Club Programs and Coaching
Competition programming and coaching are essential to the success of athletics clubs, providing structure, consistency, and clear development pathways for athletes aged 6 through to the 20s and beyond. Well planned Club meets aligned with NSW Athletics standard events give athletes regular opportunities to practise and apply their skills in a competitive environment, helping them build confidence, understand event requirements, and progress at an appropriate pace.
Effective competition programming goes beyond results by integrating coaching and skill development into Club meets. Embedding coaching within competition allows athletes to receive guidance at the point of performance, reinforcing technique, encouraging self-improvement, and supporting participants of all abilities. For younger athletes, combining competition events with athletics-based games and modified activities helps develop fundamental movement skills in an engaging, low-pressure environment that promotes enjoyment and retention.
Clubs are encouraged to remain flexible and creative in how competition is delivered. While traditional event structures provide familiarity, incorporating games, skill stations, and coaching activities can enhance engagement and cater to varying abilities, facilities, and participant numbers. By balancing competition with coaching and development, Clubs create inclusive, athlete-centred programs that support long-term participation, strong Club culture, and sustainable growth in athletics.
Coaching
The Tiny Tots Program introduces children aged 3–5 to their Little Athletics journey. By providing positive first experiences in an athletics environment and focusing on fundamental skill development, the program helps foster a healthy passion for athletics and encourages lifelong enjoyment of sport and physical activity.
Tiny Tots is a modified, introductory program designed to develop fundamental movement skills such as running, walking, jumping, and throwing through fun, engaging, and age-appropriate activities. Using an active, free play–based approach, the program supports children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development in a safe, stimulating, and enjoyable environment.
The Delivery
Where:
Tiny Tots can be delivered on any grassed area or in a suitable indoor space. Sessions may run alongside your Club’s regular program or competition, provided they do not interfere with the delivery of other events.
When:
Tiny Tots can be delivered on any day and may also be scheduled on weekdays to suit the availability of stay-at-home parents and carers. If running alongside the Club’s regular program, it is best practice for Tiny Tots sessions to commence as early as possible. Sessions should be no longer than 45–60 minutes in duration.
How:
Tiny Tots sessions are led by a Tiny Tots Coordinator using the Tiny Tots Resource Manual, which includes 11 pre-planned sessions, modified activities, and an additional Compendium of Activities for further inspiration. The resources are designed to be easy to follow, enabling volunteers or parents to confidently facilitate sessions. In addition, NSW Athletics offers a range of training workshops to support facilitator development and is currently developing online training resources to further assist program delivery.
Effective junior athletics coaching focuses on creating a fun, safe and engaging environment where athletes develop fundamental movement skills running, jumping and throwing through games-based activities.
Successful coaching relies on building positive relationships, communicating clearly, delivering developmentally appropriate training, and emphasising effort and personal improvement rather than winning.
Implementing a structured, skills-based coaching program at club level can improve member retention and foster a more positive and supportive environment.
The two documents below are designed to assist your club in developing a program that supports athletes’ growth and ongoing skill development.
The FIT Model - Training and Competition Guidelines for Children and Adolescents
Competition
When designing a program, it is important to recognise that children have varying abilities and develop at different rates. While competition is a natural part of life, it should not be the sole focus of a Little Athletics program. Instead, the emphasis should be placed on self-improvement and skill development.
To become physically literate, children must master fundamental movement skills through a series of developmental stages. In the early stages, play and physical activity should be fun, engaging, and exciting, while developing agility, balance, coordination, and speed (the ABCs). In later stages, physical literacy progresses to include event-specific skills, improved fitness, and an introduction to competition.
To support early-stage development, the use of games with an athletics skill focus is strongly encouraged. Children learn and refine skills best through experiential learning that involves positive, game-based activities with constant participation. Activities should primarily develop running, jumping, and throwing skills, with the long-term aim of applying these skills in a competitive environment.
Programs should be fun, achievable, and appropriately challenging. The preparation of a weekly program is one of the most important responsibilities of Club administration. Skill development, event selection, and the methods used to deliver activities will vary between Clubs, as facilities, resources, and participant numbers differ from Club to Club.
Club gala days are predominantly held between October and January in NSW, offer athletes from Tiny Tots through to Masters opportunities to compete at other venues, gain experience, and win medals in a friendly environment. Some clubs offer competitions during the winter months as well.
Why host a club competition?
There are a number of benefits to hosting these events, including.
- Opportunity to host event that you club can be proud of.
- Opportunity to fundraise for your club.
- Provides opportunities for club members and surrounding clubs to compete at more events throughout the year.
- Opportunity to upskill club members in a range of duties which can benefit local competitions throughout the year.
Click here to have your club gala day added to the event page