Little Athletics Victoria RINGWOOD

1. Little Athletics Victoria RINGWOOD 2010 Centre of the Year

2. Index • 1. RINGWOOD LITTLE ATHLETICS • 2. INDEX • 3. WELCOME • 4. LAYOUT • 5. CODE OF BEHAVIOUR • 6. OUR AIM • 7. PARENT PARTICIPATION • 8. CLUBS • 9. ON TRACK AND WEEKLY PROGRAM •  10. UNIFORMS • 11. SPECIAL EVENTS • 12. LAV - EVENTS • 13. PERSONAL BESTS/CENTRE GAMES • 14. PARENTS/OFFICIALS • 15. COACHING AND EDUCATION • 16. ADVERSE WEATHER

3. Welcome to the Ringwood Little Athletics Centre • On behalf of the RLAC Committee and Clubs, we hope you enjoy your time with us. If you are new to our Centre, or don’t know many people here, please talk to the people at your Club and around the arena in general. There have been some great friendships formed through Little Athletics. • Likewise, if you have any questions, or concerns about anything, please talk to someone at the Club Table, or a Centre Committee or Age Group Manager member. These can generally be identified by the Green/Gold Ringwood polo. • We hope this document answers many of your questions, and offers a good overview of the Centre. However it is a good idea for all Parents and Athletes to read the Ringwood Handbook ( yellow booklet) that you will receive, and bring it with them each week – as it is a good reference point. Please note that any additional information or alterations/corrections will be notified via announcements and the newsletters. Remember the Little Athletics motto: • ‘Family, Fun and Fitness’ • Parents are given a great opportunity to be involved with their child/ren activities • Athletics is meant to be FUN • A fun and sociable way to stay fit • Our website address is : www.rlac52.com.au

4. PROCLAMATIONPark Layout

5. Code of Behaviour • SMOKING is not permitted around the arena, Canteen and Club areas, in line with VLAA guidelines and RLAC policy. • Alcohol is not permitted at the athletics track during competition. • Bad and Abusive language will not be tolerated or accepted. • Encourage children to participate in as many events as possible. If a child is not willing, do not force him or her. •  Focus upon the child’s efforts rather than the overall outcome of the event. This will assist the child in setting realistic goals related to his/her ability by reducing the emphasis on winning. •  Teach children that an honest effort is as important as a victory, so that the result of each event is accepted without undue disappointment. • Encourage children to always participate, according to the rules. • Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing an event. • Remember athletes are involved for their enjoyment, not yours. • If you disagree with an official, raise the issue through the Chief Official for the event or the Track & Field Co-Ordinator, rather than questioning the Official’s judgement and honesty in public. Remember Officials give their time and effort for your child’s involvement. • Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse at Little Athletics activities. • Recognise the value and importance of being a volunteer Official and/or Coach. They give of their time and resources to provide recreational activities for the children and they deserve your support. • Demonstrate appropriate social behaviour, by not harassing Athletes, Coaches or Officials.

6. Our Aim • The aim of Ringwood Little Athletics Centre Inc. is to develop positive attitudes and a healthy lifestyle in children through athletic related activities. • This will be achieved by: • Providing soundly based athletic activities, focusing on personal achievement and improvement of the individual • Satisfying the needs of our athletes physical and social development • Providing a caring and safe environment conducive to enjoyment and fun • Fostering family participation and fitness • Attracting the voluntary involvement of parents and children, by gaining their commitment to the Centre and by developing their knowledge and skills

7. Parent Participation • Parents of all registered Little Athletes are required to assist in the running of Centre Activities. • For the Centre to run successfully, we require at least 70 officials every week. This will see a full complement of events offered to the athletes. • The Centre has compiled a 3-weekly roster system. Each family should nominate on which program week they will assist in the running of events ( eg Week 1 , Week 2 or Week 3 ) So basically you are expected to do duty one in every three weeks. • Events are run against this weekly cycle, so if there is a particular event that you like to assist with then please nominate for that week of the program. • For competition to start on time each week, parents are required to: • Be available on their duty day, or find a suitable replacement. • Arrive at Track by 8:15am (5.30pm on Twilights), if your Club is rostered for set-up and pack-up duties • Report to the official’s sign-in table at 8.30am (5:45pm for Twilights) to be allocated a position. • Make sure all required equipment is at specified events. IMPORTANT • Warm-ups will begin at 8.30am sharp (5.45pm on Twilights) • If an insufficient number of parents arrive on a competition day, the Centre has the authority to cancel events to allow the programme to continue smoothly.

8. Clubs • At Ringwood Centre, there are 5 Clubs; ( Heathmont, Maroondah, Mullum, Ringwood Heights and Southwood ) each athlete is a member of a particular Club. Clubs have their own colours and uniform. • Correct Club uniform MUST be worn while competing; this includes the Registration Chest Patch from VLAA. The Patch maybe sewn, pinned or velcro onto the front of the T-shirt. NOTE: Athletes who do not wear correct uniform, INCLUDING THEIR PATCH, will not have a result recorded. Athletes will not be allowed to wear extra items of clothing with their uniform (e.g. track pants) whilst competing, except for hats. •  All Clubs have black shorts / bike or compression shorts as part of the uniform. Shorts are to be plain black with NO PROMINENT patterns or logos eg. Brand names showing, and must be above the knee in length. • HEATHMONT CLUB • COLOURS: Navy Blue/Yellow & Black piping • UNIFORM: Club T-shirt (or plain navy T-shirt), black shorts • MAROONDAH CLUB •  COLOURS: Dark Green & Black • UNIFORM: Club T-shirt (or plain dark green T-shirt), black shorts • MULLUM CLUB • COLOURS: Red / Black and White • UNIFORM: Club T-shirt (or plain red T-shirt), black shorts • RINGWOOD HEIGHTS CLUB •  COLOURS: Light Green & Black • UNIFORM: Club T-shirt (or plain light green T-shirt), black shorts • SOUTHWOOD CLUB • COLOURS: Yellow & Black • UNIFORM: Club T-shirt (or plain yellow T-shirt), black shorts

9. On Track and Weekly Program OnTrack • “On Track” is essentially an athletic skills development program that aims to provide children in the Under 6 and Under 7 age bracket with increased instruction, ample practice opportunities and ongoing motivation. • The program concentrates on teaching our younger athletes the fundamental motor skills of running, jumping, hopping and throwing in a non-competitive environment, whilst also focusing on active participation, learning and improving, having fun and experiencing excitement. By increasing activity time, decreasing overall time, fostering friendships, decreasing competition mindset and increasing prospects for learning, the program is able to deliver all the above essential aspects. • The program operates on Saturday mornings between 9.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. • On Track athletes are also offered a number of opportunities during the season to participate in a competition format similar to the older or Interclub athletes, (Under 9 to Under 16) with events such as 70m, 100m, Long Jump Discus and Shot Put being offered. These events are incorporated with the normal program. • Whilst children are ideally placed in small groups to encourage participation, this can only be achieved if an adequate number of personnel are available. Whilst RLAC ensures that the program has and is lead by an On Track Co-ordinator, On Track Leaders and Helpers are always required - there is no such thing as having too many people. • The On Track program has been designed so that anybody can teach athletics skills to the children. You don’t need - Qualifications or experience, any athletics experience or any teaching experience. So instead of standing idle and watching on when you attend, become involved with your child’s development and you never know, you may enjoy it too. Weekly Program • Our weekly program commences at 9:00am after warm ups and the presentation of PB medals, dependent on the number of officials available. We work on a 3 week cycle, with some flexibility to modify the program and catch up on missed events. Its our aim to offer every event at least 6 times during the season . As not all events are offered for every age group eg ( Javelin starts at Under 11’s ) appropriate trial events in the form of coaching are provided before PB’s are recorded. For the On Track athletes we try and offer 2 to 3 events each week increasing to 3- 4 after December. For U8 – U11 athletes we try to offer 5 events and U12 and above 5 or 6 events per week. If your child’s age group is doing High Jump in any particular week, the number of events offered is usually reduced by 1 or 2, as HJ takes a considerable time to complete. Whilst our first event starts at 9:00am, Javelin is offered at 8:15am on Saturdays and 5:15 on Twlights. Due to the safety aspect, athletes are advised to arrive early, as this event must close at 9:00am and 6:00pm respectively ,and at times late arrivals have not been able to throw as the program would go overtime. Javelin is offered every week from Week 2.

10. Uniforms Club Uniforms • All Clubs have a competition uniform, which every athlete MUST wear during Centre competitions. All Clubs have a Club T-shirt, which is worn with plain black shorts. Shorts are to be above the knee, and only small patterns or emblems/brands visible. The uniform also includes the VLAA chest patch, which is given to each athlete on registration. • The patch must be attached to the front of each athletes T-shirt for the athlete to be eligible to compete in events. During competition, the athlete is not permitted to wear a windcheater, track top, etc. Track pants are permitted in cold weather in throws events only. • Any athlete who is not in CORRECT UNIFORM three weeks after their registration WILL NOT HAVE A RESULT RECORDED: THEREFORE A TICKET WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This will impact on the athlete gaining PB’s and Centre Records. It is a VLAA, insurance and sponsorship requirement that correct uniform is to be worn during competition – this includes the patch. Centre Uniforms • An athlete competing at Region or State level, including the Cross Country competition, must be wearing CORRECT Ringwood Centre uniform, athletes will be disqualified from competing at Region or State levels if not in correct uniform. • Undergarments e.g. compression shorts, leggings and tops may be worn subject to VLAA Competition Regulations (please talk with our Centre Team Manager for more information). • RLAC uniforms are available to hire, please contact the Centre Uniform Coordinator for further details.

11. Special Events • Throughout the Season, there are many special events. We encourage each athlete to participate in as many of these special events as possible, as it exposes them to different types and styles of competition. Ringwood Pentathlon Day • Ringwood Pentathlon Day is similar to a multi-event day where there are 5 nominated events conducted for each age group. It will be held during normal Saturday morning competition time for Ringwood Centre registered athletes only. • This year’s Pentathlon Day will be held on Saturday 4th December. • Performances in each of the 5 events will be awarded points using a special scoring system. • Each athlete who competes in all 5 events will receive recognition for their efforts. • In addition there will be an award in each Age Group for the Athlete who gains the most points. • Entry Forms will be available from your Club Team Manager SOON, Only those athletes who have entered prior to the day will be permitted to compete. Open Days • A number of Centres across Victoria organise Open Days as part of their calendar of events each season. Current information about these days will be displayed on the Notice Board on the front wall of the Equipment shed. Entry forms are available from the Centre Secretary or the Website. Bring A Friend • Our special .Bring a Friend’ Days for this year are Saturday 16th & 23rd October. • Athletes are asked to invite a friend to come and try the fun of athletics. Change for Kids • Friday 14th November 2008 • Change for Kids, is an event formulated by VLAA to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital. The basic idea is for healthy athletes to increase their awareness and raise money to help those children who are less able to participate in physical activities, like athletics, due to illness etc. • Our goal is to raise $1 per registered athlete, but to exceed our goal would be a great achievement. • We will be organising some special activities for athletes, which will lead to an extremely fun and exciting day. • All money raised is forwarded by the Centre to VLAA, and then a combined donation is presented to the Appeal on Good Friday, on behalf of all participating Centres, Regions and VLAA. • Please give generously to this very worthy appeal.

12. Little Athletics Victoria - Events • Throughout the Season, there are several LAV events available to the Under 9 – Under 16 Age groups. We encourage each athlete to participate in as many of these special events as possible, as it exposes them to different types and styles of competition. All events culminate in a State Championships Multi Event • This event comprises of 5 events conducted on the one day ( 100m, Hurdles, 800m. Long Jump and Discus) • Little Athletics Victoria – State Multi Event Championships to be held in Shepparton • Under 9 – 11 & Under 12 Girls, Saturday 20th November • Under 12 Boys & Under 13 – U15, Sunday 21s November Relays • Eastern Metropolitan Region Sunday 12th December 2010 – held at Ringwood • Little Athletics Victoria – State Championships Sunday 6th February 2011 – held at Olympic Park • Relay Teams compete at Region and qualifying Teams progress to State. If an athlete is selected for a Team and competes at Region, the athlete must be available for both REGION and STATE competition days. • Relay Training commences as early as possible after the commencement of the Season. Details will be provided but its generally on Sunday mornings. Track and Field Championships • Eastern Metropolitan Region( EMR) Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th February 2011 – held at Nunawading • Little Athletics Victoria – State Championships Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th March 2011 – held at Olympic Park • Athletes in the U9-U16 age groups may enter these events. • Athletes compete at EMR and by winning their event qualify to the State Championships. Athletes can also qualify through the progression process based on their performances at this event. • To be eligible to enter, an athlete must compete in at least 60% of available competition meetings, prior to the close of entries. Athletes will be able to enter up to 4 events in their own age group. • Parents: All parents of competing athletes will be required to officiate for part of the day. Entry Forms will be available in late December, 2010

13. Personal Bests and Centre Games PERSONAL BEST ACHIEVEMENTS • Athletes performances are recorded at the recording desk for each event these sheets are then given to the Record and Rankings Official who tallies the PB’s for each athlete each week. Additionally each athlete will receive a PB ticket for their own records of their achievement. However the Record and Rankings is the true record of PB’s achieved and it is those numbers that are used for acknowledging achievements. • Once a child has achieved the necessary number of PB’s they will receive a Medal. These are normally given out 2 weeks after the milestone is achieved, after the warm up and before the commencement of the days events. • The numbers of PB’s required for a medal are as follows: U6 -  U7 4 = Bronze, 9 = Silver, 15 = Gold U8 8= Bronze, 16 = Silver, 20 = Gold U9 – U10 12= Bronze, 19 = Silver, 25 = Gold U11 – U16 15= Bronze, 25 = Silver, 30 = Gold RINGWOOD CENTRE GAMES  Saturday 26th March 2011 (8:15am – 3:30pm) Close of entries will be 26th February 2011 • Centre Games is the last competition for the Track and Field Season. • Athletes compete for place medals against other athletes and compete for their Club. Entrants receive a ribbon for competing. •  Athletes also receive points for their Club for competing, whether they are a major place getter or not. The Club with the winning amount of points at the end of the Games receives the Bruce Seeley Shield. There is a fair and just points system in place, so each Club has an equal chance of winning the Shield. For the best chance of winning the Shield, Clubs need to have a high percentage of their registered athletes competing in the Games. •  Although this day of competition is often long and hard work to organise, the athletes enjoy the competition and thrill of gaining medals, ribbons as individuals and points for their Club.

14. Officials/Parents Officials /Parents • Officials, timekeepers, recorders, marshals etc are drawn from athletes' parents.  All parents are rostered to perform some kind of duty, once every third week.  You don't need special expertise to be a helper.  Events are managed by one or two Key Officials, familiar with the conduct of the event and they will supervise parent helpers with appropriate tasks.  Little Athletics cannot operate without the volunteer assistance of parents and other family members. The more trained helpers we have determines the success of our programs for our athletes.  It is a condition of registration that parents perform their duty. • Some key points to remember. If you are recording results – always check the Centre Record performance at the top of the recording sheet. If a new record is created this needs to be verified by the Track and Field Co-Ordinator, Chief Official or a Committee member • Take care in recording each athletes performance as this is what is recorded as there Personal Best and will affect their future performances if it is incorrectly reported. • If you are measuring a result such a Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put , Discus etc, make sure that you call out the result loudly and its often worthwhile repeating it so the recorder is quite clear on the performance. • Finally if you are in any doubt on what should be done – ask the Chief Official – There is such thing as a dumb question. Other Information that is useful • Little Athletics Victoria (LAV), our state governing body has produced excellent reference booklets to help parents participate.  Please read how you can help. • Parent Handbook - This handbook is produced by VLAA and provides brief history and overview of the structure of VLAA including Codes of Conduct. • Level One - How to Help - Officials Program- The basics of helping at each event is described in this booklet. • New Parent (Tab ) A new parent section can be found on the Little Athletics Victoria website www.lavic.com.au • Additionally at the www.lavic.com.auwebsite a host of additional information can be found on officials under the Education and Training section. • A new families DVD can be found on the Australian Little Athletics website , www.littleathletics.com.au

15. Coaching and Education CRYSTAL CREEK COACHING CAMP • Each year the Eastern Metropolitan Region conducts Coaching Camps for athletes in the U10-U15 age groups. Athletes from the 12 Centres within our Region may attend these Camps at a venue just out of Alexandra. • Dates for this year’s Camps are: • 5th– 7th November for U12 – U15 athletes • 26th November – 28th November for U10 – U11 athletes • The cost is $140 per athlete, which covers all accommodation, meals, transport and coaching. • You don’t have to be a ‘star’ athlete to attend these Camps; they are aimed at improving an individual’s knowledge and technique. RINGWOOD COACHING • Ringwood LAC has a number of accreditated coaches from levels 1 to 4. Coaching is conducted under the control of our Coaching Director Peter Benifer and is available for all Under 9 – 16 athletes on most Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 5:30 – 6:30 pm. Dedicated throws coaching is also available on Sunday mornings 9:00-10:00am • Ringwood also runs a number of Special Clinics for its Under 6 – 8 athletes throughout the season, these will be conducted outside the normal event days and training times. Dates, Times and Details will be available through our website and newsletter. LAV CLINICS • Little Athletics Victoria also conducts a number of coaching clinics and information sessions throughout the season. These are excellent ways to learn more about athletics and become more involved with your child activities. • Sunday 17th October at Collingwood Race Walking Coaching • Sunday 28th November at Collingwood Coaching Workshop • Saturday 8th January 2011 at Nunawading Under 11 Skills Clinic – Day 1 • Sunday 9th January 2011 at Knox Under 11 Skills Clinic – Day 2

16. Adverse Weather Arrangements Wet Weather • The general rule is that if the weather is wet before scheduled warm-up time, still come to the track. A final decision regarding holding competition will be made by 9:00am on Saturdays – 6:30pm on Twilights - by Committee members. However if the weather is deemed to be so bad that we need to cancel the program beforehand, details will be posted on the RLAC Website • If the weather becomes wet during competition time, a discussion and decision will be made by several members of Committee. • The safety of all athletes and officials is paramount and this will be given serious consideration before events or the program is cancelled.  Hot Weather • In the case of extreme hot or humid weather the Committee will decide if the day will be cancelled or shortened, this decision will be made during competition time, as it maybe possible to run some events. Once again the safety of all athletes and officials is paramount and this will be given serious consideration before events or the program is cancelled. • During extremely hot conditions, the Committee will make regular announcements about staying hydrated and being Sun Smart. We encourage all parents to ensure that their children follow these guidelines. • Parents are free to make their own decisions regarding whether their children should compete on such days.