Common Questions

What is Little Athletics and how does it work?

Redlands Little Athletics is an affiliated club with Little Athletics QLD who in turn are a member organisation of Little Athletics Australia. The aim of Little Athletics is to foster the development of children in athletics around the ethos of “Family Fun & Fitness”.

Little Athletics helps to develop children in areas such as: social interaction, coordination, sportsmanship & self-improvement to name a few.

Events that are offered are age group specific to ensure our athletes are learning and developing in a safe and responsible environment.

Whilst athletics can be competitive, Little Athletics has a focus towards its athletes to encourage them to “Be their Best”.

How long is our season?

Our season is usually between 20-22 weeks long and broken up into two halves: before Christmas and after Christmas split evenly between the two.

This year we commence competition on the 25thAugust and conclude on the 8thDecember. There is no competition during the September school holidays.

Our commencement after Christmas is on the 6thJanuary with the season concluding on the 17thMarch.

At the end of our season we hold our Annual Presentation Day / AGM where our season is celebrated and achievements recognised.

Sign On Days

This year we will have two sign on days on the 11thAugust and 18thAugust between 11am and 3pm at our clubrooms located at Cleveland District High School.

When is competition held and where?

We hold competition on Saturday afternoons at Cleveland District High School. To ensure we start on time parents & athletes are asked to arrive by 2:30pm. Competition concludes usually around 5:30pm but this depends on us starting on time.

How much does it cost to join Little Athletics this season?

This year our membership fees are:

What age group will my child be in?

The age of your child as at 31stDecember will determine what age group they are in. This season’s age group table is below. Should your child have a birthday after the 31stDecember but before the season ends they will remain in the same age group.

What age can my child join Little Athletics?

Redlands offers for 3 and 4 year olds a modified play based development program called Tiny Tots. This program goes for a 10 week period (end of first half of season). This season Tiny Tots commences week four of our season which is the 15thSeptember and concludes on the 8thDecember. Children musthave turned 3 before registering for this program, they cannot participate beforehand. Should your child turn 5 during tiny tots or before our recommencement after the summer break they can join in with the U6 age group at no additional cost.

Can my child trial before joining?

Unlike many clubs we offer a two week trial option for $20-00. At the end of the trial period you can decide to join or discontinue. This fee is non-refundable if you decide not to continue but is offset against your membership fee if you do decide to join us.

What if my child does not like it after joining?

Our trial option provides the opportunity to try before you buy. Once a registration has been purchased it is not refundable should your child change their mind.

What do I need to bring to register?

New families are required to bring their child’s birth certificate to verify their DOB and confirm their age group. Without this verified they will not be permitted to compete.

Does the club have a uniform?

Like all sporting clubs we have a club uniform that must be worn when competing at club level or representing the club at other club carnivals, Regional carnivals or State championships.  We will have these available for purchase at our sign on days and during the season.

Are there any specialist shoes that must be worn?

Short answer is no, a decent pair of runners will meet the rigours of all our events. As athletes get older and become more specialised they may elect to have dedicated shoes for events (ie spiked shoes for running or jumping).

Does Redlands accept “Get Started Vouchers”?

Our club is a registered organisation for this program to help young athletes get into sport. These are redeemed upon registration. The next round of vouchers open on the 25thJuly 2018.

Methods of payment for registrations

Our club offers Eftpos and cash only as the two preferred payment methods. Personal cheques are not accepted. We do not have the facility for payment plans of registration fees.

Do you offer training?

As part of your membership we include the option to attend our twice weekly training sessions. During the season (September to March) these are held on Monday’s and Wednesdays and during the off season (May to August) they are held on Tuesday’s and Thursdays. All training is from 4:30pm to 6:00pm but please note these can be subjected to change in which case we advertise via our webpage and Facebook page.

Training is available for our U6 to U17 athletes however parent assistance for U6 to U9 is required. If no assistance is provided these age groups will not train.

Can we take pictures at Little A’s?

Pictures of your child can be taken as they compete, we do ask that you be mindful of other children being captured in your pictures and try to avoid them. We also ask that you do not interfere with other competing athletes when doing so. Parents or guardians are not permitted to enter the competition area to take pictures.

Our club does have dedicated people who will take pictures of the athletes during the season which are used for purposes such as promoting the club via its webpage and social media outlets. These photos will also appear in the yearbook.

Do I need to help out on Competition Days?

Parent support of the club is crucial, we need the help of parents to manage our children’s events on competition days.

Roles parents can do are many and varied including age group marshal, event specific duties such as spiking, recording, raking, retrieval of implements etc and even helping to set up and pack up.

Prior to competition commencing we ask parents to volunteer their time to

This means that parents will be required to manage the events on competition days. This may sound daunting however a combination of experienced parents in age groups and those committee of management members will help to overcome any challenges and ensure all events are conducted fairly, efficiently and without concern.

Each age group (both boys & girls) require an age group marshal. The role of this person is to take the athletes between events, record results of field events and coordinate other parents to help out. The success of our club rests largely with our parents actively helping out on the day.

Set up and Pack up is another area parents can assist. This involves having all the equipment taken from our storage shed to the event site and setting it up ready for competition. The more people we have the less others have to do and the quicker it gets done.

Pack up is a just as important, your help ensures the Committee of Management is not at the grounds any longer than they need to be. Please keep in mind they arrive around midday each Saturday to begin preparing for the days competition. An extra 15 minutes of your time at the end of the day makes a big difference to their day and what time they finish.

Do I need to officiate?

Short answer is no, the best answer is yes. One of the most commonly asked questions is why cannot athletes only break club records on Championship Days. The answer is simple, we do not have the required number of qualified officials to oversee the event.

Can my child compete with their friends?

The age of a child as at 31stDecember determines what age group they will compete in. Athletes are not permitted to compete in any other age group. If they have friends in a different age group they will not be permitted to compete with them. The main reason behind this is different age groups compete using different weights for various implements such as discus or shot put. In addition there may exist differences in certain track events (ie hurdles – height and distances).

Does my child have to do all events?

Whilst we encourage all athletes to participate in all events offered it is not compulsory to do so. We encourage parents to assist their children in participating however we also ask parents not to force children. A happy medium needs to be achieved.

How is my child’s performances tracked?

Our club maintains all athlete performances using ResultsHQ. This is an online portal where all results from club competition are updated instantaneously for track events and that weekend for field events. The email you provide when registering is your login with a password provided shortly thereafter. Your results are secure with access to your child’s results only available to you and the club. These results are used to select relay teams and determine club awards.

Does Redlands celebrate athlete success?

Like many sporting clubs we also celebrate the achievements of our athletes at the end of our season. Our club recognises not only our high performance athletes but all athletes. Many club awards are based on athlete attendance, self-improvement, attitude and sportsmanship. Our Presentation event is held in conjunction with our AGM in April each year.

Can I drop of my child and leave?

This is strictly not permitted, a parent or guardian must remain at all times during your child’s attendance. Failure to respect this requirement will see your child or children removed from competition until you return.

Can my child do senior athletics with Redlands?

Yes, our club is a registered club with Queensland Athletics (QA) and for as little as $10.00 can compete at QA events & competition. QA is open to athletes from aged 12 as at 31stDecember with their season from October to September.