Kids Athletics Instructors better equipped

Fifteen instructors in the World Athletics Kids Athletics programme are now better equipped to apply in their respective regional countries, the skills needed to introduce children to the sport of Track and Field.

This, after their engagement in a ‘Train the Trainers’ course, held from August 18 to 20, 2024, here in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Participants were drawn from Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago and host country St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Kellisha Ashton-Yorke (left), the local coordinator of Kids’ Athletics and World Athletics Master Trainer, and Team Athletics SVG’s Technical Director, Chester Morgan

During the three days of instructions, the participants were lectured on how to adapt Kids’ Athletics to meet the needs of the community and participants; plan and run a Kids’ Athletics session and participation/competition event; develop a Kids’ Athletics implementation plan; and how to facilitate a Kids’ Athletics practitioner workshop.

Delivering the course work were World Athletics Master Trainer, and Team Athletics SVG’s Technical Director, Chester Morgan, and Kellisha Ashton- Yorke, the local coordinator of Kids’ Athletics. In his assessment of the course, Morgan told SEARCHLIGHT: “The course was a successful one… All of the objectives were met, both from the facilitators… The participants were well involved and active in the various [sessions]…aimed at getting them to teach coaches, how Kids Athletics work”.

Morgan said he was pleased with the execution by the participants when they were required to put the theory into practice.

Thankful for the opportunity to share his knowledge with others, Morgan said: “We would like to thank World Athletics and NACAC (North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletics Association), for facilitating us, and helping to spread Kids’ Athletics among the instructors in the region”.

The theoretical sessions of the course were done at the conference room of the SVG Olympic Committee at Villa Point, with the practicals at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field.

The course culminated with a Kids’ Athletics Festival at the Arnos Vale venue.