Junior athletics FAQ

owairakaathletics
Jan 27
3 min read

It's our first junior club night of the year tomorrow, Wednesday 28 January. We thought you might have some questions. We've answered some common ones here, so you know what's happening and what to expect. We're looking forward to seeing you all at the Lovelock Track tomorrow!

What time should I arrive?

Our programme starts at 6pm. Plan to arrive a bit before that, so you're ready to get into it at 6pm. And anytime from 5pm if you want to buy uniform.

Which leads us to the next question...

What should I wear?

A club t-shirt or singlet, if you have one, and otherwise just comfortable sports clothes. And running shoes, ideally.

After the first couple of sessions, we expect all of our juniors to wear a club t-shirt or singlet, but it's ok if you don't have it sorted tomorrow.

If you still need to by uniform, Lenco will have a pop-up shop at the club from 5-6pm. They will be selling Owairaka tees, caps and new sublimated tees and singlets for kids too (more like our adult singlets). You are also welcome to pre-order hoodies. Eftpos will be available and you can pay by contact less credit or debit card or cash.

Where do we meet?

On the track in front of the clubrooms (ages 7+), or in the grass infield (under 7s). At 6 we'll welcome you all and get things under way.

Which group am I in?

Our training squads are organised by year of birth.

Halberg Squad - born 2019 or later

Meet in the middle of the field at 6pm.

Coaches Bart, Mack, Annika, Grace and Grace

Parent support is essential - please stay with your children in this group if possible

Snell Squad - born in 2016, 2017, 2018

Meet in front of the clubrooms at 6pm

Kelly Sports coaches including Hunter & Luke

3 rotations per night - running, jumping & throwing

Lydiard Squad - born 2015 or earlier

Meet in front on the clubrooms at 6pm

Coaches Nick, Dion, Timo, Josef & Nigel

Group warmup then two rotations - one run, one field event per week

We also run a few extension groups from 7-7:30 for older, keen athletes who want to do more of a specific event. This week: Distance running (a longer run), jumps (long jump this week) and throws (javelin - 10+ only).

Do I need to sign in?

No.

Do parents need to stay?

Yes please! Especially if your children are under 10 or you are new to the club. Our coaches are there to coach, so parent help on the night helps keep things running smoothly and safely. Plus you get to be part of the action. It's always lots of fun!

How can I help?

Halberg Squad (u7) parents - just be available to support coaches and your children in the activities.

Snell Squad parents - we need help running an event each week (eg measuring, raking, recording), and a couple of parents per group (7, 8, 9 year olds) each week to manage a group and support the coaches.

We'll need two parents on throws and two on jumps to support Nigel and Josef.

We also need a timekeeper to do some bell-ringing, some extra hands at setup and packdown, and a couple of sausage sizzlers. Let us know when you arrive if you're keen to help, or email us if you'd like to sign up as a regular. Thank you! We appreciate you!

Parking?

Apart from the main carpark trackside, there's another accessible from Gifford Ave. It does get busy, so allow time, or even better walk or bike if you're local :-)