Presidents’ Chat

Hello and welcome to our latest club newsletter for March 2023.

What a busy winter we have had. Now we are busy organising the outdoor season. First up we have Open Graded Track meetings at Linwood on 11^th April and 9^th May.  Details below.

The state of the track has been subject to concern for a few years now. Athletic Tracks in the UK are subject to inspection and allocation of a Track Mark certification. We are pleased to inform after much campaigning by Club Trustees that Renfrewshire Council have included some budget to provide funding to have the track re-laid.

Article https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/article/13173/Council-budget-2023-to-2024

Invitations to tender for this are now being organised to obtain a definitive cost. All going well we could see the track being closed for a while later in the year. The track was last re-laid in 2011 and 1999.  The club may need to contribute for improvements we deem necessary to support this.

We carried out an inspection of the track to identify any other maintenance issues.  Weathering takes its toll, and we have issues to address such as the hammer cage netting, shot putt front board, long jump take-off boards, etc. Going to be a busy spring.

Track Stars continues to be developed and coaches and volunteers went through various training courses over the winter and I’m working with Colin May (Track Stars Lead Coach) to continually improve this area. We are always looking for new parents and athletes who want to help in this area so please speak to myself or Colin May if you are interested in helping. 

You will see from the Open Graded Meeting below that we need lots of helpers in organising such meetings. A little bit of time from you can make all the difference so please volunteer if you can.

The other sections of the club need coaches as they evolve and cope with the demands of training nights. If you could give a little of your time on training nights speak to a coach.  Our Club Development Officer Rupert Williams can assist in identifying courses and support for you. Contact Rupert via the mailbox bookings-kilbarchanaac@outlook.com

Finally, can I draw your attention to the Code of Conduct reminder which is included below it would be helpful if you could take the time to read through the information. All members of Kilbarchan AAC agree on joining to abide by the Codes of Conduct of the club and it is important that we always remember to promote the club ethos of kindness , support and inclusivity .

Spotlight on Welfare

Code of Conduct reminder

“All members of Kilbarchan AAC agree on joining the club, to abide by the Codes of Conduct of the club.

The Codes of Conduct are on our website – please take a look and refresh your memory about the sections that apply to you. There are sections for everyone, including Young Athletes, Parents, Senior Athletes. 

Code of Conduct – Kilbarchan AAC

It is important that we always remember to promote the club ethos of kindness, support, and inclusivity.  The use of social media can be a challenge, and everyone is reminded to use social media responsibly with due respect for the club and fellow athletes.

Please also be mindful that photographs and videos of athletes should be used responsibly and only be used within the club.

Parents have a significant role in promoting good behaviour by setting a good example of respectful behaviour, encouraging their children to enjoy athletics, be friendly and supportive to other athletes and to appreciate good performance, not just results. Parents and other spectators should be aware that any inappropriate pressure on children during coaching sessions can sometimes make children drop out of sport. Direction to athletes during a session is best left to coaches.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any concerns or questions about Welfare within the club, please get in touch – there is a contact form on the website or email welfarekilbarchanaac@outlook.com

Janet Gillham and Max McFarlane
Welfare Officers KAAC”

Best wishes, Jason Pender, Club President    Jasonpender64@outlook.com

Linwood Open Graded Meetings

The club is organising two open graded meetings on Tuesday 11 April and Tuesday 9 May. These are competitions open to other clubs as well as our athletes. It is pre-entry only so there will be no training on these evenings. Entry to the first meeting is filling up fast using the following link:

https://www.entrycentral.com/festival/3553

Tuesday 11 April events are:

• 3000m – two heats
• 100m – ten heats
• 800m – nine heats

Each race is sorted according to the athlete predicted time so irrespective of your age and sex they should be running against someone with a similar predicted time for the event.

Tuesday 9 May events are:

• 3000m – two heats
• 200m – ten heats
• 1500m – five heats

The 9 May competition entries will open on 12 April and the link will be posted on the club web site and Facebook.

Volunteers wanted – see tasks below

Like with all competitions it wouldn’t be possible without technical officials which have been organised, but we also need other people to volunteer to help. Please contact Jason Pender 07811 109736 if you are available to help. Tasks that need done on the day are as follows:

Athlete Declarations

On arrival provide the athletes with their correct bib numbers and pins. Direct them to athlete warm-up in the indoor track.

Officials / Volunteers / First Aid Report

In the portacabin, provide the first aiders, technical officials and volunteers with a sandwich, cake, cup of tea or coffee on arrival. Tick their name off the list when they arrive. Give the technical officials a travel expenses form if they need it (I will email them this as they may prefer to do it all via email).

Indoor Track Supervisor

Supervise the indoor track which is being used for athlete warm-up. Make sure they athletes are sprinting only in one direction to avoid collisions, check the toilets don’t run out of toilet paper, etc.

Track Team Volunteer

• Assist the Track Referee Margaret-Ann MacLachlan with track duties such as
• Recording the athlete bib numbers in finishing order.
• Change the lap board when the leader completes a lap of the race (3000m – 7.5 laps, 800m = 2 laps)
• Ring the bell when the athlete has one lap to go.
• Stand at various sections of the track to watch the athletes and report back to the track referee any observations.
• Operate the wind gauge during the 100m races and radio over to the photo finish team.

Starters Assistant

Working off the start lists, call up the athletes in advance of their race at the start and allocate them to their lane or starting position. Mike Belch and David Hughes are the start team and will advise you.

Results Team

Collect the printed race result off the photo finish team in the tent on the inside of the track near the finish line. Post a copy of the results on a suitable location (weather dependent).

Clerks of the course

This is the general dogs’ body for setting out everything for the event. They report to the Technical Manager who is Jason Pender. This can be a team of people. Duties include:

• Posting information about the track and the indoor track.

For the 3000m

• Put the lap board out at the finish line for the track judges to use.

For the 100m

• Place the lane boxes down at the start identifying each lane number.
• Place eight starting blocks down at the start.
• Place the starters rostrum (a wheeled stand) on the infield so the starter can watch the athletes go to the marks.
• Place the loudspeakers at the 100m start for the athletes to hear the starters’ instructions.
• Set out the wind gauge 50 metres half way down on the inside of the track

For the 800m

• Place the starts’ rostrum just behind the finish line for the starter to use.
• Place the loudspeakers at the finish line and 20 meters along the curve on the infield for the athletes to hear the start’s instructions.

Announcer

General announcements to the event. This would include informing athletes when to report to the start of their race. Safety announcements.

Athletics Technical Officials

Volunteering in athletics.  As well as just helping with the clubs’ activities you could also become a Technical Official and help at competitions.

If you’d like to pursue officiating, please contact jasonpender64@outlook.com

Further information on officiating can be obtained on the Scottish Athletics website https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/officials/ or by contacting Shona Malcolm, Officials Recruitment and Development Officer at shonamalcolm@scottishathletics.org.uk

Club Kit and Vests

Donna Matthews holds our club kit and can meet and greet you most Thursdays 7pm to 7.30pm at the track in the portacabin.

Further details on the club website including contact details https://kilbarchanaac.org.uk/kit/

Scottish Athletics Events Calendar

https://scottishathletics.sportserve.net/pages/event/athletics/athleticsfixturelist.aspx?pid=10000