Our fifth annual South Coast primary schools gala day was another successful promotion. The day was held on Wednesday 17 May at the Croom Sports Complex at Albion Park.

Four primary schools from the South Coast attended the day with 75 students from years 5 and 6 and their teachers.  It was good to see Nowra Public make a return appearance this year while Flinders Public, St Georges Basin Public and Aurora Steiner School attended for the first time.

For most of the students reading a map was a new experience. The students practiced their navigation with individual courses through the bushland and open fields surrounding the stadium.  The day finished with the students competing in a relay  with 25 teams of three.  Excitement levels were high, from the mass start until the last runner finished.

The Croom Sports Complex offers excellent conditions for beginners with a natural, lightly wooded bush area with a track network and plenty of open area that is used for training and competition for a variety of sports.

Placegetters received a personal invitation to the NSW Schools Championships to be held on August 19-20 in the Illawarra.

Special thanks to Kevin Curby for once again organising the day and being our contact point with the schools. Lyn Malgrom offered her expert guidance and coaching to the students throughout the day and Keith Jay set the courses.  Ron Pallas provided his usual invaluable assistance in the IT department and Salme Fuller, Rob Spry and Garry Stewart are thanked for their invaluable assistance on the day.

Mike Driscoll from the Illawarra Mercury has once again shown his support for the sport by publishing a story online which you can find HERE.