Bob Cruise to be inducted into the LAA Roll Of Excellence

Little Athletics Australia are excited to announce that Bob Cruise will be inducted into the LAA Roll of Excellence in the Volunteers Category.

The Roll of Excellence will be held on 21 October 2017 in the Boardwalk Gallery at Wrest Point Casino, Hobart.

Bob was nominated by Little Athletics South Australia.

About Bob: 

Bob Cruise’s involvement in Little Athletics began in the early 1960’s when he took his eldest son, Dean, to the Coburg Little Athletics Centre.  Dean, realising he wasn’t going to be a successful sprinter, turned to race walking.  Following average performances at weekly little athletics walking events Dean surprised his father by winning the Centre Race walking Championship.  It was then that Bob knew that he had to find out more about race walking if he was going to be able to help his son in his race walking pursuits.

Following attendances at Victorian Little Athletics Association courses on race walking judging and coaching Bob became a little athletics race walking judge and coach.  His coaching centred on walkers, as well as others, at the Coburg Little Athletics Centre.

Whilst at the Coburg Centre Bob served in a number of roles on the management committee (circa 1972-1980) becoming President on two occasions (1974-1976 & 1979-1980) as well as Competition Director for a number of years.  He was also significantly involved in the highly successful Annual All Stars competition and served several years as President of the Northern Region of the Victorian Little Athletics Association.  Bob served six years as Chairman of the Victorian Little Athletics Walk Standards Panel.  In acknowledgement of his service to little athletics Bob was made a life member of the Coburg Little Athletics Centre.

Bob moved from Melbourne to Alice Springs around 1980 where he, once again, became heavily involved in little athletics.  Whilst in Alice Springs Bob coached and contributed to the administration of little athletics in the Centre playing a significant role in the weekly little athletics programs as well as the organisation of the NT Little Athletics Championships in Alice Springs in the mid 1980’s.

A career move took Bob to Darwin where coaching and administration were again forefront in Bob’s life.  He co-coached the very successful Territory team at the 1986 ALAC in Melbourne.  Bob’s walk coaching contributed to Northern Territory athletes winning three of the six available walk medals at the 1987 Australian Little Athletics Championships in Melbourne.  Whilst in the NT Bob became coordinator of the ALAC Championships held in Darwin in 1988.

Bob’s professional career brought him back to Mildura, Victoria in late 1987.  He continued to act as coordinator of the 1988 ALAC Championships held in Darwin returning to Darwin two weeks before the event to assist in the finalisation of the championship program of events.

Whilst resident in Mildura Bob coached and coordinated a group approximately 25 athletes, - many of whom gained success at regional and state little athletics and national underage level.

Other Achievements: 

In 1982 he officiated at the Commonwealth Games as an International Race Walking Judge.  Bob was appointed Chief Judge of many Australian Championships as well as gaining appointments to numerous international events such as World Championships and International events (1994, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006), Commonwealth Games (1982, 1990, 1998,  2002, 2006 and 2010) and Olympics (2000 & 2004).

Bob retired to Adelaide, South Australia, in 2001 and has since coached scores of young South Australian athletes and race walkers. Those young walkers have gained many medals at state, national level, including approximately thirty individual national gold medals.  A number of little athletes have moved on to represent Australia at international level including Tanya Holliday, Paige Hooper, Blake Steele, Steph Stigwood and Rhiannon Lovegrove.  He is currently Coach of race walking within the South Australian Youth Academy.

Bob was an IAAF international race walking judge for 27 years, a member of the IAAF World race Walking Committee (1996-2003) and has been continually involved in little athletics for more than 50 years. He continues to coach and judge at all levels of competition from little athletics through to masters championships at international level. His contribution to athletics has been acknowledged with the following:

·      Civic Award, City of West Torrens – for contribution to youth athletics in the City of West Torrens (2015);

·         Merit Award, Oceania Athletic Association (2014);

·         Life Member, Athletics Australia (2008);

·         Australian Sports Medal (2000);

·         Coach of the Year, Mallee Sports Assembly (1995,1997 & 1998); and

·         Life Member, Coburg Little Athletics Centre (1976/77).

Bob is currently an Athletics Australia Level 4 Specialist Race Walking Coach and A Grade Australian race walking judge.  He continues to be actively involved at all levels of the sport of athletics and attributes the enjoyment and friendships he has gained over many years to his involvement, in the past and currently, to the Little Athletics movement.

Additional information:

·           Member, Board of Directors Athletics SA Inc. (2012 - 2015);

·         Coach Race Walking, Athletics SA Youth Academy (2014 - );

·         Chair/Coordinator, Athletics SA Presentation Evening Awards Committee (2012 - );

·         Chair &Member, Australian Race Walking Commission;

·       Senior Lecturer International Amateur Athletic Federation Race Walking Singapore 2002:

·         Senior Lecturer International Amateur Athletic Federation Race Walking Wanganui New Zealand;

·         Senior Lecturer International Amateur Athletic Federation Race Walking Bangkok Thailand.

·         Vice President, Mildura Athletic Club;

·         Race Walking Coach in Residence Perth Western Australia (circa 2006);

·         Chief Executive Officer/Talent Identification SASI Assistant Coach Athletics South Australia Inc. (2001 -2003);

·      Consultant, Sports SA; Assessment of Applications from various Sports Clubs for Active Australia Provider Status (2001);

·           Talent Identification Coordinator, Athletics SA (2001);

·           Member South Australian Race Walking Club (circa 2001 -);

·           State Event Race Walking Coach, South Australian Sports Institute (2001-2002);

·           Member, Regional Sports Assemblies Victoria (circa 1998-2000);

·         General Manager/Executive Officer, Mallee Sports Assembly Inc. (1999-2001);

·         Senior Lecturer, International Amateur Athletic Federation Race Walking (Bangkok) (1998);

·          Member, IAAF World Race Walking Committee (1996 - 2003)

        Attended meetings in Monaco (1996), Podebrady Czeck Republic (1997), Monaco (1998), Deauville France (1999),  Monaco (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003);

·            Member IAAF Race Walking Education Scheme Oceania Region (1993 - 2014);

·            National Examiner of Race Walking Judges: Athletics Australia (1993 - ?);

·           Senior Lecturer, International Amateur Athletic Federation Race Walking  New Zealand (1992);

·           Coach, Mildura Athletics Club (1989 -2001);

·           Co-ordinator, Australian Little Athletics Championships, Darwin (1988);

·           Lecturer, Athletics Australia Race Walking Judging Accreditation Courses (Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne; Alice Springs (1988 – 2015);

·            Chairman, VLAA walk Standards Panel (circa 1982 – 1987);

·         Chairman, Northern Metropolitan Region of the Victorian Little Athletics Association (circa 1979-1980);    

·            President, Coburg Little Athletics Centre (1979 - 1980);

·            President, Coburg Little Athletics Centre (1974 – 1976);

·            Member; Coburg Little Athletics Centre Committee (circa 1972 – 1980);

·            Member, Australian Track & Field Coaches Association (approx.. 30 years);

·            International Race Walking Judging Appointments:

·         Commonwealth Games Brisbane Australia (1992);

·         Commonwealth Games Auckland New Zealand (1990);

·         World Junior Championships Sydney (1996);

·         World Championships Mezidon, France (1999);

·         World Juniors Championships Portugal (1994);

·         Japan National Championships  Wajima Japan (1996);

·         Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumper (1998) Chief Judge;

·         Olympic Games Melbourne (2000);

·         Goodwill Games  Brisbane Australia (2001);

·         Commonwealth Games Manchester, Great Britain (2002);

·         Chief Judge World Youth Championships Canada (2003);

·         Chief Judge Olympic Games, Athens Greece (2004);

·         Chief Judge IAAF Race Walking Challenge Kunshan City China (2004);

·         Chief Judge World Out of Stadia Masters Auckland New Zealand (2004);

·         Chief Judge Commonwealth Games Melbourne Australia (2006) Chief Judge; and

·         Chief Judge World Championships, La Coruna Spain (2006).

·         Coach, Northern Territory 1986 Little Athletics Team, Australian Championships, Melbourne;

·          Coach , Athletics, Darwin 1986;

·          Athletics Official, Northern Territory Athletics, Northern Territory Little Athletics, Athletics Victoria, Athletics SA and Athletics Australia (1969 - ).