Easter Programme a Success!

I am very pleased with what has been achieved through the Easter period programme.  It has provided the children who have attended the opportunity to develop:

• their skills and technique across seven different events - high jump, long jump, shot putt, javelin, hurdles, sprinting and endurance running.
• their five components of fitness.
• their experience of taking part in athletic competition.
• their relationships with other athletes, whom they may not have had the opportunity to train with before.

Most importantly, through the variety of events and activities, the children all seem to be learning alot and having fun.  In fact, the only thing they didn't seem to enjoy, was losing to the parents at 'Eskimo Rounders'!

On Wednesday, the Heptathlon 'clinic' allowed us to work on specific technique areas in running, long jump and high jump.  I saw major improvements all round.  Today, we focused mainly on the endurance aspect of training and the aerobic capacity was certainly enhanced.  It was a session aimed specifically at helping those competing in the middle distance races of between 600metres-1500metres.  We ended with a short throwing session which was impressive with regard to the force generation and speed that have improved tremendously to complement the excellent technique we possess.

'Athlete Centred Coaching' is, amongst other things, giving children the opportunity to develop their skills and fitness across a variety of events and activities.  I hope the Easter Programme has done exactly that for those who got involved.  Congratulations to all the children, and especially to those who are relatively new to the group and have demonstrated terrific attitude by trying their best at events which they have, in certain instances, never attempted before.  I am seriously impressed.