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Junior Athletes 8-16
Lancaster & Morecambe AC’s junior athletes are coached by qualified and CRB checked coaches. Junior training adheres to the principles of Long Term Athletic Development to achieve optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete’s career, particularly in relation to the important growth and development years of young people. If a long term approach to training is not adopted there is likely to be a plateau in performance, when growth and development slows significantly.
FUNdamental Training
All athletes joining the club aged 8 – 11 (Primary School) may join a Fundamental Group on either or both Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6.30-8pm. At this stage the coaches provide broad movement experiences and include activities focusing on agility, balance, co-ordination, speed, running, jumping and throwing. Athletes may enter Cross Country, Fell, Sports Hall and Track and Field competitions but these are simply for fun – participation rather than excellence is the goal.
Foundation Training
This group is aimed at athletes aged 11 upto 16 (Secondary School.) Again, this group trains between 6.45-8.00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings. Athletes will benefit from attending both sessions, although we understand that other sporting activities means that some athletes only attend one session – we will of course, support this arrangement. The athletes work on the skills required in seven areas of competition:- maximum velocity running, endurance running, running over obstacles, jumping for distance, jumping for height, push throws and pull throws. The sessions are split into 8 week blocks -the 8th week being a mini competition. At each session the athletes will complete three skill units -one running, one jumping and one throwing. The session finishes with a de-brief in the club house at 7.55pm. It is useful, but not essential, if parents can come into the club house for the de-briefing – and this is a good time to deal with any queries you may have.
Event Group Training
Once athletes have mastered the basic skills in athletics they will start to specialise in a group of events where the focus will shift to refining skills and introducing tactics. A great level of commitment will be required at this stage together with the ability to set independent goals and realistic performance evaluation.
Competition
The athletes work very hard in training and it is important that they have the opportunity to practice their skills in competitions. We contact parents each week, by e-mail, and in return we expect parents to reply and let us know which competitions their children are attending. In the winter the athletes compete in the Mid Lancs XC league, The County, Northern and National Championships and in the summer the Mid Lancs Track and Field league, a number of open meets, County Championships and the Young Athletes League. The club provide transport to the Northern and National XC and the Young Athletes League fixtures.
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