Junior Development
Introducing young athletes to track and field is a great way to engage them in healthy living, and start them off with an appreciation of the variety of sports that are available for athletes to participate in. In addition to the work being done by the club there are many activities that parents can do with their kids, or encourage them to do by themselves. Please see the links below to find activities that work for you and your young athlete. Remeber young athletes like play more than competing – therefore consider incorporating more play & free-play even in warm-ups & drills – like tag, bear crawl tag, cartwheels, running over objects, obstacle courses etc.
​
Not only is strength training safe for kids when done properly, but it also has numerous benefits. As outlined in Doug Dupont's article, Fit Kids Are Healthier and Happier, research suggests kids who are stronger and more conditioned perform better in school and are less likely to engage in unhealthy activities.
Remember, one of the most important facets for junior athletes, is that they have fun and are safe. If you have any resources that you would like to share please send them to dean.thorsell@sd47.bc.ca for us to include and share.
-
Track and Field Training Programs: introduce young athletes to Track and Field and prepare them for meets. These resources are prepared by the New York Road Runners (NYRR)
-
Youth Fitness Guy: A series of YouTube videos introducing a variety of activities and games for youth with regards to fitness and strength training. It is important for young athletes to engage not only in Track and Field Events, but also to work on general strength training.
-
The International Youth Coaching Association (IYCA): Another great series of YouTube videos introducing a variety of activities and games for youth with regards to fitness and strength training.
-
Strength Training for Young Children: Examples of games that you can play with your young athletes to encourage healthy movements, while ensuring that they have fun!
-
NCCP coaching ed Every adult working with young athletes should considertaking the National Coaching Certification Program as it will help them develop the confidence to work with athletes in a variety of sports.
-
Play Assessment This is a great website for parents that are interested in assessing the physical literacy of their child, it has a range of different assessments that can be completed with rubrics so you can assess their physical literacy quickly and easily. Also a great website to just figure out what physical literacy even means. Most of the time these assessments are best done without the child even knowing that they are being assessed but some children like being assessed because they are either confident or interested.
Good Reads
Below is a list of some great articles to help with struggling athletes, as well as some great resources to helping kids become healthier, stronger, and happier.