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Athletics
Put simply, athletics is about running, jumping and throwing.  It is perhaps one of the oldest sports of all, with athletics events taking place thousands and thousands of years ago.  Considered one of the fundamental sports, athletics plays a role in almost every other sport and physical activity, helping you to develop running skills for football, jumping ability for basketball, throwing skills for cricket, etc, etc.

Here at Edinburgh Leisure we offer a variety of coached athletics classes for children from as young as 3 years old right through to teenagers.  Led by fully qualified coaches, the programme focuses on the acquisition of the fundamental movement skills required in athletics and physical activity, enabling athletes to develop the correct technique for each event.  Basic skills such as balance and co-ordination are also developed alongside running, jumping and throwing, which encourages improvements in agility, fitness and strength amongst participants. 

Furthermore, participation in athletics helps children learn to listen and follow directions, builds self-esteem and confidence, helps with goal setting skills, concentration, determination, helps develop social interaction, enhances performance and develops attention to detail.  It encourages children to work at their own pace; there is no need to keep up with the pack as coaches tailor every child's activity to their ability and encourage athletes to achieve their own personal best. They learn to listen to their body and know how far they can push themselves safely. This provides a solid foundation for school, other sports, work habits and for the rest of their life.

The Programme
Our athletics programme is designed to introduce participants to the sport and to develop their skills to a level where they can move into an athletics club and take part in the sport at a club level.  We have links with all local track and field clubs in Edinburgh, ensuring the opportunity is there for athletes to progress into club athletics and beyond! 

Anyone can enter the athletics programme at any age or stage of the pathway.  Our coaches are able to identify differing abilities and alter each participants' activity to suit their level of fitness and ability.  However, to help you find the right place for you/your child, a brief description of each class has been prepared below:

Mini Athletics - This is our class for pre-school children aged 3-5 years.  It teaches basic movement skills for running, jumping & throwing as well as fundamentals such as balance, co-ordination and flexibility. The ethos behind this class is “play and learn” and encourages your child to learn whilst having fun.

Introductory Athletics - This class builds on what your child has learned in Mini Athletics and is ideal for children aged 5-8 years. The focus of the class is “participation” and encourages participants to try every event in the running, jumping and throwing fields of athletics, where they will also learn about competition rules and track etiquette.

General Athletics - This class further develops athleticism with more focus on “getting better” at athletics events. It is suited to those aged 8-12 years and equips your child with the necessary skill base to enter a local athletics club.

Teens Athletics - This class is for older children aged 12 years and above. It is suitable for those looking to try the sport for the first time or are on the waiting list for a local club as well as those who enjoy the sport and wish to continue with recreational rather than competitive athletics.

With athletics being such a diverse sport, our athletes are kept busy with all the different running, jumping and throwing events each term.  So that you can keep track of what they will be getting up to, the programme outline below provides you with an overview of the aims of each term:

Term	Dates	Description
Spring 1	Jan- April	Focus on the technical elements/technique of each event. Progress cards for all children to let you know how they're doing.  These will be presented at the end of term. Option to attend a local indoor club competition at Meadowbank to watch or take part.
Spring 2	April- July	Preparation for the annual end of term inter-site competition on the track at Meadowbank. Scottish Athletics Awards Scheme. (QCC's)
Autumn 1	August- October	Focus on fundamental movements and the athletics events. Progress cards for all children to let you know how they're doing.  These will be presented at the end of term.
Autumn 2	October- December	Focus on fitness, flexibility & conditioning in athletics. Scottish Athletics Awards Scheme. End of term fun day. (QCC's)

We have no doubt you will have lots of questions to ask.  Please follow this link to our Frequently Asked Questions page, where we hope you will find what you are looking for. FAQ's
Alternatively, if you would like further assistance, please contact our Athletics Development Officer, Jane Scott, on 0131 458 2177 or at janescott@edinburghleisure.co.uk

How do I get started?

Athletics is one of the easiest sports to get into because you need very little equipment.  In most cases a pair of trainers, some sporty clothes and a bottle of water is enough to get started, we have the rest!  For more information on what you need click here.

Classes run from 5 of our venues: Meadowbank Sports Centre, Craiglockhart Leisure Centre, Saughton Sports Complex, Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and Queensferry High Recreation Centre.  For exact times and locations please check the activity & timetable search.

Holiday Activities

We also run Athletics activities during the school holidays.  For more information please call Jane on 0131 458 2177 or click here.

Athletics Clubs

Edinburgh Leisure has a strong development pathway that progresses from grassroots participation into club level athletics, where athletes can train for and take part in competitions at both a local and national level.

The Edinburgh based athletics clubs linked to Edinburgh Leisure are:

Corstorphine Athletics Club
Training Venue:  Saughton Sports Complex and Forresters High School
www.caac.org.uk

Edinburgh Athletic Club
Training Venue:  Meadowbank Sports Centre
www.edinburghac.org.uk

Harmeny Athletics Club
Training Venue:  Balerno High School
www.harmenyac.org.uk

Each club is affiliated to Scottish Athletics, the governing body for the sport in Scotland.  They take part in league competitions each season as well as open competitions and regional & national championships.  For more information on athletics nationally please visit www.scottishathletics.org.uk