Get ready for little athletics

This article appears in the August 2009 edition of Sportshorts.

Little Athletics NSW is gearing up for its season with its long standing School Visit Program.

“For over 20 years, we’ve been running the Little Athletics School Visit Program (SVP) across NSW,” said Alvin Umadhay, SVP coordinator for Little Athletics NSW.

“It provides the perfect lead-in to our official season, which kicks off in September.

“Every year, from the end of July to mid September, a small group of Little Athletics NSW staff hit the road and travel to schools all over NSW, to raise the profile of our sport and spread the message about an active lifestyle,” said Mr Umadhay. Last year, SVP involved 50 Little Athletics Centres, 149 schools and over 40,000 children. Little Athletics NSW expect the 2009 program to have the same reach.

“SVP is free and we visit any school, regardless of size or location. We’ve been to schools with just a handful of pupils right through to those with 1000 students.

“In essence, the SVP is a traditional model of sport development officers visiting schools to promote their sport. But there are some unique features. “The SVP starts off by local Little Athletics Centres contacting local schools, asking if they’d like to be involved in the SVP.

“Little Athletics NSW development staff then conduct the school visit. This is often followed up with a come-‘n-try day at the local Centre. “The model is fairly simple, but it works well because the local Centres are involved. The all important link from school to Centre is there.”

The SVP also excels because of the presentation itself. “We strive for a high quality, interactive session. Twenty years ago, SVP staff would go to schools and run exercise classes, but we’ve modified it over the years.

“The messages are similar, but the delivery constantly changes to keep the children entertained and meet the requirements of schools.

“Sessions are about 45 minutes long. Children take part in exercises and activities that form the basis of athletics, as well as novelty activities such as measuring out world record distances.

“We discuss Little Athletics, along with broad values like the importance of doing your best and not always having to win. We also cover the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle and there are always plenty of giveaways.”

Another popular feature of the SVP is the involvement of famous athletes.

Melinda Gainsford-Taylor will take part in the 2009 SVP.

“Melinda was involved in Little Athletics as a youngster, before going on to become a champion Australian athlete.

“This year, she’ll tour some of the schools with us, particularly those in western NSW where she grew up.”

The SVP has long provided a perfect platform for the Little Athletics season and Mr Umadhay sees it continuing for some time.

“The SVP has always provided a great boost to our registrations.

“It works particularly well because local Centres are involved and we run a fun session for kids. We also visit schools at a time when athletics is still part of the school program, so we build on existing interest.

“After all these years, SVP still has great outcomes and receives positive feedback,” said Mr Umadhay.

More information - School Visit Program

• Little Athletics NSW www.laansw.com.au
  Alvin Umadhay or Darren Wensor
  Phone (02) 9633 4511