Athlete Progression Guide

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Evangeline Rich
8 years ago
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1 Western Australia Stay on Track

2 Athletics is a sport for all ages that provides equal opportunity for girls and boys across a range of track and field disciplines. Athletics WA and Little Athletics WA have worked closely over the past few years to provide a clearer path for athletes to move from junior to senior athletics and now have joint development programs to achieve this. It is with great anticipation that we look forward to your continued involvement in our fantastic sport and trust this guide assists you. Wayne Loxley (Athletics WA) & Samya Monaco (WA Little Athletics) The purpose of this guide is to inform and educate athletes of the opportunities available at all levels of athletics here in Western Australia. Whether you are an athlete focussed on continued participation or seeking information on performance pathways, this resource summarises the possibilities and avenues that you can travel to fulfil your goals. There are many exciting initiatives being put in place at a state and national level to identify and retain athletes. Little Athletics and Athletics WA are committed to providing a supportive environment for participants throughout the sport with the aim of encouraging long term involvements.

Athlete Progression Pathway International Training: WA Institute of Sport, Specialist or National Coaches Competitions: Olympics, Commonwealth Games, IAAF World, Youth and Junior Championships,

3 Athlete Progression Pathway International Training: WA Institute of Sport, Specialist or National Coaches Competitions: Olympics, Commonwealth Games, IAAF World, Youth and Junior Championships, Diamond League International Body National Teams & Competitions National Training: National Development Squad, Target Talent Program, Coaches National Bodies Competitions: Australian Open, Little Athletics, Junior, All Schools and Masters Championships. National Circuit State Bodies State Training: ET Clinics, State Development Squads, Coaches Competitions: State, Country, Masters and All-Schools Championships Development Framework U16- U17: Training U13- U15: Practicing Technical Model Local Participation: Little Athletics Centres, Senior Clubs, Masters, Schools Competitions: Centre/Zone Comps, Strive Track & Field Program, School Carnivals, West Coast Athletics League U9- U12: Learning Event Specific Skills U7- U8: Moving Fundamental Athletics Skills Up to U6: Playing Fundamental Motor Skills

4 Clubs are the cornerstone of Athletics at all levels, they provide the social environment, training and representation opportunities. For most Little Athletes, Senior clubs provide the next step in the journey and the chance to continue their career with friends while enhancing the fundamental skills learnt in the initial years. In a growing number of instances, senior clubs are attached to their local Little Athletics Centres, providing a comfortable means of progression for teenage athletes. Albany LAC Albany Athletics Club albanyaths.asn.au Bunbury LAC Bunbury Athletics Club bunburyregionalathleticsclub.myclub.org.au Southern Districts LAC Gosnells LAC Canning Districts Athletic Club Curtin Athletics Club Gosnells Bullets Athletics Group cpunch33@gmail.com slcrichton@hotmail.com gosnellsbullets@westnet.com.au Joondalup LAC Joondalup Athletics Club paul.heywood@bigpond.com Kingsway LAC Kingsway Athletics Club ajscoach@hotmail.com Melville LAC Melville Athletics Club seniors@melvilleroar.com Peel LAC & Rockingham LAC Mandurah/Rockingham Athletics Club junehs@bigpond.com Hamersley LAC North Beach Athletics Club nbablues.com Ridgewood LAC Ridgewood Athletics Club bernie5369@hotmail.com UWA LAC UWA Athletics Club uwaac.com.au Other clubs include Masters Athletics WA, Surf Life Saving WA and West Track Club.

5 The world watched closely as Sally Pearson held off her rivals to win gold in a thrilling women s 100m hurdles final at London s Olympic Stadium. It was years in the making. Pearson first met her coach, Sharon Hannan, when she was 12 at the 1999 Queensland Little Athletics Championships. Their partnership has evolved as Pearson competed at every level of competition. Pearson has now progressed into a World, Olympic and Commonwealth champion that has travelled the world doing what she loves. Her career is most certainly an inspiration for aspiring athletes. Source: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Europe) The coach-athlete partnership is a special one from which many great things can be achieved. According to your age, abilities or event, there are coaches available at all levels of Track & Field in WA. Little Athletics Centres and Senior Clubs are where a large proportion of coaches also do their work. From the age of 16, you are also able to stay in the sport by becoming a coach or official. For athletes seeking additional training or expertise, specialist coaches that work with their own squads exist. High level coaching and career support is also provided for elite athletes through the WA Institute of Sport (WAIS). The various event coaches in Western Australia and their levels attained can be found through the icoach resource at training.argybargyonline.com/ athleticsaus/coaches/search.

6 In summer, WA s modern Athletics Stadium lights up for the Friday night Strive Track & Field program. Athletes from various clubs converge to participate in their chosen events. It s an exciting environment to do what you love and achieve your fitness or athletics goals. Throughout the Summer season, Little Athletes are provided opportunities to be involved in the Strive Track & Field program or participate in special Little Athletics Challenges. These enable the athletes to take part in a number of events over the night, watch top class athletes perform and familiarise themselves with the stadium environment. An overall season calendar can be found at waathletics.org.au/9084- awa-fixturecard-2012-sep12v.pdf At a state level, there are a number of competitive opportunities available to athletes of all ages to represent Western Australia. Performance at state level leads on to a wide array of national competitions throughout the country. These are detailed in the Athlete Progression Pathway. Promising teenage or senior athletes can receive specialised coaching through the West Australia Institute of Sport (WAIS) or Athletics Australia s new Target Talent Program (TTP). Individual athlete support is also available for those with financial or physical constraints through bodies such as the Department of Sport & Recreation.

7 Further Information Season calendars, membership, competition and all relevant information can be found at these sources: WA Little Athletics walittleathletics.com.au Athletics WA waathletics.org.au Little Athletics Australia littleathletics.com.au Athletics Australia athletics.com.au IAAF iaaf.org Department of Sport and Recreation dsr.wa.gov.au WA Institute of Sport wais.org.au Australian Sports Commission ausport.gov.au For more information on athlete progression feel free to contact Abid Imam (WALA Development Officer) or Jayne Mitchell (AWA Coaching & Clubs Officer) Acknowledgements This publication has been developed jointly by Little Athletics WA and Athletics WA. With the support of the Community Athletics Council of WA. Thanks to those who contributed information in the compilation of this resource. This guide aims to summarise the opportunities available for track & field athletes in WA, for the benefit of the sport. Stay on Track

Strategic Plan 2013-2016. Leading a strong, vibrant and growing sport

Strategic Plan 2013-2016. Leading a strong, vibrant and growing sport Strategic Plan 2013-2016 Leading a strong, vibrant and growing sport Message from the President and CEO Athletics Australia in consultation with its Member Associations and other key stakeholders has developed