Athletics - Run, Jump and Throw - Junior Coaching and Courses
Our Run, Jump and Throw classes are designed to give children an opportunity to discover and participate in athletics activities all year round. Classes are tailored to suit children of all skill levels from beginners and less experienced youngsters up to those who have already taken part in introductory athletics programmes, holiday courses or local junior competitions. Our UK Athletics qualified coaches encourage all children to try different running, throwing and jumping activities. If they want to do athletics competitively, we also have links with local clubs that train in our venues.
Our programme offers children a wide variety of athletics events and techniques, and focuses on the FUNdamental movement skills, important in every child’s development.
We are continually working on building our pathway with local athletics clubs ensuring that our athletes are well prepared to join a club with a wide experience of athletics.
Run, Jump and Throw Centre – Pre-school
Pre-school: Target age group 3 – 5yrs old. Classes last 45 minutes.
Coach to participant ratio: 1:8 (maximum of 16 participants)
Pre-school stage are for children aged 3 – 5 years old. There is no formal curriculum but this session provides a fun, challenging and enjoyable starting point for involvement in sport.
Sessions will include a wide variety of games and activities that develop the skills and attributes needed to establish the foundations of athletics.
Run, Jump and Throw Centre - Bronze
Bronze 1*: Target age group P1 – P2. Classes last 45 minutes.
Bronze 2*: Target age group P3 – P4. Classes last 1 hour.
*It should be noted that Bronze 1 & 2 maybe delivered within the same class lasting 1 hour.
Coach to participant ratio: 1:10 (maximum of 20 participants)
Bronze 1 and 2 stages are for children that are under 9 years old and not eligible to join an Athletic club. The curriculum is based on Scottish Athletics Run, Jump and Throw Centre model stage 1 to 2 using indoor Sportshall equipment. They learn the basic athletic disciplines of running, throwing & jumping in a safe and fun environment.
Run, Jump and Throw Centre – Silver
Silver: Target age group P5 – P7.
Classes last 1 hour.
Coach to participant ratio: 1:10 (maximum of 20 participants)
Silver stage are for children that could be club athletes or recreational participates requiring more development before making the decision to join an Athletic club. The curriculum is based on Scottish Athletics Run, Jump and Throw Centre model stage 3 to 4 and they continue to learn the basic athletic disciplines but across a wider range of events. Training is still fun but it is harder and more emphasis is placed on the more traditional athletic events.
Run, Jump and Throw Centre - Gold
Gold: Target age group P6 – S2.
Classes will last a minimum of 1 hour, potentially longer dependent on the given coach discipline for that class. Staff will keep parents and attendees informed as and when this occurs.
Coach to participant ratio: 1:10 (maximum of 20 participants)
Gold stage are for children that have shown performance and technical proficiency or are a member of an Athletics club and wish to complement their current training programme with an additional session. The curriculum is based on Scottish Athletics Run, Jump and Throw Centre model final stage 5. This stage will provide the necessary physical conditioning and specialised training to support athletes to decide on an event group/individual discipline and athletics are encouraged to take part in local competitions.
FAQ's
When can children start athletics?
At Edinburgh Leisure children can start in our athletics programme from 3 years old through to their early teens.
Our Classes
Our athletics programme follows Scottish Athletics’ Run, Jump and Throw curriculum. This has 4 stages; Pre-school, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level offers a wide range of activity for all children covering all aspects of running, jumping and throwing. Our athletic sessions currently take place at Ainslie Park.
For further coaching frequently asked questions click here.