Merry Christmas from the Chair of Athletics NSW

Dear all,

We have finally come to the end of what has been a very challenging year for everyone and for our sport. 

I said when I came into this role in February that it was one of the great privileges of my life. While that sentiment absolutely remains and while I had expected the role to be challenging, none of us could have expected the scale of the challenges that 2020 would bring. 

The Board and our CEO have had to make a number of remarkably difficult decisions this year to ensure the long-term survival and prosperity of the sport in NSW, some of which have had a significant impact on the people who work day in and day out to deliver our sport in NSW. While those difficult decisions had to be made, I am very proud of the fact that ANSW has been able to deliver a number of winter events and a relatively normal pre-Christmas summer season under the most trying of circumstances. We are also now seeing the benefits of the early and decisive actions we took and ANSW will emerge from COVID-19 in a stronger position than what it was in before. 

I want to thank a number of people in particular for how they have approached what has been an enormously difficult year:

• First, to our CEO Kirin Lindop and the staff of ANSW. Kirin has led our team through what would have to be some of the most challenging circumstances any CEO could face. Kirin and the team have approached the challenges that have come their way, some of which have impacted them personally, with the best possible mindset. Their work has allowed us to deliver the two Cross Country Championships, the NSW All Schools Championships and a relatively normal pre-Christmas summer calendar in a COVID-safe way without a single COVID-related incident. So far as I am aware, the NSW All Schools Championships remains the single largest community sporting event delivered in NSW since the pandemic began, which is a testament to the professionalism, thoroughness and adaptability of our team during this period. 

• Second, to our technical officials and club volunteers. Our sport simply would not be able to be delivered without you. The skills and dedication of NSW technical officials are second to none. I know I speak for our entire sport and in particular its athletes when I say that we are enormously appreciative of the efforts of those who make our events happen on the ground. I also want to make special mention this year of a number of clubs and groups who have stepped up to deliver some outstanding local competitions in their own right. These style of meets are a big part of our strategic plans moving forward and ANSW will be doing more in 2021/22 to grow and promote these style of events. 

• Finally, the NSW Athletics community as a whole. Everyone in our community has been affected by the pandemic in some way. Whether it's elite athletes who have had their Olympic dreams postponed, coaches who have had to adjust to developing their athletes remotely, or us more recreational participants who have had the way we enjoy the sport changed due to the restrictions which have been in place this year. We have missed seeing everyone around tracks and cross country courses and being able to participate together. However, the patience that the entire community has afforded us while we work to get events back up and running as soon as possible in a COVID-safe and responsible way has been exemplary. In our sport, we can often find ourselves focussing on the negatives. While we can unquestionably always do things better, the community's understanding this year of last-minute changes, new protocols and different ways of doing things has been nothing short of outstanding. It is sincerely appreciated by everyone at ANSW. 

Looking ahead to 2021, I am excited to get into what will hopefully be a year that allows us to get back to some level of normality. However, while we will be able to get back to tracks as before, I am committed to making sure that not everything is the same. The Board will meet in January to consider and adopt significant strategic reforms to our summer competition structure and our club affiliation process - with both reforms designed to significantly expand the inclusiveness of our sport whilst making our competitions a better experience for elite and recreational participants alike. 

I am also looking forward to continuing to work with Craig Scott (LANSW) and Jill Taylor (NSW Masters) and each of their Boards towards finally unifying our sport in NSW in the best interests of all of its members, consistent with the proposed unification of Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia in October 2021. I have said before and will continue to say that we must stop the culture of "us" and "them" in athletics - we all love this sport and want it to be the absolute best it can be. In order to make that happen, we must come together and I am committed to driving that process forward. 

I am confident that 2021 will be a significant year for our sport in NSW and that the difficult decisions we have had to take in 2020 will set us up for long-term success. 

Thank you for your understanding and support in what has been an enormously difficult year. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday period. 

Yours in Athletics, 
Matt Whitbread

Chair - ANSW