’t do it for the food or the money (mostly) but because we love helping and facilitating young children in our sport. Officials are a great group who are friendly, helpful, and always willing to share their experience and opinions. He encourages anyone involved in our sport to consider becoming an official. You will find it rewarding with the knowledge and understanding that you will gain. Really, just give it a go; it won’t hurt!

Annette began her Little Athletics journey when her son first started at the Woodville Centre 34 years ago. Her love for interacting with the athletes and parents is what sparked her interest in officiating. She love watching the children grow and seeing them compete. It makes her so happy when former athletes come up to her, introducing their children who now compete. She love the friendly, helpful, and committed officiating community who always help one-another, and it’s now great to see new officials coming through. It will make a big difference during the day, knowing we have knowledgeable officials to take over when needed. If anyone wants to start officiating, please do. Helping with the events is so much more fun than sitting in the stands. Not to mention the incredible experiences you get to have when helping with major events like ALAC! I can’t wait for next year!

Michael has been involved with Little Athletics for 16 years, ever since his son joined Tiny Tots at age 4. About 12 years ago, he started officiating at the club level and became a SALAA State Official in the 2015-16 season. His love for helping others sparked his interest in officiating, and joining the Starting Team has been incredibly fulfilling. Seeing athletes’ smiles when they achieve personal bests is my main motivation. He also enjoys the cheeky banter and building rapport with older athletes as they return each season.

“The 2023-24 ALACs were fantastic, and I’m eagerly anticipating the 2024-25 edition. The officiating community is welcoming, supportive, and encouraging. Getting involved isn’t difficult and is incredibly rewarding—give it a go!”

Adam’s involvement with Little Athletics began in 2008 when his daughter joined as a Tiny Tot, by 2011 he started assisting at State Events and this coupled with his personal drive to give back to the community led to an organic transition into a State Official in 2016.

He loves to see the enjoyment on the athletes faces and to watch a lot of them develop and improve from Tiny Tots into our senior age groups is a main reason why he begins volunteering.

The 2024 ALAC’s was an exceptional experience and to see so many young officials and youth volunteers support our officiating team and fit in so well was truly rewarding.

“Our State Officiating team are great at sharing their knowledge and experiences and there is always a bit of back-and-forth banter within the group. If you are thinking about becoming an official – do it! Volunteering is the best way to support your children and you can have the opportunity to join us for 2025 ALAC.”

Graham has been involved with Little Athletics for 4 years and have been officiating for the entirety of his time within the association. He has been a Walks judge for many years and was invited to officiate at Little Athletics State Events for walks. He is now fully involved in various Little Athletics competitions and programs.

His motivation to officiate stems from a desire to give back to the athletics community that has given so much to him over many years as a competing athlete.

He finds joy in seeing the excitement of younger athletes during competitions and encouraging them to achieve their goals.

The Little Athletics officiating community are a supportive and communicative group of people who show great commitment and focus to their roles.

“I recommend getting involved as an official for the 2024-25 season – you will find that you gain satisfaction from helping young athletes be their best.”

Since the 2006-07 season, he’s been active in little athletics, starting when his eldest daughter joined the Woodville Little Athletics Club as a Tiny Tot. Initially, he volunteered for four years as a Chaperone, assisting with equipment setup and put away. In 2010, he joined the Club committee as a Recorder and Starter, marking the beginning of his 14-year journey as an official.

His decision to start officiating was quite simple: the club needed a starter, and he wanted to support his children. Three years ago, his children completed their time at Little Athletics, which led him to begin his journey officiating at State Events. He wanted to show his children the value of volunteering and remaining connected to the broader Little Athletics Community.

“It’s a fantastic team where we all get along and share a few laughs along the way. For anyone considering becoming an official, I say, “Just do it.” You’ll never know until you give it a go.”

Neal’s involvement with Little Athletics began in 2003 when his son joined the Salisbury East Little Athletics Club (now Northern Districts Athletics) as a Tiny Tot. He has assisted as a parent helper at State Events for over 10 years but fully committed to Little Athletics SA as a Chief Jumps Official at the 2016 Australian Little Athletics Championships that was held in Adelaide. He began Officiating as he found it really enjoyable to be involved with a great team and most importantly seeing the big smiles on the athlete’s faces when they achieve Personal Bests. “The Officiating Community is like a family”, he has made some great friends, had plenty of laughs and looking forward to the Australian Little Athletics Championships coming back to Adelaide to experience it all again. Neal says for those of you considering becoming an Official, “do it”. It is the best seat in the house and a very rewarding feeling to be part of a Community that provides opportunities to young athletes to keep fit and be their best.

Steven has been involved with Little Athletics for 10 years in various roles at Salisbury Athletics Club. As an Official he has volunteered his time at Club level for 4 years and the 2023-24 Season is the first season that he has taken the next step to Officiate at State Events. He decided to transition into a State Official position as he was constantly assisting at State Events as a Parent Helper and felt the next step would be to become an Official to increase his involvement and knowledge of the sport. Steven believes becoming an Official is a great way to show his children that there are many ways to participate in athletics without necessarily being a competitor and how the lessons you can learn on the other side of athletics can assist your personal development as an athlete and a person. Steven highly recommends coming out and giving Officiating a go!

Mel began her Little Athletics journey as an U6 athlete and competed up until U17’s! She has also assisted in Tiny Tots at her Club and Throws Coaching. Mel became an Official 37 years ago when she was 13 years old. She has officiated at the 2000 Sydney Olympics & Para-Olympics, 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Mel enjoys Officiating and being out there with all the athletes, getting to know them and watching them improve. Mel says that the Officiating Community we have here in South Australia are great as they all get along and have fun with a few laughs during the day! She is one of the Officials mentors in Little Athletics SA. If you are considering becoming an Official Mel says do it! She says it is great being out there, up close, and personal with the athletes and making the competition fair for all so they can perform at their best!

Andrew and his family have been actively involved in Little Athletics since the 1996-97 Season. Andrew became an Official as he found satisfaction in contributing to the sport. With his whole family involved in Little Athletics, he believes they collectively experience the same moments, albeit from varying perspectives. His experience as an Official has enabled him to contribute, evolve, and become an integral part of a thriving community. He believes the Officiating community exemplifies the finest qualities of Little Athletics as they are dedicated to helping every athlete reach their full potential and celebrate their achievements. This commitment extends to athletes of all skill levels and abilities. Andrew is looking forward to the 2024 Australian Little Athletics Championships in South Australia, as it is a fantastic opportunity to showcase and support our young athletes. Being an Official means becoming an integral part of the broader Little Athletics Community. If you believe in the importance of life beyond yourself and install those values in others, Officiating serves as a powerful way to convey that message!

Little Athletics has been a part of Liz’s life for the past 18 years with 16 of those as a State Official! Assisting at a Club level has allowed Liz to realise her passion for Officiating, so she took it to the next step and became a State Official. Liz believes we have a great team of Officials who are passionate about providing excellent service to Little Athletics SA, while also being able to have fun and give back to the community. This will be Liz’s 4th National Competition as she Officiated in 2009 and 2016, which was very rewarding and she was also honoured to be selected as an Official for the 2023 Australian Little Athletics Nationals. Liz has said ‘being a State Official is a great time where you get the best view of all the action on the track. Come along and give it a go!’.

Paul has been involved with Little Athletics for 10 years as a Parent, Committee Member and Club President. Paul became a State Official 3 years ago as he believed it was the next step for him to develop his skills and knowledge of the sport. Paul believes the Officiating community are a great bunch of people who always have time for a good laugh and are helpful, supportive and eager to pass on their knowledge to assist others. Paul is looking forward to seeing some of the best athletes in Australia compete against our talented SA Athletes at the 2023 Australian Little Athletics Championships (ALAC’s)!

Introducing Chris who has been Officiating for 22 years! She first became an Official to learn the rules of the sport as her children participated. Becoming an Official is how Chris chose to support her Children and the Little Athletics Community. She has remained involved in the Little Athletics Community even after her children have completed Little Athletics to help the up-and-coming Champs! For anyone who wants to become an Official Chris says ‘Just Do It’. Chris finds gratitude in watching the development of an athlete from a nervous U6 athlete into a confident star can bring you tears of joy as you watch their journey. As an Official, Chris finds pride in knowing she has played a small part in the athlete’s journey and the appreciation given by the athletes and parents has made Chris realise why she Officiates.

Abbie has been involved in Little Athletics for 12 years now and has been Officiating for the last two Seasons. She became an Official due to her love of competition and desire to continue being involved in the sport. She believes everyone in the Official’s community gets along well and supports one another and that there is still time for great banter and opportunities to learn! Abbie first became an Official when she was 17 and received guidance from all the experienced Officials which helped develop her skills and grow her confidence. If you are wanting to become an Official Abbie highly recommends it!