Photos from the local Kids Athletics holiday programmes have been selected for the World Athletics’ showcase website and training manuals.

The world body for athletics now known as World Athletics has taken the time during the pandemic to vastly create and improve their online presence across all their areas of competitions and one of their main focuses has been on the re-development of their Kids Athletics programme. 

With the help of member federations such as Athletics Cook Islands development officer Ruth Mave, they have trialed new activities and given feedback to steer the direction of increasing awareness of the how and why’s of Kids Athletics development being different from adult competition and training formats. 

Mave has been introducing Kids Athletics into Rarotongan schools since July 2020 and has started to add the outer islands schools with Aitutaki and Atiu so far, with plans to visit Mauke, Mitiaro and Mangaia as well this year. 

With funding from Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Social Impact Fund, Mave with the help of Motone Productions have created four short training videos to show teachers and coaches how to teach the basic age-related skills and drills for run, jump and throw events that will lead to the adult likes of sprints, hurdles, long jump, triple jump and high jump, shotput and discus. 

Her photos from holiday programmes and in local school teaching have also been selected to be part of the World Athletics’ showcase website and training manuals.

Mave’s work has not gone unnoticed with World Athletics inviting her to be part of the Kids Athletics panel at the World Athletics Congress meeting held late last November where over 160 countries were attending via online due to travel restrictions. 

The head of kid’s development has now asked Mave to video our local children actively demonstrating various Kids Athletics games and activities so they can be part of the upcoming training videos that will be used by facilitators, teachers and coaches around the world.

Despite the weather being challenging during the holiday programme, Mave says they have some fun footage, adding she “totally understands why they say in the movie industry to avoid working with children and animals – it’s hard work!”

The World Athletics development programme is one of the largest online projects undertaken by any code and more can be seen by visiting https://worldathletics.org/kids-athletics