About Our Club

About Our Club
Where do we train?

View Larger Map		*Location:* McClean, Birdwood, Bellevue and Rex Roads. International standard synthetic athletics track
	Facilities include the world class Dunc Gray Velodrome (constructed for the Sydney 2000 Olympics), cricket pitches, exercise tracks, a grass hockey field, a synthetic hockey field, a passive recreation area, two rugby league fields, soccer fields, toilets, artificial lakes and walking trails.

Meetings

The Club Committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month (except January) at the Bankstown District Sports Club commencing at 7.30pm. Club Members are welcome to attend. Items that members wish to raise at a General Meeting should be given to the President or Secretary seven days before the meeting.

Members are encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting in August at Bankstown Sports Club and the Summer and Winter Presentation Evenings, usually held in the club house at "The Crest".

Uniforms

The Club colours are the green and gold of Bankstown Sports Club with a touch of white.

Uniforms must be worn for all competitions conducted against other clubs. Failure to wear the correct uniform may result in disqualification. When competing in a State Championship, registration numbers must be worn, fixed to the front and back of the uniform.

Competitions

"The Crest"

The club conducts competitions every Tuesday of the year at its home ground, "The Crest" at Bass Hill at 6.45pm. The Summer Series includes sprints, middle distance, jumps, throws, 'pathway' and cross country and occurs during daylight savings months. This is followed by a Winter Series with track and 'path' events.

These competitions are usually on a handicap basis and cater for people of all ages and abilities - from eight to eighty. While there is a competitive element on Tuesday evenings, there is also an emphasis on becoming or keeping fit in an enjoyable social atmosphere.

Athletics NSW

Club members are encouraged to register with Athletics NSW when completing their annual Membership Forms. A large number of members competing in State Championships makes it easier to become the New South Wales Champion Club.

Team Captains and Team Selections

The club has four team captains for State Championships – male and female for both the Summer Competitions and the Winter Cross Country and Road Championships.

Generally, the captains manage the teams on competition days, encourage participation and build club spirit among the athletes.

At times, selections are required. With the State Relays in particular, this can be a demanding and frustrating job. This is a main reason why people don't rush to volunteer to be a Team Captain. With selections, the following generally applies:

Selection is based on performance.
All registered athletes are expected to be available to compete.
If a registered athlete is unable to compete, the athlete has the responsibility to inform the Team Captain of unavailability. It is not possible for Team Captains to contact every athlete individually.
The Team Captain is the final selector of a team.
The Team Captain can ask coaches or team co-ordinators to submit suggested teams or to assist with the selection of a team.
If a dispute arises, it will be resolved by the club committee.

Team Co-ordinators are a feature of the Winter Teams. The task of the Team Captains is made much easier if there are co-ordinators for each male and female age category. Over the past few years the more successful teams have had a team co-ordinator.

For the list of Team Captains see Contacts.

Sponsorships and Assistance

Incentive Schemes

The club has Incentive Schemes for the Summer and Winter State Championships. Their aims are to reward excellent performance, to win State Club Championships and to encourage participation in State Championships.

A limited number of athletes are considered for assistance with registration fees. Eligibility for assistance is subject to satisfactory performance for the club or, in special circumstances, as determined by the Executive.

Representative Selection

Athletes selected for State and Australian representative teams are eligible for financial assistance. A letter of request MUST be forwarded to the SECRETARY OF THE ATHLETICS CLUB containing the following details:

Evidence of selection e.g. letter from Athletics NSW
Team selected in
Date and place of competition or competitions
Estimated total cost of trip
Other financial contributions to the trip (fundraising, grants etc)
Details of previous sporting achievements

A covering letter will be forwarded to the Bankstown Sports Club on behalf of the athlete, provided that the athlete is a financial member of Bankstown Sports Club or, in the case of an athlete under 18 years old, a parent is a member. Requests for assistance may be declined if the Bankstown District Sports Club Badge number is not supplied as proof of membership.

Funds received from Bankstown Sports Club will be passed onto the athlete. Any further assistance from the Athletics Club will be considered at the monthly committee meeting.

After the event, athletes should submit a brief written report on their performance to the Secretary. The report can be referred to Banktown Sports Club for information and publicity.

"Elite" Athletes

Athletes who perform consistently at a high and meritorious standard can be recommended by the club committee to the Bankstown Sports Club for special assistance, usually monetary.

Junior Athletes (19yrs and under)

Bankstown Sports Athletics actively encourages junior athletes to join the club and to improve their performance in a number of ways including:

Supplying club uniforms to junior athletes who represent the club in Interclub or State events
Giving juniors special consideration in the Incentive Schemes
Reducing membership and competition fees
Ensuring coaching is available

Club Supporters and Sponsors

Bankstown Sports Club is the main supporter of the Athletics Club. Its generosity in so many ways is very much appreciated by all members of the Athletics Club.

A major sponsor over the past two years has been Cathay Pacific Airlines. The "Torch" newspaper sponsors the yearly "Night of Miles".