Star Track Summer Camps, Fixtures & UK Athletics Official Timekeeping Qualification

A few updates on kids summer athletics camps, fixture updates on & off track and a UK Athletics Timekeeping qualification we need volunteers to attend…..

Star Track Summer Athletics Camps:

In collaboration with Swansea University our Star Track Summer Camps are back, delivered by qualified and experienced club coaches twice this summer, on Monday 26th to Thursday 29th July, and or Monday 9th to Thursday 12th August, for 9 to 14 year olds, times are 10am to 3pm and cost £60 per child for each course. To sign up click here.

Fixtures Update:

The annual fixtures page is being updated as and when entry links, date changes and new events become known to us. It is important that you check this page once a week so not to miss out on any events. In particular we’d like to highlight the Welsh Athletics U13, U17 & U20 Track & Field Championships on 31st July & 1st August at Newport. This will be a good opportunity for a number of you to experience the added excitement of taking part in a national championships, with some events having heats and a final, entries close this Thursday 8th July at 5pm. Please chat to your coach about what they feel would be good track and or field event(s) to enter. Likewise the U15 Championships will take place alongside the Senior Championships on 14th & 15th August and entries will open for these on 5 July.

For off track events, although the Cardiff Half Marathon has been postponed yet again due to Welsh Government C19 restrictions, the Admiral Swansea Bay 10km has not. This event is organised by our very own Vice President Nigel Jones who is determined it will go ahead, albeit if it must be in restricted numbers and waves to abide by whatever the C19 restrictions may be on the 19th September. The same can be said for other events that fall below the Welsh Government 4,000 threshold for gatherings which include participants, volunteers and spectators in the total. Please support these events and to help the sport resume not only from a competitive aspect but also health and wellbeing, by entering online here. In addition Club Trustee Brian Fox attended the Gwent Cross Country League AGM as our clubs nominated representative, please read his summary here. Note that these are not the official minutes, those will appear on the Gwent League website in due course. Gwent 2021 AGM Notes

UK Athletics Level 1 Timekeeping Qualification Saturday 21st August @ Swansea:

Please help us out by signing up for this free course, to help the club fulfill its officiating obligations at home and away fixtures for track & field. The level 1 Timekeepers Official course is an entry level qualification on the UK Athletics Track & Field Officials pathway. This practical course will introduce candidates to the key roles and responsibilities of a Timekeeper, including appropriate equipment to use, and how to correctly record and report race times.

Who should go on this course?
Anyone who is interested in timing the track events, including sprints, relays and distance events.

What will I learn?
Bring appropriate equipment and clothing to a meeting
Take appropriate times accurately and understand some of the reasons for inaccuracy
Understand how to report times to chief timekeeper
Understand what additional duties may be required
Understand how a timekeeper works as part of a team
Is there an assessment? There isn’t an assessment but after the course candidates need to complete at least 4 competition experiences to become fully licensed, the first of these will be straight after the course in the Welsh Athletics U13, U15 & U17 open meeting also at Swansea University over the weekend of 21st & 22nd August. The course is free, to sign up click here.