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Competition

Competition

Local Summer Season competition evenings are held at Harris Park each Wednesday (except school holiday periods) commencing at 4.15pm for set up with warm up and events starting from 4.30pm and finishing once all age group events have concluded.

Competitors must be ready to start by 4.30pm, as each competition evening commences with a compulsory and essential warm-up session.

 AAC Rules of Competition

The rules of competition used by the Armidale Athletics Club (AAC) are those of the IAAF, as modified for Little Athletics as per LAANSW publication.

A detailed copy of Little Athletics NSW rules of competition can be found HERE

Pre-Competition Hints

At Local Competition Days:

  • Early nights will keep you alert and more able to enjoy your sport.
  • The correct clothing helps make it easier and more enjoyable.
  • The correct footwear helps you to avoid slipping and injuring yourself.
  • Always try to be on time, then you will miss nothing and will not inconvenience others.
  • Pay attention at all times, as this will help you understand what is happening around you.
  • Ensure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
  • Protect yourself from too much exposure to the sun.
  • FUN is the key word. Make sure you enjoy what you are doing. Remember, the most important thing is to try and improve your personal best performance each week in each event. At Higher Competitions As well as those points in ‘At Local Competition Days’,
  • It is essential to have an organised routine to allow you to give your best when required. Ensure that your gear is complete (i.e. track suit, appropriate footwear, uniform, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, coat or blanket for warmth etc.).
  • Always report to your Team Manager in order to avoid later confusion.
  • At all times listen for event calls that may involve you.
  • Be aware of when other athletes from your Centre are competing and cheer them on during their events.
  • Remember whether you win or lose, have fun and be a good sport.

Diet

Little Athletes are no different to other children. A well-balanced diet with no particular emphasis on any special foods is the best method of maintaining good health and vitality. Put simply – your body needs a variety of foods to function properly, too much of one food group and too little of another may put your system out of balance.

Warm up Sessions

Track & Field Athletics has many events, most of which are explosive. To perform at maximum capacity and minimise the risk of injury, warming up is a very important part of sporting life. A compulsory warm up session for all athletes commencing at 5 pm, is part of each Local Competition Day’s events. Young athletes will only need a short warm up of about 10-15 minutes. These athletes respond well to games and don’t need to be sent on endless laps or given static exercises, but it is imperative that they do warm up. A lot of stretching exercises can be done on the run, or within a circuit i.e. jog 50 metres, stretch, jog 5 metres, stretch and so on. In this way warm-ups are kept interesting and good habits are formed for more serious competition in future years.

Some important points to remember when warming up:

  • Wear a tracksuit or t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms.
  • When remembering what exercises to do, start at the top and work down (i.e. neck to shoulders to arms etc.).
  • Always stretch both sides.
  • After warming up rest for 5-10 minutes prior to competing, therefore plan your timing. Older athletes will warm up over a longer period of time and will use exercises more specific to their events. Coaches will be able to advise on these specific exercises.

NO SMOKING & ALCOHOL POLICY
The Little Athletics Association of NSW has a strict No Smoking policy and Council regulations state that Armidale Athletic Centre is a smoke and alcohol-free zone. If you smoke, please do so in the carpark and not on the grounds.