Easter Startrack Indoor Holiday Sessions

~ by Debbie Beresford

• Photographs here

This is our ninth year of staging the AVIVA ACADEMY STARTRACK Indoor Athletic Sessions and they are getting more and more popular every year, with over 100 youngsters take part aged 7-15 years.  All from the local community and a great turn out.

Each youngster on the scheme received a ‘Goodie Bag’ – a useful backpack containing T-Shirt, Cap, Water Bottle and Mini Vortex – courtesy of AVIVA & UK Athletics.

Both weeks from of the Easter Break were held at Manchester Health Academy, Wythenshawe, Manchester and disciplines covered included Javelin, Shot Putt, Discus,  soft hammer, hurdles, mini hurdles, Speed Bounce running over 60m, 75m, 80m, 100m and 200m, 300m, 400m, 600m, 800m, and the standing long jump, vertical jump and the new vortex howler, with many more over the week. Youngsters attending can try out all the events and most will see improvement throughout the week learning some skills and having fun on the way, meeting new friends and gaining a very positive experience of Athletics.

The weather on both weeks varied from blue skies to pouring rain but we were able to make every session fun and varied, using Sportshall events if raining mixed with some agility sessions and making the most of the outdoors when fine. Luckily we have had some great days and made the most of the weather, over the weeks we have seen youngsters of abilities through the sessions and hopefully given everyone of them the encouragement needed to get involved in athletics and perhaps one day we will see them competing for the club and maybe the country!!

On our final day of each week, we were very fortunate to have the help of Carl Locke, from QUAD KIDS who came along to assist with the session courtesy of England Athletics. Carl came along to hold one of the new athletic competition formats for both Schools and athletic club use, for youngsters from year 3 up to and including year 7’s. Should you fancy looking at this please go to the website. The weather was great and everyone really had a great time. At the end of the session Carl Locke and Debbie Beresford gave out all the Aviva Academy Awards to all the youngsters to reward the effort and ability shown by every youngster who attended the course.

Every youngster taking part was encouraged to come along and join Manchester Harriers & A.C. They were given information on our activities and where and when we meet. As a Club we hope to encourage more youngsters into the sport and help them achieve a healthier lifestyle.

The Club could not do this without our Coaches, Officials and Helpers all of whom are unpaid volunteers who give up their time to help promote Athletics within the Manchester Boroughs. So, a very big thank you to everyone who helped to put on the AVIVA STARTRACK weeks, we could not do it without them and the amount of free time they commit to the club and promotion of Athletics.  Our coaches really enjoy taking the sessions each year and come back year on year to help out, it is a opportunity for experienced coaches to pass on their knowledge to the newer/younger coaches and results in a much stronger relationship within the club and a real team spirit.

We have had further support from Manchester Leisure & the Manchester Athletic Network who have given us much needed support for our  Aviva Startrack sessions, also Manchester Health Academy for the use of the School Sportshall facility and grounds.  Manchester Harriers & A.C.  have get a great deal of support from being part of the McCain Manchester Athletic Network which is a group of MANCHESTER clubs working together to promote Athletics in and around Manchester and the wider Greater Manchester area. The Network is a great asset as we exchange ideas and work together on some projects to help Athletic grow and give youngsters, parents and volunteers a very positive and professional experience.