Last week 60 children from St Joan of Arc primary school converged at Algie Park in Sydney to demonstrate some of the new Athletics Play activities to be delivered through the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program.

The Athletics Play resource has been designed to engage primary school aged children in athletic activities. It provides children with the opportunity to practise fundamental skills including running, jumping and throwing.

Some of Australia’s elite athletes including Robbie Crowther, Tristan Thomas, Lauren Boden and Melissa Breen guided the students through games such as ‘bullseye’, an activity that involves players in small groups throwing various objects at a target.

The resource is a joint initiative developed in partnership between the Australian Sports Commission, Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia. It will be used by a national network of community coaches involved in the delivery of the AASC program to more than 150 000 children around Australia.

Minister for Sport Mark Arbib, launched the resource and engaged with the students in the various games.

‘Athletics Play is designed to get children out of their lounge rooms and into the playground.  The activities have been designed to promote a team-based approach that is exciting, challenging and fun,’ Senator Arbib said.

Chief Executive Officer of Athletics Australia, Mr Dallas O’Brien, recognised the importance of the resource for the future of athletics.

‘The Active After-school Communities program has helped to facilitate and deliver a landmark joint initiative that will have a lasting legacy for our sport,’ Mr O’Brien said.

Chief Executive Officer of Little Athletics Australia, Mr Adam Wallish said the resource will provide experience to those who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to engage with a little athletics program or competition.

‘Athletics Play has the potential to be a key recruitment strategy for little athletics by expanding exposure of the sport to primary school aged children,’ Mr Wallish said.

The AASC program is an Australian Government initiative that provides children with a positive and fun introduction to more than 70 sports and 20 other structured activities.

Athletics Play is just one of the resources available to the community coaches, clubs, schools and the communities involved in the delivery of the AASC program.