Family Roadtest: Little Athletics
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Earlier this year, our eight-year-old daughter Sophia ran her first cross country race, and promptly made it to Zone.
Mr HerCanberra and I looked at each other, slightly bemused, and said ‘well, I guess she can run!’. Her school doesn’t place a huge emphasis on physical activity, so while we’d seen her run around the backyard and on the odd family walk, this came as a bit of a surprise.
Since then, we’ve been toying with the idea of nurturing her talent. We think it’s hugely important for both our girls to be physically active, and they already dance and swim, but running wasn’t really on our radar (even though her dad is a marathoner!) So she and Dad went in a few ‘fun runs’ together, and then a few friends suggested, ‘get her into Little A’s!’.
Somewhat serendipitously, not long after, an invitation to a ‘come and try’ session from Little Athletics ACT landed in my inbox. And so it came to pass that Soph and I lobbed along to Woden Park one sunny Saturday morning.
We were met by a sea of orange (our visit coincided with the Jetstar Round, so all participants had been urged to wear the sponsor’s colour) and a whole lot of excited kids. We weren’t entirely sure where to go or what to do, but everyone was super-friendly and welcoming and we were soon sorted.
The session started with all the little athletes (aged from five to 16 years) gathering for a quick Club update — including hearty rounds of congratulations for those who had competed at regional and state competitions. After the (very friendly) formalities, the athletes were sent off for a quick warm up and then divided into their age groups to start the first activity in the day’s program.
As you’d expect in Canberra and its ‘two degrees of separation’ syndrome, there were a handful of kids and parents who we knew from school, and this helped to ease Sophia’s nerves about being the ‘new kid’ trying out in the middle of term.
At a typical meet, athletes compete over a range of events from throwing, jumping, running, and walking. Events are specific to each age group, with weights of throwing implements and the heights of hurdles adjusted to suit their age.
Sophia’s group started with the 100m. It was a day of many firsts for her: the first time she’d run on a synthetic athletics track, her first starter’s gun experience, and her first high jump (we’ll get to that later). Her team’s assigned coach could not have been more lovely or encouraging, walking her to her lane and talking her through what she needed to do, including explaining the ‘photo finish’ barriers at the finish line which help track each child’s progress from week to week.
Her first race was a cracker; she ran her little legs off, coming mid-field, and couldn’t wait to get back to the start line for another go. Then it was on to the 70m, a chance to have a go over a shorter distance.
High jump was next, and some uncertainty started to creep in; but her fellow athletes couldn’t have been more encouraging, telling her they hit the bar the first few times they did it, too. Again, her coach gently prepared her, showing and telling her how to ‘bend’ her run up, and scissor her legs to jump. The first couple of attempts were a little shaky, with Sophia tackling the bar a little too head on; but on her third attempt she cleared the bar and the smile on her face was just gold! I’ve included a little ‘proud mum’ video below so you can share in my delight!
That morning she also had a chance to give shot putt and relay racing a go. In another week, she might have tried long jump, longer distance running, or discus. The beauty of Little Athletics is that with so many events, kids will find something they love.
She had a ball, and by the end of the morning she’d made a few new friends. I had too — parents are involved in running each event and I had some great chats.
Little Athletics has two mottos — ‘Family Fun and Fitness’ and ‘Be Your Best’. I love the focus on personal bests and on developing children of all abilities by promoting positive attitudes. It’s not necessarily about running faster than everyone else, or jumping higher — it’s about running faster or jumping higher than they did last time. It’s about giving each child the opportunity to reach their own goals. And for me, this message of striving to be the best you can be, and of continually improving, is what it’s all about.
Plus, it’s a fantastic active way to spend a Saturday morning as a family!
the essentials
What: Little Athletics
When: Every Saturday morning. Meets start between 8:30am and 9am and run for two to three hours, depending on age group.
Where: Find your nearest Centre here.
How much: Registration fees vary from Centre to Centre but are usually between $110 to $130. A uniform is also required.
Web: actlaa.org.au
This is a sponsored post but opinions are the author’s own. It complies with the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission’s guidelines on Online Reviews. Read our Sponsored Post Policy if you would like more information. The author’s daughter participated in a free Come and Try session courtesy of Little Athletics ACT.
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