Geelong's grassroots clubs fuel high school athletics surge

More than 340 students from 11 Geelong secondary schools have signed up for the regional athletics meet scheduled for 25 July at the Geelong Athletics Centre on La Trobe Terrace.

The timing follows a national push to rebuild participation numbers after several lean years for junior track and field. Local organisers say the interest now comes from steady work at street level, where parents and teachers fill gaps left by bigger state bodies.

School fields and corner clubs

At Belmont High School on High Street, the athletics squad trains three afternoons a week on the oval that backs onto Barwon Valley Park. Across town, the Geelong Little Athletics Centre runs Saturday morning sessions at the old Eastern Park track near Ryrie Street, where families pay a flat $45 season fee that covers shoes, bibs and coaching. Both sites feed athletes straight into the July meet without needing elite pathways first.

Numbers at the Eastern Park sessions climbed from 92 registered athletes in July 2024 to 119 this month, according to club records. The same period saw the Belmont program add two extra coaches funded by a $2,800 grant from the City of Greater Geelong’s neighbourhood sport fund.

Parents who once drove their children to Melbourne events now stay local because the cost and travel time dropped. A single return trip to the state championships still runs about $180 in fuel and entry, while the Geelong meet charges $14 per event on the day.

Next steps for families

Registration for the 25 July carnival closes on 18 July through the school sports portal. Athletes who need spikes or hurdles can borrow gear from the Eastern Park equipment shed on weekday evenings between 5 pm and 7 pm.