Little Athletics
Encyclopedia
Little Athletics is an Australia
n activity which introduces children aged 5 to 15 (or 16 in ACT, NSW and SA) to sport through modified athletics events.
Little A's or Little Aths, as it is affectionately referred to by those who enjoy it, is not just about competing, but also about having fun, making friends and getting families involved in healthy activities. It is little surprise, then, that the motto of Little Athletics is: "Family, Fun and Fitness".
Little Athletics recognises that children vary widely in shape, size and athletic ability, and is thus one of few sports that successfully caters for them all.
Individual athletes and centre teams progress from localised competition to state competition as determined by the state Association. In Victoria
, for example, each athlete or team must compete at a Regional Championship prior to being selected to compete in the State Championship. In Tasmania
, on the other hand, there are only two regions (North and South) and no Regional Championships, and athletes must meet predetermined qualifying standards in order to compete in the State Championship. For under 13s a state team is selected each year after championships to compete against other athletes across Australia in the Australian Little Athletics Championships, a team orientated event.
It was later observed that the majority of children at a local coaching clinic designed for secondary school student
s were in fact of primary school age. Reminded of the three young boys, Billingham came up with the simple yet original idea of holding a Saturday morning competition
for these children.
On Saturday, 3 October 1964, the first Little Athletics meet was held at Landy Field, just before the senior competition, with more than 80 children taking part in a short program of running events. From then on, Little Athletics grew at a phenomenal rate across the country.
In 1967, the Victorian Little Athletics Association (VLAA) of numerous Centres was formed. Other states also began to hold competition, and on the 31st March 1972, the Australian Little Athletics Union (ALAU) was formed in Perth
by the Victorian, New South Wales
, Northern Territory
and Western Australia
n associations, later to be joined by new associations in Queensland
, South Australia
and Tasmania.
The first executive members of the ALAU were Bruce McKenzie (president
) and Alan Triscott (secretary
/treasurer
).
During the 1992/1993 season, the ALAU's name was shortened to ALA.
Little Athletics remains one of the strongest junior sporting programs in Australia, with over 95,000 participants annually.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n activity which introduces children aged 5 to 15 (or 16 in ACT, NSW and SA) to sport through modified athletics events.
Little A's or Little Aths, as it is affectionately referred to by those who enjoy it, is not just about competing, but also about having fun, making friends and getting families involved in healthy activities. It is little surprise, then, that the motto of Little Athletics is: "Family, Fun and Fitness".
Little Athletics recognises that children vary widely in shape, size and athletic ability, and is thus one of few sports that successfully caters for them all.
Little Athletics Events
Available Little Athletics events vary between age groups and from state to state. The following represents the breadth of events available, but not all are available in any given state.- Sprints: 50 m, 70 m, 100 m, 150 m, 200 m, 60 m Hurdles, 80 m Hurdles, 90 m Hurdles, 100 m Hurdles,300m hurdles (U13,14,15,16)
- Distance: 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m , 700/1100/1500 metre walk (depending on age group)
- Relays: 4x100 m Relay, 4x200 m Relay, 4x400 m Relay, Medly Relay (100m,100m, 200m, 400m)
- Throws: Shot Put, Discus, Javelin (U11,12,13,14,15,16)
- Jumps: Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump
- Multi-Event (pentathlon)includes 100m, 800m, 60/80m/90m/100m hurdles (depending on age group), Discus and Long Jump
- Cross-Country 1km, 1.5km, 2km, 3km (depending on age group)
- There is often a race for 3 and 4 year olds of 50m
Structure and Governance
Under Australian Little Athletics (ALA), the independent governing body for Little Athletics in Australia, each mainland state and territory has its own Association, each responsible for running Little Athletics in its respective state. In turn, each of these Associations is composed of one or more geographical regions. These regions contain numerous localised Centres where normal weekly competition takes place. Each centre consists of one or more clubs with which each athlete is associated with at centre competition level.Individual athletes and centre teams progress from localised competition to state competition as determined by the state Association. In Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, for example, each athlete or team must compete at a Regional Championship prior to being selected to compete in the State Championship. In Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, on the other hand, there are only two regions (North and South) and no Regional Championships, and athletes must meet predetermined qualifying standards in order to compete in the State Championship. For under 13s a state team is selected each year after championships to compete against other athletes across Australia in the Australian Little Athletics Championships, a team orientated event.
History
In October 1963, three young boys went to a senior athletics meet held in Geelong, Victoria. Much to their disappointment, they were turned away by an official, Trevor Billingham, who told them that they were too young to compete.It was later observed that the majority of children at a local coaching clinic designed for secondary school student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s were in fact of primary school age. Reminded of the three young boys, Billingham came up with the simple yet original idea of holding a Saturday morning competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
for these children.
On Saturday, 3 October 1964, the first Little Athletics meet was held at Landy Field, just before the senior competition, with more than 80 children taking part in a short program of running events. From then on, Little Athletics grew at a phenomenal rate across the country.
In 1967, the Victorian Little Athletics Association (VLAA) of numerous Centres was formed. Other states also began to hold competition, and on the 31st March 1972, the Australian Little Athletics Union (ALAU) was formed in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
by the Victorian, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n associations, later to be joined by new associations in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Tasmania.
The first executive members of the ALAU were Bruce McKenzie (president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
) and Alan Triscott (secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
/treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
).
During the 1992/1993 season, the ALAU's name was shortened to ALA.
Little Athletics remains one of the strongest junior sporting programs in Australia, with over 95,000 participants annually.
External links
- Little Athletics Australia
- Little Athletics Tasmania
- Little Athletics Western Australia
- Little Athletics South Australia
- Little Athletics Victoria
- Little Athletics New South Wales
- Little Athletics Queensland
- North Rockhampton Athletics Centre
- Little Athletics Early History
- VLAA Centre Numbers including seasons Centres first formed
- Bargara Little Athletics Centre Queensland
- Casey Little Athletics Centre Located in Outer Melbourne South Eastern Suburbs
- Werribee Little Athletics Centre
- Hallett Cove Little Athletics Centre
- Reynella East and Districts Little Athletics Centre
- Magill Little Athletics Centre Eastern Adelaide
- Mount Druitt Little Athletics Centre
- Knox Little Athletics Centre Outer Eastern Melbourne Suburbs
- Bayswater Bullets Little Athletics Club One of eleven clubs within the Knox Little Athletics Centre
- Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre
- Queanbeyan Little Athletics Centre
- Huon Valley Little Athletics Centre
- Kingborough Little Athletics Centre
- Queenborough Little Athletics Centre
- Hobart Districts Little Athletics Centre
- East Derwent Little Athletics Centre
- Clarence Little Athletics Centre
- Claremont Little Athletics Centre
- South Launceston Little Athletics Centre
- Caulfield Little Athletics Centre