Athletics for kids: what happens at a first session

Turning up to a first athletics session with a child who has never done it before is more daunting for the parent than the child, most of the time. Here is what it actually involves.

Structured, but built around fun

At younger ages, the emphasis is on learning basic movement skills, running, jumping, catching, and making friends, not performance. England Athletics runs this nationally through its funetics programme for 4 to 11 year olds, which most affiliated clubs base their own junior sessions on, alongside school-age competition formats like Sportshall.

What a session usually looks like

Expect a warm up first, often the same routine every week so kids get comfortable with it, followed by quick rotations between different activity stations, since younger children have short attention spans and rotating keeps everyone engaged. A typical evening might mix a running or relay game, a jumping station, and a throwing station using safe, lightweight equipment.

It is normal to be hesitant at first

Some children join in immediately; plenty take two or three weeks just to get comfortable with the routine before they properly settle in. Coaches running junior sessions expect this and will not push a reluctant child into anything.

What to bring

Trainers rather than spikes at this stage, a water bottle, a layer for standing around between stations, and a snack for afterwards. It is worth telling your child what to expect beforehand: you will watch first if they want, then they join in, and you will collect them at the end, so there are no surprises on the night.

Finding a session near you

Most clubs list their junior nights separately from senior training. See our guide to finding and joining a club, or check a specific track's listing to see what age groups it caters for.