More than 30 years ago, Craig Scott married into what could only be described as a Kiama Little Athletics dynasty - and today, he finds himself part of four generations of the same family still actively involved in the club.

It all began with Scott’s father-in-law, Don Hodgekiss.

“He’s been involved since 1971 as a coach, starting at Lake Illawarra Little Athletics,” said Scott.

“He’s now 90, and he still coaches little athletes. It’s unbelievable. I honestly can’t believe it when I see it.”

Scott began helping out in 1993, not long after marrying Don’s daughter. Like Don, he started at Lake Illawarra, before moving with the family to Kiama in 2003, where they’ve remained ever since.

The family legacy has only grown.

“My daughter, Talissa, has been involved since 1996. She spent most of her Little Athletics career at Kiama. She got married three years ago, and now my granddaughter, Sienna, who’s three, attended her first Little Athletics meet just two weeks ago,” Scott said proudly.

That makes four generations of one family showing up at Little Athletics meets every week - something Scott didn’t even realise until it was pointed out to him.

“I didn’t pick up on it - I was too busy running around. I’m also the president of the Kiama Little Athletics Centre. I was making sure everything was ready to go when someone said to me, ‘You know there are four generations of your family here?’”

Like many volunteers, Scott was hesitant at first when asked to get involved.

“When our kids were old enough to attend, my wife said, ‘I want to take the kids to Little Athletics.’ So I was, for want of a better term, late - I was just dragged along because the family went.

“But I found out after a while that I didn’t mind it at all.”

In fact, Scott went on to become a major figure in the sport. In 2017, he was appointed Chairman of the Little Athletics NSW Board, and he is now a life member of the organisation.

Even after his children stopped competing, he chose to stay involved - a decision that often prompts the question: why?

“I just really enjoy being with the children and watching them grow. Now I’ve got second-generation families coming through - kids who were Little Athletes when I first started at Kiama, now bringing their own children.”

“From my perspective, it’s not a requirement to have your own kids involved. If you enjoy it and enjoy being with the children, that’s enough. I’ve been mowing and marking that athletics track down there for 21 years.”

For Scott, the memories made along the way have been just as important as the achievements.

“As a family, we really loved going away to carnivals. Every year there’s a Zone Championships, and we’d go away for the weekend. I was also the Mid-South Coast Zone Coordinator, so I ran those carnivals too.”

“We’d also travel to region carnivals in places like Dubbo, Finley, and Wellington. We’d leave on a Thursday or Friday, and there’d be 20 or 30 people from the club - we’d book out an entire caravan park or hotel. They were wonderful weekends away that I’ll never forget.”

But at the heart of the story - and the reason this legacy exists - is one man.

“It all stems from Don, the patriarch. I still can’t get over the fact he’s actively involved. He still runs long jump and triple jump at every club meet. And when I tell people he’s 90 years old, they can’t believe it.

“He’s truly an inspiration - someone who keeps us coming back.”

To have four generations of one family involved in a single club is rare - and in this case, it’s a testament to the commitment, generosity, and spirit of a family that Kiama is lucky to have.