The Peninsula Track and Field Club is now preparing athletes of all ages for the upcoming track season which begins May 2 and 3 in Port Alberni.
Although the Masters/Seniors group has been active all winter with their Saturday morning workouts at Parkland Secondary School, younger members of Pen Track have now begun their training sessions as well.
Meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Parkland, it is the Track Rascals (6 to 8 year olds) who begin at 4:15 p.m. for their one hour sessions.
Then at 5:15 p.m. the Junior Development (age 9 to 12) athletes take over until 6:45.
A separate set of coaches overlap this session from 6 until 7:30 p.m. as they prepare the older JD (13-14) and Midget/Youth (15-18) for their events.
While the Track Rascals program runs until April 30, the other groups will continue their training until the end of June, preparing for the various B.C. Athletics championships.
All the various disciplines are covered by the cadre of dedicated coaches, including the sprints and hurdles, jumps, throws and middle distance races.
Following the Long Term Athletic Development program, the spring distances are shortest for the youngest athletes but gradually increase as they get older and more experienced, and the throwing implements (shot, javelin and discus) also get progressively heavier.
Although more than 60 athletes are already registered, any new or returning members can still turn up and be enrolled at these sessions, or by contacting Pen Track’s Registrar, Lesley Foster at 250-656-5660 or emailing lesley.foster@me.com.
— by Danny Daniels, Peninsula Track