Recommended Activities for Athletics Club , kids 5-7

Seres

Hi just wondering , what activities are good for the athletic development of kids from ages 5-7 ? Our local club seems to lack a bit of variation , we tend to focus on relays/hurdles. Obviously their coordination is still pretty limited at that stage and their attention span so this restricts the options a bit ?

RoyMcC

That is so very young for proper athletics training. In addition to what you're doing I'd throw in loads of energetic games - there are endless numbers of these. Children love them at that age. It keeps them happy and develops co-ordination and speed.

You can organise running, jumping and throwing competitions of course but in moderation and with no emphasis on results.

Above all, don't keep them hanging around waiting for a turn at something. As you've observed they'll quickly lose interest.

donothoponpop

Agree with Roy, the main thing is to keep them interested and active. With our group, this means (over an hour):

*warm-up jog, light stretching exercises, jumping jacks, etc. In practice this is just to get some order imposed and get all the various kids together who are playing all over the field.

*20 mins sprint races, defined by age. Great excitement, but this wears off quick as the age groups cycle and they wait their turn.

*20 mins relays. HAVE to do the relays. Even the talented 12 year olds won't train without the carrot of a relay at the end:)

*15 mins hurdles. Two rows, so friends can race each other. Run over about 6 hurdles, then jog back to the end of the Q.

What I've noticed is it takes a while for them to get bored of this. Training should be play at this stage. Any time I've started a more serious training schedule in Feb, they lose interest pretty soon, and start whining for relays and "fun". As well they might. As the year goes on, some start noticing the sand pit, and the novelty of trying shot or long jump takes off. By that stage too, sprinters know thats what they want to do, middle distance know thats for them. But very much let them find this for themselves, rather than trying to impose structure on them.

My 2c, as coach to numerous Community Games medalists (mainly in the relay;))

donothoponpop

Oh, and if you want to make youself smile, try getting the 5 year olds to run like a dinosaur, or a lion, or a giant

Seres

RoyMcC wrote: »

That is so very young for proper athletics training. In addition to what you're doing I'd throw in loads of energetic games - there are endless numbers of these. Children love them at that age. It keeps them happy and develops co-ordination and speed.

You can organise running, jumping and throwing competitions of course but in moderation and with no emphasis on results.

Above all, don't keep them hanging around waiting for a turn at something. As you've observed they'll quickly lose interest.

Ya the age is a contentious issue in the club , i think 5 is too young , the hour is treated like a babysitting club by some parents ( my own personal view )

donothoponpop wrote: »

Agree with Roy, the main thing is to keep them interested and active. With our group, this means (over an hour):

*warm-up jog, light stretching exercises, jumping jacks, etc. In practice this is just to get some order imposed and get all the various kids together who are playing all over the field.

*20 mins sprint races, defined by age. Great excitement, but this wears off quick as the age groups cycle and they wait their turn.

*20 mins relays. HAVE to do the relays. Even the talented 12 year olds won't train without the carrot of a relay at the end:)

*15 mins hurdles. Two rows, so friends can race each other. Run over about 6 hurdles, then jog back to the end of the Q.

What I've noticed is it takes a while for them to get bored of this. Training should be play at this stage. Any time I've started a more serious training schedule in Feb, they lose interest pretty soon, and start whining for relays and "fun". As well they might. As the year goes on, some start noticing the sand pit, and the novelty of trying shot or long jump takes off. By that stage too, sprinters know thats what they want to do, middle distance know thats for them. But very much let them find this for themselves, rather than trying to impose structure on them.

My 2c, as coach to numerous Community Games medalists (mainly in the relay;))

Thanks appreciate that , gonna do out a few plans and see how they work , the kids do get bored fairly quickly alright and things dont normally go to plan cause the kids have other ideas as to what they want to do . Wondered bout the stretching for kids alright if its necessary but good way to warm them up to the hour session

donothoponpop wrote: »

Oh, and if you want to make youself smile, try getting the 5 year olds to run like a dinosaur, or a lion, or a giant

Love this , thanks

Oh ya , do you do any ball games with them ? just for general coordination and body awareness ? I dont think athletics clubs should focus on running solely for the younger kids , too limited ?!

asimonov

Hi Seres

Have a look at this series of videos from New York Road Runners on teaching kids...we use these in our club and the kids love them.

The elementary schools ones would be perfect for that age group

http://www.nyrr.org/ycr/ars/index.asp

If indoors in a parish hall etc you can also run 15m races...(the shortest races in the world!!), these are quick so you can recycle the kids through them quickly without much hanging around.

donothoponpop

Seres wrote: »

Ya the age is a contentious issue in the club , i think 5 is too young , the hour is treated like a babysitting club by some parents ( my own personal view )

Thanks appreciate that , gonna do out a few plans and see how they work , the kids do get bored fairly quickly alright and things dont normally go to plan cause the kids have other ideas as to what they want to do . Wondered bout the stretching for kids alright if its necessary but good way to warm them up to the hour session

Oh ya , do you do any ball games with them ? just for general coordination and body awareness ? I dont think athletics clubs should focus on running solely for the younger kids , too limited ?!

When I first started, I was shocked at the amount of parents who saw it as free babysitting. Drop kids off, turn and leave for an hour. I've since just stopped thinking about this, although there have been times when a kid has fallen and in floods of tears, and no parent to be seen. Its a sign of the times that I'm not willing to touch or comfort young kids. It'll give you an idea of the coaching standard though, that I'm considered the "athlete" coach. Other parents usually train the 5's (yes, its too young, maybe you could suggest some of the parents help babysit/train their own kids as a group?).

The stretching thing is more to make them think they are doing "proper" training. Not as necessary as if they were teens/faster. Can't do any harm though, and it shows them what stretching is. If they were older/faster I'd research dynamic stretching.

I'd be wary about bringing in a ball, in only that the older kids will invariably want one too, and soon be playing football rather than running (we train on a GAA pitch so the temptation is always there). But that's my personal opinion, I tend to think the kids suited to athletics are often the ones left out of GAA teams, so make of that what you will. There's an AAI starter pack for AC's, has equipment such as those tiny step-over hurdles, foam javelins, etc. Have you got a set of these?

asimonov

Agree on the age, we are 6 upwards and would prefer to have 7 year olds up really. We are also rammed with kids for training but when races are on the amount of no-shows is very high.

Sorry to go off topic - but does any other clubs here charge a small fee €1 or €2 per night? We don't at the moment but are looking at bringing it in.

RoyMcC

asimonov wrote: »

Hi Seres

Have a look at this series of videos from New York Road Runners on teaching kids...we use these in our club and the kids love them.

The elementary schools ones would be perfect for that age group

http://www.nyrr.org/ycr/ars/index.asp

Link doesn't work for me

RoyMcC

asimonov wrote: »

Agree on the age, we are 6 upwards and would prefer to have 7 year olds up really. We are also rammed with kids for training but when races are on the amount of no-shows is very high.

Sorry to go off topic - but does any other clubs here charge a small fee €1 or €2 per night? We don't at the moment but are looking at bringing it in.

Mainly 8s upwards here. There have been calls to drop the age but in my opinion you don't need qualified coaches to look after this group. I'd have no objection to enthusiastic adults looking after a younger group but don't call it athletics.

All our athletes - young and old - pay a small fee each time. They would be expected to become club members after a few weeks. It's a very cheap sport compared with others and parents are happy to pay a pound/euro or two.

donothoponpop

asimonov wrote: »

Sorry to go off topic - but does any other clubs here charge a small fee €1 or €2 per night? We don't at the moment but are looking at bringing it in.

We're free, against my wishes. I do a lot of various volunteering, and notice more and more that "free=no value" to a generation brought up on brands and consumerism. Put a nominal charge, and suddenly people see the worth in what they're paying. Although that can be the thin end of the wedge too, the start of selling a product. €1/€2 sounds good though, any more than that and start raising the red flag, comrade asimonov.

asimonov

Hi Roy

Just working off a phone so this is a bit difficult - can you try this link?

http://www.nyrrf.org/ycr/ars/index.asp

I think we'll have to bring the charge in. At least that way the babysitting pays for new singlets etc for those that race.

Woddle

RoyMcC wrote: »

Link doesn't work for me

http://www.nyrrf.org/ycr/ars/overview/middle_games.asp

ecoli

asimonov wrote: »

Sorry to go off topic - but does any other clubs here charge a small fee €1 or €2 per night? We don't at the moment but are looking at bringing it in.

I think this is fair when you think about it once a week is roughly 50e a year plenty enough for membership for the year without a big lump sum to put kids off

In terms of activities the aim should be to create games which work on basic elemetnts crucial to the sport; reactions, co-ordination etc.

A good way to implement this kind of thing is circuits where you can work on these different aspects while the kids still feeling like they are playing games

Snatch the bacon is a great game to work on reactions and awareness. This is one I grew up playing in my local Community Games club. Also stuff like races where the kids start in a seated position facing the opposite direction in which they have to run. Their reaction to get to there feet and turn before the race is the focus of the exercise but kids still feel like they are having fun with the race

Woddle

Is the €1/2 seperate to the membership. I've paid my subs for the family and would hate to start paying a €1/2 a session and never mind the fact I'd probably be the one collecting it at the end of the night

Our club is for 7+ and I can't imagine having kids younger. I think a lot of emphasis should be given to the social aspect aswell, making friends which in itself will keep the kids interested in athletics as they have their weekly catch up. Friendly rivalry in the sprints can be great aswell and the kids know I'll always call the winner, none of this everyones a winner crap

The kids also finish of with a zig zag around the track. They stand in lets say lane 4 about 8ft apart and one at a time run in and out of others, looks great when they get it.

donothoponpop

Woddle wrote: »

Friendly rivalry in the sprints can be great aswell and the kids know I'll always call the winner, none of this everyones a winner crap

A complement to this, the no.1 rule in our (younger) groups over the years is "Run to the line". That means the one's who always come last don't get discouraged; so long as they give their best, and don't give up before the line, they're on an upward curve. I encourage every single one of them to keep running hard until they cross the line, and the one's who do this are the one's who progress as the season goes on. In fact, come mid-season, you're guaranteed that Mr. Natural talent super sprinter who gets used to winning, will be pipped on the line as he slows down through complacency, by someone who has the hunger. All our runners know that a 200m race is 205m long.

asimonov

Woddle wrote: »

Is the €1/2 seperate to the membership. I've paid my subs for the family and would hate to start paying a €1/2 a session and never mind the fact I'd probably be the one collecting it at the end of the night

Our club is for 7+ and I can't imagine having kids younger. I think a lot of emphasis should be given to the social aspect aswell, making friends which in itself will keep the kids interested in athletics as they have their weekly catch up. Friendly rivalry in the sprints can be great aswell and the kids know I'll always call the winner, none of this everyones a winner crap

The kids also finish of with a zig zag around the track. They stand in lets say lane 4 about 8ft apart and one at a time run in and out of others, looks great when they get it.

It would be on top of the annual. Our annual sub is low at €25 per individual and €50 per family - so I think even €1 per family per week when they come to training would still be value.

RoyMcC

Yep, nothing vexes me more than an athlete slowing down approaching the line.

While I agree there has to be competition you have to find ways of keeping the slightly weaker ones encouraged. Relays play a big part in this where a slower runner doesn't feel he/she is always coming last.

Also, do you sometimes play around with handicapping races? Say you're doing a series of 40m sprint races would you give the stronger boys/girls an appropriate handicap once they've won a race or two? It keeps everyone honest and well-matched.

Marthastew

Some great tips to be had on the NYRR site, I'll definitely be using some of them.

I've helped coach this age group for Community Games and in GAA and would agree that a lot of parents view the hour as a drop off/babysit facility.
As everone else above has said and as I'm sure you are well aware the main thing with this age group is to keep them busy and occupied as they get distracted very easliy.

A couple of tips I've learnt along the way;

In general it's a case of organised chaos and if you finish the session with no injuries and a few smiling kids you've done well:)

Warm-up is a good way of calming them down and getting them in the mind-set that they are part of a training group for the next hour. I usually get the cheeky, noisy ones to come up front and demonstrate with me.
I also tell them what muscles they are stretching and then as the weeks go along I ask them to put up their hands and tell me how to stretch a particular muscle.

Teams and relays work really well with this age group and it's a good way of mixing the stronger with the weaker ones. I let them choose a team name each evening; animals one week, cartoon characters the next, cars etc... They like to feel somewhat in control.

With regard to ballwork, we used to have small fabric cushions that the kids used to pass to throw to each other, not sure if you have any of these, they are good for hand-eye coordination.

Ending each session with some type of game, British Bulldog or Red Rover is also a good option depending on how much space you have.

Have fun

Seres

donothoponpop wrote: »

(yes, its too young, maybe you could suggest some of the parents help babysit/train their own kids as a group?).

There's an AAI starter pack for AC's, has equipment such as those tiny step-over hurdles, foam javelins, etc. Have you got a set of these?

All the equipment we had seems to have disappeared but im not too worried , i think you can do alot with a few cones and bean bags .
Is that AAI starter pack expensive ?

ecoli wrote: »

Snatch the bacon is a great game to work on reactions and awareness.

How does Snatch the bacon work ?

Woddle wrote: »

The kids also finish of with a zig zag around the track. They stand in lets say lane 4 about 8ft apart and one at a time run in and out of others, looks great when they get it.

Can you explain this a bit further ?

PVincent

Athletics Ireland have the following to cater for this age ...if you go onto the AAI site you will get more info ...you can the packs from you local development officer and I think they are free ...find out who looks after your ra and ring them asap ...

Little Athletics

Little Athletics is a program designed to address the specific physical requirements of children in the 5 - 10 year old age bracket. It focuses on introducing the fundamentals of athletic movement to children in a fun, exciting and non-competitive environment.
This age group has been identified as the FUNdamental stage in the long term physical development of the child, and the development of fundamental skills such as agility, co-ordination and balance will contribute greatly to future sporting achievements.
Little Athletics centres on the use of games to provide fun while developing fitness. Props such as hurdles, obstacles, medicine balls, foam javelins and hula-hoops will be used to encourage tumbling, running, throwing, hopping and jumping.
Athletics Ireland is encouraging clubs to establish a Little Athletics program within their clubs. This consists of a one hour slot in a sports hall environment where children in the 5 - 10 yr old age bracket can develop athletic fundamentals - agility, balance and co-ordination - in a fun and non competitive atmosphere.
The Little Athletics programme will be delivered by Athletics Leaders - adults trained by Athletics Ireland through the Athletic Leader coaching qualification. The Athletic Leader qualification is the first step on Athletic Irelands new Coach Education Program and is designed for people who hope to work with children at this stage of development. No previous athletic or coaching experience is required and this qualification presents an ideal opportunity for parents and young adults to become more actively involved in their club.
For further information on Little Athletics or the Athletic Leader qualification please contact your local Athletics Ireland Development Officer. Click here for Contact Details