Schools Athletics

Today is the first day of the final half term of this academic year, therefore we have plenty of athletics events, sports days and courses to look forward to over the next 6 weeks until term ends in Mid July:

COURSES

Split over three evenings on Tuesdays 19th & 26th June and 3rd July 4pm to 6pm is the Teaching Secondary Athletics Run Jump & Throw Workshop/Certificate. Perfect for qualified and trainee teachers and those supporting the management and delivery of high quality sport and physical education within Secondary Schools and Collages. The workshop aims to give teachers and others working within education, the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to deliver enjoyable and engaging lessons that focus on encouraging maximum participation and increasing understanding, skill acquisition, fitness and enjoyment of the participant. For more details and to book click here.

COMPETITIONS

Tuesday 27th June is the Afan Nedd Tawe U14 & U16 Cup match at Swansea University, where the winning and runners up teams from each section rather than individuals progress to the Welsh Schools U14 & U16 Cup & Plate finals at Aberdare on Wednesday 12th July where they will compete against the best school teams from Eryri, North East Wales, Powys, Glamorgan Valleys, South East Wales, Dyfed & Cardiff & the Vale. Click here for a match program. Make sure you ask your PE teacher to be considered for selection.

Saturday 1st July in Cardiff is the Welsh Schools track & field championships which act as the selection event for the British Schools U17 international which are being held in Grangemouth, Scotland on Saturday 15 July 2023. An Afan Nedd Tawe U15, U17 & U20 team will be competing in Cardiff on 1st July, and we hope to see one or two Swansea Harriers selected for Scotland based on their performances in Cardiff! WSAA TF SIAB Selection Policy 2023

For Primary schools there will be the West Glamorgan Primary Schools Athletics Association area sports for school years 4 to 6, events include 60m, 75m 100m, 800m, High Jump, Long Jump, Shot & 4 x 100m. There are a number of different groups spread out throughout June held at Swansea University, again ask your PE Teacher to be considered for selection.

INITIATIVES

Finally there are a number of fantastic athletics initiatives that your schools can get involved with outlined below that could enhance your schools sports day:

THE DAILY MILE

Why not use the Daily Mile to help prepare your pupils for the summer term track & field events. As part of an exciting new partnership, Welsh Athletics has entered into a formal partnership with The Daily Mile. The Daily Mile is a transformative initiative where children run, jog, wheel or walk for fifteen minutes every day. Inclusivity and accessibility has always been at the heart of The Daily Mile – getting young people involved regardless of ability. For more details on how to sign your school up for this initiative click here.

QUADKIDS

QuadKids is a UK wide format which has been adopted by many clubs, Primary & Secondary schools within their competitions and Sports Days. It allows pupils to participate together as a team and compete across four events, scoring points based on their performances.  This easy to run athletics format encourages participation for all ages and abilities and has been widely used throughout the UK for many years.

  • What? Four events: Standing long jump, vortex throw, 600m and 75m.
  • Who? Primary and Secondary school aged children, usually in school years 5 to 8. A team consists of 2 boys and 2 girls in the same school year. Schools can be invited to attend QuadKids or Super 8 competitions against other local schools can enter teams in either year group (this may vary across local authority / region).
  • For more details on how to get involved with Quad Kids and see these amazing resources, click here.

SPORTSHALL

Sportshall athletics is an exciting indoor programme of adapted athletics activities for Primary & Secondary aged pupils. Sportshall provides fun ways to build core skills and is renowned for its exhilarating team competitions. Sportshall is the top school sports participation competition in the UK. In Wales the schools athletics districts, along with support from Welsh Athletics, deliver sportshall competitions usually during curricular or extracurricular time. From these competitions, secondary teams are selected to represent their school district at the National Sportshall Final. In addition there are plenty of ideas and a variety of formats for Primary aged pupils too.

  • What? Standing long jump, standing triple jump, vertical jump, speed bounce, shot put, 2 laps, 4 laps, relays.
  • Who? Primary & Secondary school children aged up to 14.
  • For more details on the various Sportshall Athletics schemes click here.

STARTING BLOCS

Starting Blocs is a fun, exciting program to introduce children to the sport of athletics.” Children will learn the key movement skills needed for a life in sport, in a safe and positive environment, through games that are designed to teach children the foundations of running, jumping, and throwing. For more details on sessions available click here.