When does Canterbury Little Athletics run and for how long?
Competition is held between September and March, with a break at Christmas. We compete on a Friday night at Campbell Field in Canterbury, starting at 6pm and aim to finish by approx 8:30pm, depending on the age group. Tiny Tots often finish at approx 7pm and the younger age groups by 7:30pm. Finishing times are often later at the beginning of the season, as we have more athletes attending, but as the season progresses attendance often drops and finishing times are earlier.
When is your first competition for the 22/23 season?
Friday 9 September 2022
When is your last competition for the 22/23 season?
Friday 10 March 2023
What is the youngest age you accept for registration?
CLAC runs a Tiny Tot program which caters for both three and four year olds who will participate in gross motor skill games and activities. Children must have turned three years of age before their registration can be accepted (i.e. children who are still two years of age at the beginning of the season but turn three during October to December, cannot join Little Athletics until their third birthday).
Friday night action at the track can be an overwhelming experience for the really little kids, as there are 400-500 older kids competing on the field at the same time. We encourage you to consider this before registering as it may put your child off wanting to continue their participation. Little Athletics caters for athletes up to 17 years of age, so there are many years of participation ahead. We love welcoming new members and want our athletes to love it and keep coming back each year!
Do you offer Trials?
We do not offer trials or refunds, please consider this before registering your child.
What happens once I’ve registered?
Once you have registered your child/ren for the upcoming season, please download Stack Team App through the Google Play/Apple Store and request access to Canterbury Little Athletics. We will hold a Rego Pack collection on Sunday 28th August and Saturday 3rd September (details will be communicated via Team App). Rego packs will include any uniforms you have ordered online, as well as your athletes registration bib which will need to be attached to the uniform before being able to compete on a Friday night. Please see the club uniform page for information on where to attach it.
How do I see my child’s results?
Results from each weeks’ competition (U6-U17) are usually available within 24-48 hours. Field results need to be manually entered, so may take slightly longer. You can check results by clicking on the “Family Log In” link on the Website to log in to our Results Portal. Your username will be your registered email address. You will need to click on the “Forgotten your password” link to get your password the first time. Please email us if you have any problems, and we can sort it out for you. No results are recorded in our Tiny Tots program.
How do I keep up to date with information throughout the season?
Our main communication channel is Team App. Please ensure all adults responsible for your athlete have downloaded the app via the Apple or Google app store and have the notifications turned on. Any updates or cancellations will be communicated this way.
What happens if there is bad weather on a Friday or training day?
We will endeavour to communicate a decision by 4pm on the day of competition or training should a decision be made to cancel due to wet weather. Competition will be suspended immediately if there is lightning in the vicinity and recommence after 30 minutes, safety permitting.
How do I sign up for duties?
Our duty rosters are managed through Signup.com. Please ensure you include the registration number of your eldest child when you sign up so that the duties you perform can be linked back to your family.
How many times do I need to volunteer in order to qualify for a refund of my duty bond?
The requirement for the 22/23 season is 8 duties per family. We recommend you aim to volunteer at least once every 2 weeks in order to ensure you have enough time to meet the requirement – factoring in any weather cancellations or weeks you are unable to attend due to illness etc.
What happens if I have signed up for a duty on a night that ends up being cancelled?
You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘wooohoo! Got out of that one!’ But unfortunately, over the course of the season, we have more volunteer roles than we have parent helpers. When a session is cancelled, we can’t afford to lose a pool of helpers as future sessions will still need to be filled. If you have signed up to complete a duty on a night that subsequently gets cancelled due to weather, we ask that you re-sign up for another night.
This is our first season and I have no idea what I’m doing, so I really don’t think I’m suitable for helping…
Don’t worry, just ask – we’ve all had a first season! The Committee and Age Managers are here to help and we need your involvement. We have a helpful resource page on our website and encourage everyone to have a read and watch the videos prior to the season starting.
What if I can’t fit all the required number of duties into the season?
We have carefully calculated the number of roles we need – there are plenty to go around! As you will see, we often have to call out for additional helpers on the night. Unfortunately we do lose a few competitions to wet weather, so we encourage parents to spread your duties out and aim to volunteer every 2 weeks to ensure you get through the required number for your bond return.
What if I simply cannot help?
In order to maintain consistency throughout the bond process and to ensure fairness for all members, duty bond refunds will only be issued if all the required duties have been completed.
Does my child need to attend each week?
No they don’t – however, they do receive points each week for events they compete in and these points are tallied up at the end of the season for Season Awards. We love our athlete’s attending each week and improving on their PBs and skills – the more they attend, the more they improve!
Can you tell me how many duties I’ve completed so far?
Am I required to be at the ground whilst my child is competing?
Yes. Unless you have made an arrangement with another parent to be the “acting” carer/guardian of your child that night, you are required to be on the premises. Little Athletics is not a sport where you can drop your children off and then come back and pick them up later. Injuries can occur (and have), that may require immediate hospital treatment. You need to be available to care for your child. With so many children competing on competition nights, it is not possible for Age Managers or other parents to keep track of where your child is at all times. This is your responsibility.
Is the uniform compulsory and is it included in the registration fee?
Yes, the uniform is compulsory. Our uniform consists of a blue and white centre singlet and ‘Canterbury’ blue shorts. The singlet and shorts are both $30 each. The uniform price is not included in the registration fee.
Where do I buy a uniform from?
The uniform can be purchased and paid for online at our online uniform shop.
Is training during the week compulsory?
No. We provide training for athletes, U9 and above who wish to learn event skills and techniques that are difficult to teach during Friday night competitions. Please see the “Training” page for more details.
How can I register a dispute/query regarding a result?
Please feel free to contact us via the website or email if you feel an error has occurred in the results. Each Friday night, a lot of results are recorded for many events and mistakes can be made. We can discuss your dispute/query with the Age Manager, and compare previous results in order to verify whether a mistake may have occurred.
Is there a Lost Property area at Campbell Field?
Any lost items will be placed in a basket near the canteen each competition night. Please ensure your child’s belongings are labelled clearly, including drink bottles, bags, shoes and jumpers. Uncollected items will not be kept beyond the end of the season.