Junior FAQ
(Frequently asked questions)
If you are interested in the fun and competative sport of athletics, there are a range of athletics club throughout Scotland that cater for all disaplines. Irvine Athletics Club, Kilmarnock Harriers and Ayr Seaforth are all good local clubs in Ayrshire that compete at local and national events.
Simply come along to the clubs during training nights with a parent or guardianand participate in training for the 1st day, however there is normally a small charge like 50p or £1 per training session. If you wish to compete like the majority of young athletes then you will have to be a registered Scottish athlete with Scottish Athletics. This can be done by logging onto the website (www.scottishathletics.org.uk, by phoning them up direct or by post. Registration is free to juniors for the 1st year.
Also if you click on teh sub menu "Irvine AC Coaches" then contact details are available, so you can talk to senior coaches before coming down
For PARENTS the club is always looking to actively get parents involved and there are many 1/2 day courses that you can attend as well as helping out during training nights. Also helping out at local events is greatly appreciated. If any adults are interested in coaching the club will inlist you on all the relevent courses.
To be an athlete there is no particular age limit as there are still athletes competing over the age of 60. The minimum ages to start will be from 10 years and above so there is no particular age.
It is not recommended (at Irvine AC) that children under the age of 10 start as training can be demanding and may be too hard. You do not have to be fit when you come down as this will improve with training
Athletics events are classed into different age groups allowing athletes of similar age to compete against each other in competitions. These age groups are U11, U13, U15, U17, U20.
[U13 - means Under 13 years]
In the past athletics was track and field events that participated in the summer however the spor has developed and during the winter there is now cross-country, hill running and road racing that takes place and for track & feild athletes there is indoor events also.
So track and feild takes place in the spring and summer months, whilst cross-country takes part in the winter but starts in Autumn. Road races are throughout winter, spring, summer and autumn (Mostly for senior runners only). Inddor track and feild starts in winter and there are also races throughtout the summer for indoors too.
It is very important that every athlete does a warm-up, for a number of reasons. Performing a warm-up ensure minimal risk of injury and ensures maximum performance.
An effective warm-up also increases the heart rate and respiratory rate so this means blood flow is increased in the body so this increases the level of oxygen and nutrients to muscles. This helps the muscles to be prepared for the activity or exercise.
It's hard to say how often an athlete should train (in general terms) as all athletes are different in terms of age and ability. But on an overall basis it is safe to say that training for athlets should be twice a week and usally with some competitions at the end of the week.
If an athlete is more serious and wants to develop and improve then training can be expanded to 3 - 6 times a week, depending on the individual and there commitment. Also the correct coaching and training will prove essential if expanding training times.
Professional athletes train up to 12 times a week
There is no particular things you should eat or not eat. Young athletes should try to ensure they eat a healthy balanced diet. Eating for some fruit or drinking fresh fruit juice or cereal can give you vital nutriants and minerals that help develop muscles.
Protien is also very important as it is essential for growth and repair. Protein foods include lentils, beans, eggs, tuna (or fish) and chicken. Because athletes in athletics do a lot of running an athlete should also try to eat abitm ore carbohydrates as this gives the body energy/fuel when running. Typical carbohydrate food are rice, potatoes, pasta and breads.
If there are any foods to avoid it would have to be high saturated foods. So really fatty foods should be kept minimul (Easier said than done!! eh?) And also sugary sweets, sweets are tasty but they dont actually make you run any faster. Always good after a race to get your sugar level back up though and also reward for doing a race :-)
