33 Coaches undergo training in kids’ athletics
Ghana Athletics, the national governing body for track and field events, has organised a two-day training workshop on kids’ athletics for selected coaches and Physical Education (PE) teachers in the Upper East Region.
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Sponsored by World Athletics, the training formed part of the national organisation’s new focus to groom children to develop an interest in athletics at a tender age to make significant contributions towards the growth of the discipline.
The participants were taken through various activities including throwing, running and jumping carefully designed to suit the ages of children.
Each participant was presented with a certificate at the end of the training.
Unearth talents
Speaking at the end of the training, the Kids Athletics National Trainer, Alice Atubiga, said World Athletics decided to introduce kids’ athletics to provide an opportunity for children to unearth their talents in athletics.
She noted the association realised that over the years, children did not actively participate in athletics because oftentimes, it was the adult athletics they also took part in, thereby becoming unexciting for them.
“World Athletics decided to introduce kids’ athletics with activities such as throws, jumps and runs taking into account the ages of children. Kids’ athletics is like circuit training where children will go through a lot of activities to develop their talents in athletics,” she explained.
While expressing gratitude to World Athletics for the support, she entreated the participants to replicate what they had been taken through in their respective communities to motivate children to develop an interest in athletics.
Target
The Upper East Regional Chairman, Ghana Athletics, Afelibeik Ababu, said the training was meant to introduce children from age four to athletics programmes for their benefit.
He stated kids’ athletics was geared towards improving the movement of the children, as well as motivating them to come out of their shells to develop a personal interest in athletics for the benefit of the country.
He mentioned that it was a way of developing athletes from the grassroots and expressed optimism that in the next 15 years, many young athletes could be trained to compete in competitions nationally and internationally.
Since the needed equipment was not readily available to train the children, Mr Ababu charged the coaches to improvise in the meantime to introduce the discipline to the children, stressing “as and when we receive equipment, they will be made available to you to make your work easier”.
A participant, Happy Awinnongmah Asati, said the new discipline would make it exciting for children to enjoy every bit of the training, thereby encouraging them to develop their skills in athletics.
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