Frequently asked questions.
What is Little Athletics?
Little Athletics is a uniquely Australian sport for children aged 3-17 years. As the name suggests, it is based upon the sport of Athletics (track and field) and the events are specifically modified to suit the ages and abilities of children. A wide range of running, jumping, throwing and walking events are conducted.
Little A's (as it is affectionately referred as) is not really about winning, but about having fun, making friends and getting families involved in healthy activities. The emphasis is placed on participation and personal improvement. The motto of little athletics is "Family, fun and fitness"
Little Athletics recognises that children vary widely in size, shape and ability and is thus one of the few sports that successfully caters for them all.
What ages does HDLA cater for and what age group will my child be in?
HDLA caters for children 3 to 17 years of age. To check what age group your child will be in please refer to the LAQ Age Table in the Join Our Centre section.
How much is it to register my child and what does my registration fee include?
Our centre fees are located on our website and in our centre handbook.
This fee includes:
Can we try out before joining?
Yes, our centre allows a two week trial period where you can "try before you buy". Your child can attend and try the sport for the first two weeks of the season. Please note, triallist results are not recorded. Recording will begin once a registered and financial member.
Who runs the centre?
The committee, who are parents of the athletes, are all volunteers who have a passion for athletics and are seeking to develop it in the Highfields area. The committee is nominated and voted for at the annual general meeting each year and are responsible for all facets of running the club, under the leadership of the Centre Manager.
What events are offered?
HDLA offers sprints, middle distance, hurdles, race walking, shot put, discus, javelin, long jump, triple jump and high jump. Events offered are dependent on the child's age and the program for each week. Some events are age restricted. For example, Athletes do not participate in Javelin until the under 11 age group.
When/where does your competition run?
HDLA takes place at Kratzke Oval, Highgrove Drive, Highfields. Our events are usually conducted on Friday evenings from 5pm from September to March, with a months break in December. We have made the move to Twilight session this season to see if that works best for our athletes, reducing exposure to the sun and providing a fun family environment.
My child may not be athletically minded?
Little Athletics caters for children of every skill level. The focus is on family, fun and fitness. The only requirement is to try your best! Little Athletics provides many different events, and almost everyone will find at least one event that they are suited to. Children can become despondent if they finish at the tail end of an event every week, but we have to remember to encourage and remind them they are trying to only beat their best. Almost all Olympians only compete in just one event, that one event they are really good at. It's a matter of finding that event for each child. They might not be a great sprinter, but may later find they are can throw a discus really well!
What happens if it rains?
On occasions due to safety reasons we may have to cancel our weekly meet if it is, or has been raining and the centre committee deem the track to be unsafe. If this occurs we will update the HDLA Facebook. This decision is made by 4pm on the afternoon of the events.
Does my child need to wear a uniform?
Yes, it is a requirement of HDLA that all Under 6 to Under 17 athletes wear the correct uniform. This uniform can be purchased at the clubhouse and will be available to purchase at the centre sign on day.
For Tiny Tots the purchase and wearing of a uniform is optional.
Where do I sew the age level patch, sponsor patch and LAQ registration number?
Little Athletics Queensland requires a number of patches to be sewn onto the centre shirt. The exact layout of these patches is extremely important when competing at external events. A detailed labelled diagram of this layout can be obtained on the website. Finally the Little Athletics Queensland registration number must be affixed to the front of the uniform top. It is important these labels are correct as it may lead to athletes being unable to compete in LAQ events.
Can my child participate in bare feet?
No, Little Athletics Queensland has a strict footwear policy.
I am a parent - what do I do?
Little Athletics is a family activity and when you sign up your child it is an expectation that you will assist with the running of the weekly meet. As a parent we need you to assist with the running of each event. It may be as simple as picking up a discus, placing on a high jump bar, or for younger ages being the age marshal. Further training and guidance for those parents wanting to learn and do more can be provided – please just ask a committee member.
Blue Card?
As long as you are the parent of a competing athlete you do not require a blue card, HDLA and Little Athletics Qld have a strict child protection policy and any volunteer who is not the parent of a competing athlete will require a blue card.
Is there waiting around between events?
Whilst we do endeavour to minimise this, there can be waits of up to 30 minutes at times, occasionally longer on very busy days. If this is the case, please advise the Centre Manager and we may be able to send your child's age group to another event if possible, or amend our program to avoid this happening in the future. This would also be a good time to involve the children in some other activities or encourage them to socialise with their friends and others from their age group. The centre does have a number of wheelie-bins which are distributed on the ovals which contain sporting games for age groups to use.
Do I need to remain at the competition each week?
Yes, there are several important reasons for this: If an athlete is injured, we need for parents to be present to make decisions about the treatment of these injuries and of course to comfort their injured children.
What about children with disabilities?
Yes, we can cater for children with disabilities. We do not run any specific events, but they join in with the events that are already being run.
What should my child bring each week?
They should wear their centre uniform, shoes, (spike shoes may only be worn by older athletes as allowed by LAQ during events and they must be put away/taken off after each applicable event) socks, hat, sunscreen, water bottle and a happy smile of course!
How do I know my childs results each week?
When you sign on, your child will receive details of a personal login with Results HQ – an online site that contains a record of your child’s weekly performances and improvements during the season.
Are awards presented to children?
All registered athletes who compete during the season and reach eligibility criteria will receive a medal or trophy at season end / trophy day. There are also other awards for improvements in each age group, age champion as well as other specialty awards. These can be found in our policies section.
What about coaching and training?
Yes – basic coaching is provided at our club throughout the season. Additional specialty coaching sessions will also be arranged during the season. Check the website and keep an eye on your emails for the timing of these sessions. There are also clinics and camps hosted by Little Athletics QLD throughout the year.
Is there a break over Christmas?
Yes, HDLA will have a one month break over Christmas each year, commencing early December and we then resume early in the New Year. Check the calendar of events and website for details of those dates.
What other forms of competition are there?
Little Athletics QLD run two carnival/pentathlons each year at the State Athletic facility at Nathan. There are also Regional championships, and then if you qualify from Regional championships you can attend State Championships (from Under 9 up). As an under 13 Athlete you can then qualify to attend the Australian Championships if you do well enough. Summer centre Athletes are also allowed to compete at the Winter Championships which are for the northern QLD Little Athletes. There are also many Centre carnivals run throughout the season which your child can nominate to compete at.
How do I nominate for a Carnival?
During the season other centres as well as Little Athletics Queensland will run carnivals which your child can enter, the dates of all the centre carnivals, including LAQ carnivals can be found on the LAQ website. HDLA will call for nominations when asked by LAQ for Regional and State Championships. We will make you aware of these times by updating the Website and via email. Should you have any questions about nominations please feel free to ask our Centre Manager.
What is Little Athletics?
Little Athletics is a uniquely Australian sport for children aged 3-17 years. As the name suggests, it is based upon the sport of Athletics (track and field) and the events are specifically modified to suit the ages and abilities of children. A wide range of running, jumping, throwing and walking events are conducted.
Little A's (as it is affectionately referred as) is not really about winning, but about having fun, making friends and getting families involved in healthy activities. The emphasis is placed on participation and personal improvement. The motto of little athletics is "Family, fun and fitness"
Little Athletics recognises that children vary widely in size, shape and ability and is thus one of the few sports that successfully caters for them all.
What ages does HDLA cater for and what age group will my child be in?
HDLA caters for children 3 to 17 years of age. To check what age group your child will be in please refer to the LAQ Age Table in the Join Our Centre section.
How much is it to register my child and what does my registration fee include?
Our centre fees are located on our website and in our centre handbook.
This fee includes:
- Centre registration fees
- Little Athletics QLD registration fees
- a trophy at season end (provided certain eligibility has been met) and
- all weekly HDLA competition fee
Can we try out before joining?
Yes, our centre allows a two week trial period where you can "try before you buy". Your child can attend and try the sport for the first two weeks of the season. Please note, triallist results are not recorded. Recording will begin once a registered and financial member.
Who runs the centre?
The committee, who are parents of the athletes, are all volunteers who have a passion for athletics and are seeking to develop it in the Highfields area. The committee is nominated and voted for at the annual general meeting each year and are responsible for all facets of running the club, under the leadership of the Centre Manager.
What events are offered?
HDLA offers sprints, middle distance, hurdles, race walking, shot put, discus, javelin, long jump, triple jump and high jump. Events offered are dependent on the child's age and the program for each week. Some events are age restricted. For example, Athletes do not participate in Javelin until the under 11 age group.
When/where does your competition run?
HDLA takes place at Kratzke Oval, Highgrove Drive, Highfields. Our events are usually conducted on Friday evenings from 5pm from September to March, with a months break in December. We have made the move to Twilight session this season to see if that works best for our athletes, reducing exposure to the sun and providing a fun family environment.
My child may not be athletically minded?
Little Athletics caters for children of every skill level. The focus is on family, fun and fitness. The only requirement is to try your best! Little Athletics provides many different events, and almost everyone will find at least one event that they are suited to. Children can become despondent if they finish at the tail end of an event every week, but we have to remember to encourage and remind them they are trying to only beat their best. Almost all Olympians only compete in just one event, that one event they are really good at. It's a matter of finding that event for each child. They might not be a great sprinter, but may later find they are can throw a discus really well!
What happens if it rains?
On occasions due to safety reasons we may have to cancel our weekly meet if it is, or has been raining and the centre committee deem the track to be unsafe. If this occurs we will update the HDLA Facebook. This decision is made by 4pm on the afternoon of the events.
Does my child need to wear a uniform?
Yes, it is a requirement of HDLA that all Under 6 to Under 17 athletes wear the correct uniform. This uniform can be purchased at the clubhouse and will be available to purchase at the centre sign on day.
For Tiny Tots the purchase and wearing of a uniform is optional.
Where do I sew the age level patch, sponsor patch and LAQ registration number?
Little Athletics Queensland requires a number of patches to be sewn onto the centre shirt. The exact layout of these patches is extremely important when competing at external events. A detailed labelled diagram of this layout can be obtained on the website. Finally the Little Athletics Queensland registration number must be affixed to the front of the uniform top. It is important these labels are correct as it may lead to athletes being unable to compete in LAQ events.
Can my child participate in bare feet?
No, Little Athletics Queensland has a strict footwear policy.
I am a parent - what do I do?
Little Athletics is a family activity and when you sign up your child it is an expectation that you will assist with the running of the weekly meet. As a parent we need you to assist with the running of each event. It may be as simple as picking up a discus, placing on a high jump bar, or for younger ages being the age marshal. Further training and guidance for those parents wanting to learn and do more can be provided – please just ask a committee member.
Blue Card?
As long as you are the parent of a competing athlete you do not require a blue card, HDLA and Little Athletics Qld have a strict child protection policy and any volunteer who is not the parent of a competing athlete will require a blue card.
Is there waiting around between events?
Whilst we do endeavour to minimise this, there can be waits of up to 30 minutes at times, occasionally longer on very busy days. If this is the case, please advise the Centre Manager and we may be able to send your child's age group to another event if possible, or amend our program to avoid this happening in the future. This would also be a good time to involve the children in some other activities or encourage them to socialise with their friends and others from their age group. The centre does have a number of wheelie-bins which are distributed on the ovals which contain sporting games for age groups to use.
Do I need to remain at the competition each week?
Yes, there are several important reasons for this: If an athlete is injured, we need for parents to be present to make decisions about the treatment of these injuries and of course to comfort their injured children.
- If competition is cut short due to inclement weather or other reasons, it is not reasonable for another adult to have to take time out of their day to have to wait for the athlete's parent to pick them up.
- We need assistance from parents and family to help out running the events each week, without which we cannot run some of the events each week
- Finally & most importantly, one of the benefits of young children doing sport is that children are able to share their achievements with their parents. If parents aren't there to share in their achievements, this may reduce the athlete's enthusiasm to do weekend sport.
What about children with disabilities?
Yes, we can cater for children with disabilities. We do not run any specific events, but they join in with the events that are already being run.
What should my child bring each week?
They should wear their centre uniform, shoes, (spike shoes may only be worn by older athletes as allowed by LAQ during events and they must be put away/taken off after each applicable event) socks, hat, sunscreen, water bottle and a happy smile of course!
How do I know my childs results each week?
When you sign on, your child will receive details of a personal login with Results HQ – an online site that contains a record of your child’s weekly performances and improvements during the season.
Are awards presented to children?
All registered athletes who compete during the season and reach eligibility criteria will receive a medal or trophy at season end / trophy day. There are also other awards for improvements in each age group, age champion as well as other specialty awards. These can be found in our policies section.
What about coaching and training?
Yes – basic coaching is provided at our club throughout the season. Additional specialty coaching sessions will also be arranged during the season. Check the website and keep an eye on your emails for the timing of these sessions. There are also clinics and camps hosted by Little Athletics QLD throughout the year.
Is there a break over Christmas?
Yes, HDLA will have a one month break over Christmas each year, commencing early December and we then resume early in the New Year. Check the calendar of events and website for details of those dates.
What other forms of competition are there?
Little Athletics QLD run two carnival/pentathlons each year at the State Athletic facility at Nathan. There are also Regional championships, and then if you qualify from Regional championships you can attend State Championships (from Under 9 up). As an under 13 Athlete you can then qualify to attend the Australian Championships if you do well enough. Summer centre Athletes are also allowed to compete at the Winter Championships which are for the northern QLD Little Athletes. There are also many Centre carnivals run throughout the season which your child can nominate to compete at.
How do I nominate for a Carnival?
During the season other centres as well as Little Athletics Queensland will run carnivals which your child can enter, the dates of all the centre carnivals, including LAQ carnivals can be found on the LAQ website. HDLA will call for nominations when asked by LAQ for Regional and State Championships. We will make you aware of these times by updating the Website and via email. Should you have any questions about nominations please feel free to ask our Centre Manager.