PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2016-17

1

‘Athletics leader in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs & Northern Beaches Areas’

Sydney Pacific Athletic Club Facebook Sydney Pacific Athletic Club Website

www.facebook.com/SydneyPacificAC www.sydneypacificathletic.org.au

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2016-17

1 April 2016 - 31 March 2017

To the Sydney Pacific Athletic Club Community: athletes, coaches, officials, committee, partner organisations and supporters - thank you! Well done to everyone for very enjoyable, diverse and successful 2016-17 winter and summer seasons that concluded on 31 March 2017.

The Sydney Pacific Athletic Club continues to grow in numbers, stature and diversity. Highlights of the Club and its 2016-17 Athletics Season include:

1.

Club Culture: New and ongoing camaraderie and friendships

2.

Finances: The Club’s finances are very sound given the club’s requirements. There are non- traditional ways of generating income for the Club also noting the change by ANSW in 2016 to the registration of Dual Athletes which impacted negatively on Sydney Pacific’s income

3.

Narrabeen T&F Facility Upgrade:

▪

The Joint Submission to the NSW Minister for Sport for a significant investment in upgrading the Narrabeen Track & Field facility that was prepared in February/March 2016 by the Sydney Pacific Athletic Club and Manly Warringah Little Athletics and supported by the CEOs of both Athletics NSW and Little Athletics NSW

▪

The very much appreciated 2016/17 support including the 2016 petition (with over 1,000 signatures) from the Federal Member for Mackellar Jason Falinski, MP

▪

The 2017 NSW Office of Sport submission to the NSW Treasury for funding consideration in the 2017/18 NSW State Budget for the track upgrade

▪

Awareness of the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation (NSW State Government owned and managed) to the new Northern Beaches Council in its review of longer term sporting facility requirements by the wider Northern Beaches LGA community

4.

Membership:

▪

Implemented on 1 January 2017 the Sydney Pacific ‘Member Protection Policy’

▪

The Club’s membership base (athletes, coaches and officials) continued to grow with 280 members (274 athletes) at 28 May 2017 ranging in age from 12 to 80 with 48%

females and 52% males and 56% of athlete members Dual Registered Athletes (that selected Sydney Pacific as their senior club)

Dual 56%

Junior 12%

Opens 8%

Masters 24%

ATHLETE MEMBERSHIP

28 MAY 2017

2

5.

Training Locations and Coaches: Training with Sydney Pacific Coaches at many locations (19 active Coaches across a wide range of T&F events and cross country running):

▪

Track & Field (T&F) facility, Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation Narrabeen, the principal Sydney Pacific Athletic Club training location

▪

Foxglove Oval, Mt Colah

▪

School T&F facility, Hornsby

▪

Turramurra Oval, Turramurra

▪

Dunbar Park, Ryde

▪

Lower north shore roads

▪

Northern beaches and sand hills

6.

Partnerships and Support:

▪

Ongoing strengthened relationships with Little Athletics Centres including Manly- Warringah and Northern Districts – a credit to Committee Members, Coaches and the Little Athletics Centres

▪

Support from Athletics NSW, Little Athletics NSW and the Ku-ring-gai Council (maintaining Turramurra Oval)

7.

Team and Athletes’ Performances: Many outstanding team and individual PB performances including many broken Club Records and an Australia Masters Record occurred during the 2016/17 season including:

▪

Growth in Cross Country athlete numbers and focus

▪

The August 2016 commencement of Trail Running

▪

‘1^st Timers on the Track’ initiative

▪

Sydney Pacific Teams winning 18 medals at the 2016 NSW State Relay Championships

▪

Sydney Pacific finishing 4^th overall in the 2016 Treloar Shield out of more than 52 competing clubs

▪

Sydney Pacific Masters winning 52 medals at the 2017 NSW Masters Championships

▪

Sydney Pacific Juniors wining 27 medals at the 2017 NSW Junior and Youth Championships and 8 Medals at the 2017 Australian Championships

▪

Impressive performances at international competitions including the 2016 World Masters Athletics Championships (15 medals won by Sydney Pacific Athletes), 2016 100km Road Racing World Championships and 2017 World Masters Indoor Championships

▪

Nominations for NSW Sports Awards

8.

The focus and opportunities for the Sydney Pacific Athletic Club in the coming years will include:

▪

Continuing camaraderie, friendship and enjoyment

▪

Ensuring the Club’s financial sustainability

▪

Continuing to grow and develop the Club’s membership: competing and non- competing Athletes, and Coaches and Officials

▪

Continuing to develop and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships with Little Athletics Centres, Secondary Schools across northern Sydney, Athletics NSW, Little Athletics NSW and other relevant community focussed groups

▪

Further exploring the scope of competition and event offerings to members and to the wider athletics community including X-Country and Fun Runs on the north suburbs and northern beaches and a Winter T&F Series and X-Country

▪

Using relevant social media tools for communication, for awareness-raising and for engagement with the Sydney Pacific Athletic Club

Thank you very much for your ongoing contributions to, participation in and support of the Sydney Pacific Athletic Club.

Robert McEntyre

Sydney Pacific Athletic Club President, 2016-17