Athletes ages six to 12 years are welcome to join the Athletics Track and Field Club kids programme.

President of the track and field club Ruth Tangiiau Mave said the TFC kids programme is an all-rounder for any time of year as it is a developing programme working on all the areas of movement, integral for learning and accomplishing the skills for any sport or activity in the child’s short immediate and long term future. 

“Athletics is a sport for life,” Mave said.

Mave said: “The kids athletics programme works with progression in skill development which include speed strength coordination agility mobility while having fun. 

“Athletics is a foundation sport that when done at a young age can help develop all the skills required for participation in most other sports.”

She said they have people come and go but are always welcoming new athletes from ages six - 12years.

She said they have a policy to accept all children willing to attend and give them time to see if they like it.

Families that are able to afford the fees are $20 per child per year or $60 per family of 2x adults and 2+ children as they want to encourage and include family involvement. 

Monday is for younger and older athletes, Wednesday is for those who want more training, usually older and Friday is for those older athletes who want to improve more specifically on events.  3pm - 4pm at the stadium. 

Holiday programmes are held around the island on set days and times as per social media posts.

She said often in athletics children are seen as mini adults and are given adult equipment and expectations to perform.

“The Kids Athletics is designed to be fun and prepare the young athlete to develop the necessary abilities to successfully learn the highly technical skills required for athletics. Throwing a tennis ball or vortex over the goal posts will develop skills for javelin as will throwing a hoop over a pole will help develop accuracy and release timing for discus. 

“In a child's life there are certain learning windows for when the body is best open to develop speed, agility, strength or endurance. If all these windows are developed accordingly when the child reaches the teenage years they appear to have a natural affinity for sports over more than one code.”

She said parent information evenings are being planned to inform how and why the program is so important and highly recommended by the World Athletics body over how it has been taught in past years. 

“Athletics is  a highly technical sport to coach but learning to be a Kids Athletics facilitator is comparatively easy for all parents to learn and can therefore be part of the child’s learning.”

Meanwhile, the main event for kids will be the school athletics programme and try outs for the Prince of Wales Primary School competition in September.

She said this is with a focus to encourage and include adults to train for Round Raro in September or towards Cook Islands Games 2024.