The grass is greener

Jeffrey Brown produces a big throw of the javelin. 128826 Picture: JARROD POTTER

By JARROD POTTER

THE next generation Dandenong Little Athletics Centre champions run, jump and throw their hearts out every Saturday morning.
The centre is located at Robert Booth Reserve – at Clow Street, Dandenong – and is home to one of Greater Dandenong’s Little Athletics centres, housing four athletics teams with St Gerards, Narre Warren, Doveton Endeavour Hills and Hampton Park competing at the venue.
With hundreds of little athletes training 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 kids from Dandenong, Doveton, Endeavour Hills, Narre Warren and Hampton Park a local 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 and 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, it 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.