Junior Track & Field

Club Philosophy

At Sumner Running Club our aim is to provide a safe, friendly environment for your child to develop their athletic potential.  We have a philosophy that rests on individual improvement and diversity of experience.  This means we focus on participation in all disciplines, and improvement of individual “personal bests” whether that is at novice or national level.  We understand that children will have their favourite events, but training and competing in all events will improve their overall strength and co-ordination and may even unwrap a hidden talent!  At this age we strongly believe it is too early for the athletes to specialize.

The lifelong benefits which come from involvement in athletics can start here and we hope your children enjoy the challenges and achievements they will encounter.

Training

Training takes place at Ferrymead Park.

Day	Time	Coaching
Tuesday	4:30 – 5:30pm	Ann Wells and Marty Lukes (all disciplines)
Thursday	tba	Lockie Campbell (middle distance for 10+)

A likely format will have an initial group warm-up and then work in smaller groups on the various track and field disciplines, however this will depend on the coaches and parent help.

Training begins in Term IV on Tuesday 13th October 2020 and will run through to the end of the secondary schools athletic season which is usually the South Island Secondary Schools Championships in April 2021.

The RJT (Run Jump Throw) programme is an excellent Athletics New Zealand initiative designed to teach the foundation skills of athletics in a fun and varied way, and we envisage running this programme for the 7 to 9 year olds. This is a great way for parents to take a first step in learning about the fundamental skills of athletics and we encourage you to get involved.

Parental support during training times will be needed and much appreciated by the coaches.

Saturday Competition

This takes place at Nga Puna Wai between 8.45am and 1.00pm and to compete you must be a registered athlete (see below).  The programme runs in age grades (7-14) and provides an opportunity to compete in four events which alternate on a weekly basis.  Our expectation is that the athletes compete in four events each weekend.  Attendance every week is not compulsory, but please let your club captain know if you are not attending.

The first Interclub Meeting: Saturday 17th October

New Members

The Canterbury Children’s Athletic Association allows the first two weekends of competition as a free trial period so there is an opportunity to experience the atmosphere and competition before you register. We would ask that all NEW members use this trial period BEFORE they register.

The club has a duty to perform each week and the parents of registered athletes are required to help with that duty.  It is exactly the same for all clubs and is the only way the sport can operate.  The duty is not difficult and you will be guided by one of the 30 or so officials Athletics Canterbury provide.

Athletes must wear the Sumner club uniform when competing.  They will also be issued with a registration number and age patch which must also be worn when competing.  Walkers require two numbers so please let Ann know if your child intends to participate in the walks.

Registration

The registration process will open in September. Once completed your child will be a registered member of the Sumner Running Club, Canterbury Children’s Athletics Association, Athletics Canterbury, and Athletics New Zealand. 

Full registration entitles them to compete on Saturday mornings at Nga Puna Wai, Rawhiti Domain, Aorangi Stadium in Timaru, at the Canterbury Championships, and the South Island Colgate Games.  They are also eligible for Canterbury age group selection.

A number of interprovincial meetings are held each year with Saturday performances and Canterbury Championship performances counting towards selection.

We will be accepting membership from athletes aged 7 to 14.  The 4 options for junior membership for the 2020/21 summer season are:

Option	Description	Cost
1	You are already a club member who competed in the 2020 winter cross-country season and wish to train and compete in Track & Field on Saturdays. Choose Upgrade.	$95
2	You are already a club member who competed in the 2020 winter cross-country season and wish to attend training sessions only. Choose Training Only – Existing.	$40
3	You are a new member for 2020-21 and are joining to train and compete in Track & Field on Saturdays. Choose 2020/21 New Member.	$140
4	You wish to attend the training sessions but not compete on Saturdays. Choose Training Only – New.	$95