In collaboration with Athletics NI, the Newcastle Junior Squad boarded a bus to the home of Athletics in Northern Ireland and headed for Mary Peters Track for a day of multi-event development. The bespoke training day was open to all junior club members and 46 of the squad opted to attend the day all ranging from the ages of 8 years old to 18. The day was developed inline with the successful StarTrack Model that Athletics NI runs at various locations and times throughout the year. The timetable for the day was developed specifically to meet the needs of the members of the junior squad and the coaching team.

There were a number of aims and objectives for the day;

To give the juniors a full immersive experience of track and field events

To upskill and build on existing talents

To allow the Newcastle Coaching team to capacity build to further enhance their knowledge and understanding of different events

But most importantly, to have fun.

After what can only be described as a very wet and miserable Summer so far, the Weather Gods had kindly looked down upon the Juniors and everyone was treated to the perfect conditions all day at the track. Although one could also say that the skills and talents of the local cohort of Magpies to open bags was an impressive sight too and only experienced in that area of South Belfast.

Each group had the opportunity to try various events and work alongside the Athletics NI, StarTrack coaching team who shared a wealth of knowledge and helped support the young athletes as they undertook each session. Their patience, expertise and ability to make various events come to life with their approach to coaching was refreshing and enjoyed by all.

With a focus on field events, the squad got to improve on their Javelin skills, Shot Putting and were introduced to the Discus for the first time. With so many flying implements at various stages, the focus on health and safety was adhered to and followed through to ensure proper event etiquette.

With the Long Jump proving a favourite with all age groups, learning the right technique and progressions will no doubt flow into competition day, with many of our regular long jumpers, hitting PBs on the day with the minor adjustments to their approaches.

The High Jump proved to be better than a trip to Soft Play as the young athletes practised their take-offs and proper landing techniques. The fantastic session delivered on race starts and introducing the racing blocks to the older cohort of athletes will prove to be invaluable when they return to sprint and hurdle events at competition level.

The day ended with various 4x100m relays as the athletes put their batton practice into play during a real event. From the longest legs to the shortest legs, friendships were temporarily set aside and race faces pulled on. With flawless handovers and echoes of the word “hand” bouncing around Mary Peters Track, everything was left on track as they fought to win their leg of the relay.

Receiving their goodie bags at the end of day with t-shirts, bottles and a favourite addition of Flahavans Chocolate Chip Flapjacks, every single participant had smiles on their faces and had something more than a goodie bag to take home with them on the day.

Although it was a jammed packed day from start to finish, there was still plenty left in the tank for glorious singing all the way home from Belfast to Newcastle. There is no doubt that the day was a success as participants queried on the way off the bus about when we were going to do it all again. A huge thank you to Athletics NIs Club and Coach Development Officer, Declan Leung and his team for facilitating overall club development and supporting our young athletes as they navigate through the various events open to them at competition level.