Waverley Little Athletics Centre Inc.

Merryn Ashcroft

Merryn Ashcroft is a Life Member and Past Committee Member of the Waverley Little Athletics Centre Inc. She has been involved at the Centre for 16 years, was a member of the Committee for 3 years and is one of the longest serving volunteers in our history.

Over the years, Merryn has filled many roles, most predominantly as an Age Group Leader. Other roles include; timekeeping, starting, event management, WLAC Open Day official, ON TRACK Coordinator and coaching. Her passion is to ensure that our children (and parents alike) get through the weekly program in a fun and timely manner, along with teaching everyone the skills required to do Little Athletics. Behind the scenes, Merryn has always assisted the Committee by providing feedback and ideas on our programs, training parents as age group or event helpers, running various field events, setting up and assisting during Presentation Day/Night, packing up at the end of the weekly program and being an all-round valuable asset.

As each of her children started Little Athletics, Merryn took on the roles of U6, U7 & U8 Age Group Leader to ensure they progressed through their early years. Since 2017, she has assisted in looking after the Southern Stars Age Group to ensure the older children are participating and behaving properly!

There was a brief period of time when Merryn shifted her skills to an administration position, assisting with Results Input when her two boys were too young for Little Athletics. Merryn also assisted Tammy Stephens, President as the time, in making changes to our weekly program to make the events run more efficiently.

From the mid 2010's, Merryn has assisted with organising relay teams, coached relay teams and helped as a general or key official at region and state events. In 2016/17, Merryn’s weekly role was to assist the Centre Mentor by assisting each age group and providing coaching for the parents and athletes. After years of convincing, Merryn finally joined the Committee in 2017/18 taking over as Centre Mentor. As part of this role, Merryn was responsible for recruiting and training new parents from the start of the season as Age Group Leaders and assistants, teaching them how to run their age groups, run the various field events, use the hand timers and get through the program efficiently. Her knowledge and experience has been irreplaceable and benefited those that have met her.

Prior to the commencement of the 2017/18 season, Merryn sourced David Thomson, a young and experienced coach for our Centre.

Outside the Centre, Merryn is a very passionate school P.E teacher and has been a very valuable advocate in promoting and marketing Little Athletics to her students and families. In 2013, Merryn re-organised the Mt. Waverley Primary School athletics event, which she ran at our track for 3 years before moving schools. From 2016 until current, Merryn also re-organised and ran the Mt. View Primary School athletics event at our track, running 3x events each season, bringing 1000 children from the school down to Waverley and exposing them to Little Athletics. In 2018/19, Mt. View PS topped the registration charts for the second year in a row with 18 members in total, 7 new members, with 3 out of 4 come & try’s converting to full members. Merryn was also the District/Division Coordinator for the Monash District, part of Vic School Sport Association, not just for Little Athletics but covering all sports.

In 2019/20, Merryn was awarded Life Membership at the Waverley Little Athletics Centre Inc., in recognition of exceeding 10 years outstanding service to the Centre.

Honour Board

• 2019/20 - Life Member

Qualifications & Courses

• 2006/07 - LAVic Level 0 Coaching Qualification
• 2006/07 - ON TRACK Course & Accreditation
• 2012/13 - ON TRACK Course & Accreditation
• 2013/14 - Introduction to Coaching Course & Accreditation
• 2013/14 - Introduction to Officiating Course & Accreditation
• 2015/16 - Level C Walk Judge

Centre Involvement

• 2004/05 - General Official
• 2005/06 - U7 Age Group Leader
• 2006/07 - U8 Assistant Age Group Leader - Waverley Open Day
• 2006/08 - U8 Age Group Leader
• 2008/11 - Results Input
• 2009/10 - Computer Operator - Waverley Open Day
• 2010/12 - U6 Age Group Leader
• 2011/12 - On Track Assistant
• 2012/13 - U7 Age Group Leader
• 2013/14 - Chief Timekeeper - Waverley Open Day Key Official
• 2013/14 - U6 Age Group Leader
• 2014/15 - U7 Age Group Leader
• 2014/15 - U7 Age Group Leader - Waverley Open Day
• 2014/15 - U9 Relay Coach
• 2015/16 - U10 Relay Coach
• 2015/16 - U8 Age Group Leader
• 2016/17 - U11 Relay Coach
• 2016/17 - U9-SS Coach
• 2017/18 - U12 Relay Coach
• 2017/20 - Committee - Centre Mentor
• 2017/21 - SS Age Group Leader
• 2017/22 - Javelin Manager
• 2018/20 - Starter
• 2020/21 - U15 Relay Coach
• 2021/22 - U15/U16 Age Group Leader
• 2021/22 - U16 Relay Coach

School Involvement

• 2013/17 - School Sport Teacher - Mount Waverley Primary School
• 2016/17 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School
• 2016/17 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School (day 1 at Nunawading)
• 2016/17 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School (day 2 at Nunawading)
• 2017/19 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School (day 2)
• 2017/19 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School (day 3)
• 2017/20 - School Sport Teacher - Mount View Primary School (day 1)

Region Involvement

• 2012/13 - U7 Age Group Leader - SMR Carnival Key Official
• 2019/20 - Chief Javelin Landing - SMR Track & Field Key Official