Introduction to Teaching Little Athletics Skills (ITLAS) Courses

(Formerly known as Introduction to Coaching Courses)

Introduction to Teaching Little Athletics Skills (ITLAS) Courses are designed to help participants become better placed to assist children to perform basic athletics skills.

They are practical coaching courses designed for Little Athletics and conducted on behalf of Little Athletics Australia. They cover how to teach basic working models for each event on the Little Athletics program. Participants will be shown event-specific skills, drills, games and activities relevant to the target age group.

Who are the courses for?

The courses are great for parents, school teachers and other interested people who want to know a little more about the skills of the sport so that they may help to coach children of primary school age, assist at Little Athletics centres or prepare students for a school athletics carnival.

The courses are suitable for:

• People with little or no athletics coaching experience
• Little Athletics Age Managers
• Primary school teachers
• People who are considering attending a Level 1 Community Athletics Coach Course
• People who have completed a Level 1 Community Coach Athletics Accreditation

Time Commitment

6.5 hours attendance face-to-face if completing all modules (track, jumps, throws) in one day, including a lunch break OR

3 hours per session if the modules are completed on two separate days:

• Session 1 – Track Events
• Session 2 – Field Events (Jumps & Throws)

(No pre-course work or reading is required).

Modules

• Introduction to Teaching Track Skills – Running, Hurdles, Relays, Race Walking
• Introduction to Teaching Jumping Skills – Long Jump, Triple Jump, Scissors High Jump
• Introduction to Teaching Throwing Skills – Shot Put (Standing Throw), Discus (Standing Throw), Javelin (3-Step Approach)

Resources

Participants receive the following Little Athletics Australia downloadable manuals according to the sections of the course completed:

• Introduction to Coaching
• Warm Up & Recovery
• Introduction to Running
• Introduction to Jumps
• Introduction to Throwing

Course Outcomes

At the conclusion of a course the participant will, for the target age group:

• Better understand an appropriate working model for each events covered in the course
• Have a greater knowledge of appropriate drills, skills, games and activities for each event
• Identify some of the more common technical faults associated with each event
• Have a basic understanding of a simple learning session
• Better understand how to organise a group safely

Participant Requirements

• All participants must be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of the course.
• There are no other course prerequisites.
• There is no exam, written or practical.
• While physical participation in each of the activities is strongly encouraged, it is not compulsory.
• Participants will need to bring clothing suitable for participating in the various events, a hat, sunscreen, water bottle, pen, notepaper, and your own lunch, drinks and snacks. Participants may be asked to bring their own folding chair to some venues.

Participant Fee

The registration fee is $70.00 per person.

Accreditation

These courses sit outside of the Athletics Coach Accreditation Framework and therefore no formal accreditation is gained for attendance.

Certificate

To receive the Introduction to Coaching Course Certificate, all modules need to be completed.

What Participants Are Saying

“This course was very enjoyable, easy to follow and very informative.”

“Anyone wanting to participate in a competition night, this course is worth it. It will allow you to confidently guide young athletes in the correct manner.”

“Practical, will be recommending this course to others.”

“An excellent intro to basic coaching.”

Upcoming Courses

Sunday 10 September at Laurieton

Sunday 8 October at Casino – Save the date! Registrations available soon.

Hosting an ITLAS Course

Little Athletics centre committees interested in hosting an ITLAS course will need to complete an online ITLAS Host Request Form. Prior to doing this you may like to read the ITLAS Host Information Booklet.

How to Host an ITLAS Course Booklet

Click here to request to host an ITLAS 

For all enquiries, contact Joshua Jacka, Education Coordinator, on 02 9633 4511 (Ext 121) or via email education@lansw.com.au.