Welcome!
WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS TO LITTLE ATHLETICS
So, you’re looking to get involved with Little Athletics for the first time – that’s great!
This section of the website will be able to step you through what you need to know about Little Athletics and how to get involved. Each step is represented in the tiles below – for more information on Little Athletics scroll down.
Next Steps
If you already know where your local Centre is, you can skip to Step 2. New members are encouraged to complete a FREE 2-week Trial Athlete Offer, see step 4 for more information. New Members that have completed the Trial Athlete Offer can skip to Step 5.
A DAY AT LITTLE ATHLETICS /
Summer Track & Field Program (September to March)
Each of our Little Athletics Centres operates slightly differently depending on their location, number of members and facilities. These differences will determine how many different events each athlete participates in on their Centres Little Athletics day, and how long a Little Athletics day goes for.
The Summer Track & Field program operates between the months of September to March and will normally include one Little Athletics day per week at your Centre. Most Centres have a few weeks off over the Christmas and New Years period. Centres publish their own season calendars.
In most cases, athletes will participate in four or five events on any given Little Athletics day which include; running, jumping, throwing, and walking events. Your Centre will have a program of events published so you will know what events are going to be on each week.
Events participated in during a Little Athletics day vary based on the athlete’s age.
Winter Cross Country Program (April to August)
The Winter Cross Country program takes place between April and August where athletes participate in Cross Country running on a weekly basis.
Athletes still participate as part of the same Centre that they were in during the Summer Track & Field program, however, unlike the summer program, nearby Centres all participate together usually in different locations.
On any given Cross Country day, athletes will participate in one event only. The distance of the event the athlete participates in is the same in any Cross Country program across Victoria.
A Cross Country day is shorter in duration due to fewer athletes participating and only one event per athlete. A Cross Country day also only involves a single event being run at any one time. These programs are determined by the Cross Country group your Centre is involved with.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS /
Little Athletics is primarily a summer activity, generally running from October through to late March. Some Centres also conduct cross-country during the winter months, taking place during April to the end of July. Please contact your local Little Athletics Centre or State Association to find out registration dates, season dates, and key event dates.
All Centres will offer up to two (2) trials for your child, these are conducted on a competition day. The Trial Athlete offer is available in Victoria. Athletes interested in trying Little Athletics for the first time will be required to submit an entry online so that they can attend a trial at their chosen Centre. A trial is recommended prior to paying, refunds are not available once registration has been paid.
To submit a trial for the Summer (Track and Field season) please visit our Trial Athlete Offer portal.
Age groups are determined by the year and month of birth. Please refer to the Age Group Calculator for details.
Little Athletics is a uniquely Australian modified athletics program for children from 5 to 17 years, although some State Associations may offer age groups outside this range.
As the name suggests, it is based upon the sport of athletics (track and field). There is a wide range of events from running, jumping, throwing and walking and events are modified to suit the age, developmental stage, and ability of the children.
Little Athletics promotes that it is important to “Be your Best” ®. The emphasis is on fun, participation, performance, technique, and getting involved with your family in physical and healthy activity. The motto of Little Athletics is ‘Family, Fun and Fitness”.
Across Australia, more than 100,000 girls and boys enjoy the activities of Little Athletics. Little Athletics is the “Foundation for all Sports”. All sports use the skills developed at Little Athletics.
Our emphasis is on Family, Fun & Fitness. Children can join with any level of skill or fitness. Children are given plenty of encouragement to achieve personal bests (PB’s). Little Athletics recognises that children vary widely in shape, size and athletic ability, and thus is one of few sports that successfully caters for all.
There are approximately 100 Little Athletics Centres across the Victoria (and on the NSW border). Each of these Centres conducts weekly activities at local venues. These Centres may compete at different times of the day/week. We recommend that you contact the Centre or your State Association to discuss specific details.
In Victoria children between the ages of five (5) and seventeen (17) years can register, although these age groups may differ in some State Associations. Parents, grandparents, and friends can also be involved by helping with various events.
