Wellington Childrens Athletics

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INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
AND ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

  1. The club meets on Saturdays 11.30am to 1pm. We do not advertise cancellations, but if it is pouring with rain, we probably won't run the programme. The running track at Newtown Park is an all weather surface, so it can be used when wet.
  2. Athletics is a mix of club days, at which we try to show the children how to do the different events, or give them opportunities to practice the different disciplines, and Interclubs, of which there are 6 formal ones, one ribbon day, and the Wellington Centre championships. There are also the Colgate Games - effectively the national children's championships, which can be entered by any athlete.
  3. Participation in the Interclub events is not mandatory, but is highly encouraged. The club diaries, which will be distributed to each child, will detail where and when each event is to take place.
  4. Children taking part in Interclub events must wear club uniform and have a current year patch. Our club uniform consists of the blue "Wellington" singlet or blue "Wellington" lycra crop top. Shorts will be Navy Blue shorts/bike shorts or black shorts/bike shorts. We don't mind the wearing of non-uniform gear on club days, but please ensure that the child's clothing and footwear is appropriate Tee shirts and shorts, with a warm top and/or trackpants are acceptable. Footwear - please NO basketball style boots - these are potentially dangerous when worn for running. Many children participate in bare feet, or wear sneaker type shoes. Please don't rush out and buy spiked running shoes - talk to us first. Spiked shoes are only permitted for children in grade 10 and above, and we sometimes have pairs of shoes available.
  5. When Interclubs are held away from Newtown Park, we will either put on a bus (for which a charge will be levied) or help arrange rides where needed.
  6. Parents - we DO need your help, both on Club Days and in helping to administer the club. Please volunteer to help (be assured that those of us running things at present were once new and didn't, know what to do). If there are insufficient volunteers, a roster of parents will be instituted.
  7. Please let us know if there are any problems for you or your child which make taking part less enjoyable. We will do our best to resolve any difficulties. We do need to know if your child has any medical conditions that might arise or preclude them taking part in a particular activity - e.g. allergy to insect stings, asthma, any other allergies, etc.
  8. There is a range of training courses for parents coordinated by Sports Wellington and our local Athletics Development Officer. Details of what's on will be displayed on the Notice Board and advised by newsletter.
  9. Should my child do all the events available ? We encourage our athletes to take part in all events. They will be better at some than others, but sometimes the ones they are good at aren't the ones they thought. The different events, and the training towards them, complement each other. Sprinters need to be strong - throwing things helps develop muscles ! Throwers need to be supple and quick - sprinting helps improve these attributes. Children should not become too specialised before secondary school age at least, although there will be events they do better in and tend to focus upon.
  10. Should any child be doing more training? Kids usually get plenty of exercise in their daily lives and don't necessarily need to go out and do a 5 km run every night. If a child wishes to do more practice, or go for additional runs, fine, but at the age of most of our athletes heavy training is not recommended. Your club coaches are happy to discuss this with you. Above everything, taking part in this sport should be fun. If we have to drag the child along, there’s something wrong.
  11. How can I help? At club days we try to group the children by age/ability. Where possible we would like to have a leader with each group, whose job is to ensure they get to the next event without problems, and that the children get to know each other. We also need a number of adults at each event - one of whom will be trained, but the others just need common sense and you will soon pick up the necessary skills to do the supporting jobs. Pretty soon you will know what's needed at each event. We also need administrators - folk to help produce & post newsletters, to maintain our athlete's records and to organise small fund raising ventures - a sausage sizzle at the first Interclub for example. Please ask where you can help and tell us your skills... are you competent at first aid? An expert on computers ? A financial wizard?
  12. One of our basic principles is that each athlete deserves encouragement and rewards for their efforts. We try to record all performances, and plan to mark personal bests by issuing a certificate marking the occasion. We also try to stress to the children that the only person they are expected to beat is themself. The important thing for children to achieve is improvement in their own performances. If they do improve, we plan to recognise this through a chart of personal bests, and the issue of a certificate to mark the occasion.
  13. For secondary school age athletes, we would like to know if you are receiving training as part of organised athletics at school. If not, we may be able to help. Please let us know