Little Athletics Australia
Practical, beginner-friendly coaching tips for every Little Athletics event. Pick a category and event below to get advice you can use at your next training session.
Select a category and event above to see coaching tips.
At this age, the 70m is about fun and building basic running form. Don't overcomplicate it. Children should feel confident sprinting in a straight line and responding to a starting command.
Children jog around a marked area. Call out "Green" (run), "Orange" (jog slowly), "Red" (stop and freeze). This teaches speed changes and listening to commands.
Stand on the spot and march, lifting knees up to hip height. Keep it fun by counting together or doing it to a rhythm. Builds the habit of lifting knees while running.
Sitting down with legs out straight, practise pumping arms forward and back like a train. This isolates arm action so they can feel the right movement without worrying about legs.
At U6-U8 level, the most important thing is that kids enjoy sprinting. Praise effort over results. Use relay games and races against themselves (beating their own time) rather than always racing each other.
The 100m has three phases: the start and drive, acceleration to top speed, and maintaining that speed through the finish. For younger athletes, keep it simple and focus on one phase at a time across your training sessions.
One foot forward, opposite arm forward. On "Go!", drive out with a low body angle for 10-15m then pull up. Repeat 4-6 times. Focus on a powerful first few steps.
Skip forward lifting the knee high on each skip. Keep the supporting leg straight and land on the ball of the foot. Do 2-3 runs over 30m. Builds knee lift and rhythm.
Jog for 20m to build speed, then sprint at full effort for 30m, then gradually slow down. This practises hitting top speed without the stress of a full 100m effort.
A relaxed sprinter is a fast sprinter. If you see clenched fists, scrunched faces, or raised shoulders, remind them to "run relaxed." A good cue is to imagine holding a crisp in each hand without breaking it.
The 200m adds a bend to the sprint. The biggest skill for young athletes is learning to run the bend smoothly and then accelerating off it into the straight. Teach them it's not just a "long 100m" -- they need to manage their effort slightly differently.
Set up cones in a gentle curve. Have athletes run the bend at 80% effort, focusing on leaning in and staying smooth. Do 4-6 reps. Progress to full-effort bend runs.
Run the bend at 80% effort, then "switch on" to 100% as they enter the straight. This teaches them to conserve on the bend and accelerate on the straight.
Young athletes often go out too hard on the bend and then tie up badly in the last 50m. Teach them that the bend is for "setting up" and the straight is for "letting go." A controlled bend leads to a faster finish.
The 400m is the toughest sprint -- it requires speed and the ability to maintain it when fatigue sets in. For young athletes, the most important lesson is pacing. Going out too fast is the number one mistake at every level.
Run 2 x 200m with 2 minutes rest. Aim for both to be within 1-2 seconds of each other. Teaches even pacing rather than going out too hard.
Run a 300m at 400m race pace. This builds the specific endurance needed for the last 100m of a 400m without the full race stress.
Use the "conversation test" in training: if an athlete can't say a short sentence after a 400m training rep, they've gone too hard for a training run. Save the all-out efforts for race day.
The 800m is two laps of the track and sits right on the border between sprinting and distance running. The key for young athletes is learning that the first lap should feel almost easy so they have enough left for the second lap.
Run 3 x 400m with 2-3 minutes rest. Each 400m should be within 2 seconds of the others. Use a stopwatch to help athletes learn what their target pace feels like.
Jog 600m at easy pace, then sprint the last 200m. This teaches the "kick" finish that's so important in 800m racing. Repeat 2-3 times with full recovery.
A good rule of thumb for young runners: the second lap should be no more than 5 seconds slower than the first. If it's 10+ seconds slower, they went out too hard. Help them learn pacing with regular timed runs.
The 1500m (roughly a mile) rewards patience and consistent pacing more than any other event. Young athletes need to resist the urge to go with every surge in the pack and instead run their own race at an even pace.
Run 800m-1000m at a pace that feels "comfortably hard." Not all-out, but not easy. This builds the aerobic engine that powers a good 1500m. Do 2-3 reps with 3 minutes rest.
During an easy 10-15 minute jog, alternate between 30 seconds fast and 60 seconds easy. This builds the ability to change pace mid-race, which is essential in the 1500m.
For younger athletes (U11-U13), focus on building enjoyment of running rather than hammering pace work. Easy runs, games, and cross country over varied terrain will build a far better base than doing laps of the track.
Hurdling is sprinting with obstacles in the way -- not jumping over barriers. The goal is to lose as little speed as possible. For beginners, start with very low hurdles (or even flat markers on the ground) and build confidence before adding height.
Set hurdles at the lowest height. Walk over them slowly, practising the lead leg action (knee up, foot down) and trail leg (knee out to the side). This removes the fear factor and builds correct technique.
Set hurdles very close together (about 2m apart) at low height. Athletes take one step between each hurdle, focusing on quick lead leg and trail leg action. Builds rhythm and speed over the hurdle.
Stand side-on to a wall or fence. Practise pulling the trail leg through with the knee high and out to the side. Do 10 reps each leg. This isolates the most difficult part of hurdling technique.
Never force a child over a hurdle they're scared of. Start with a line on the ground, then a flat cone, then a low hurdle. Build confidence gradually. Fear of the hurdle causes more technique problems than anything else.
Long jump has four phases: the run-up, the take-off, the flight, and the landing. For younger athletes (U7-U10), they use a take-off zone (1m area) rather than a board, so accuracy isn't as critical. Focus on speed and a strong take-off.
From a standing position, swing arms back then forward and jump as far as possible into the pit. Focus on driving both feet forward for the landing. Great for building explosive power and correct landing technique.
Take just 3 running steps before jumping. This lets athletes focus on the take-off and landing without worrying about a long run-up. Gradually increase to 5, 7, then full run-up.
Run and exaggerate each stride into a long, leaping bound. Do 6-8 bounds over 30m. Builds the power and coordination needed for the take-off.
Speed is the biggest factor in long jump distance. A faster, confident run-up will almost always produce a longer jump. Don't sacrifice run-up speed by making athletes worry too much about hitting the board perfectly -- especially at younger ages where they use a take-off zone.
Triple jump follows a "hop, step, jump" pattern. The athlete takes off on one foot (hop), lands on the same foot, steps onto the other foot, then jumps into the pit. The rhythm is everything -- teach the pattern before worrying about distance.
From standing, do the full triple jump pattern at low intensity. Mark where each phase lands with a cone. This teaches the rhythm without the complexity of a run-up.
Place hoops on the ground in the hop-step-jump pattern. Athletes step through them, landing in each hoop in sequence. Gradually increase the spacing as they improve.
The most common problem in triple jump is a massive first hop that leaves nothing for the step and jump. Aim for roughly equal distances across all three phases. A good ratio to target is around 35% hop, 30% step, 35% jump.
Younger athletes (U6-U10) use the scissors technique, where they kick the lead leg over the bar and follow with the trail leg. From U11 onwards, athletes progress to the Fosbury Flop (going over backwards). Both techniques start with a curved approach run.
Scissors technique (U6-U10):
Fosbury Flop (U11+):
Set out 5 cones in a "J" curve. Have athletes run the curve at increasing speed, focusing on leaning into the curve and keeping their head up. The curve creates the rotation needed for the flop.
Standing with back to the mat, jump backwards and land on upper back/shoulders. This builds confidence in going backwards onto the mat. Progress to a one-step approach, then two steps.
Use a stretchy elastic band instead of a rigid bar for beginners. Set it low. This removes the fear of hitting a hard bar and lets athletes practise freely.
The approach run is 80% of a good high jump. If the approach is rushed, too straight, or inconsistent, the jump will suffer every time. Spend most of your coaching time on the run-up, not the bar clearance.
All throwing events require strict safety rules. Nobody enters the landing area until the coach says so. Nobody picks up an implement that isn't theirs. All athletes put down (never throw down) implements when they're done. Establish these habits from the very first session.
Shot put is a pushing event, not a throwing event. The shot is pushed from the neck/chin area using the legs and body rotation. Children must understand they can never throw the shot like a ball.
Using a light medicine ball, face the throwing direction and push from the chest as far as possible. This teaches the pushing action and the use of legs without worrying about the grip or rotation.
Stand sideways, shot under chin. Without any stepping or sliding, push the shot using only hip rotation and arm extension. Repeat 6-8 times. Builds the core movement pattern.
Stand sideways with hands on hips. Practise rotating the hips to face the throwing direction while keeping the shoulders back. Then let the shoulders follow. This sequence (hips then shoulders) is the engine of shot put.
The most common beginner mistake is throwing the shot like a ball from away from the body. Keep reminding athletes: "chin, clean, push." The shot starts at the chin, the push is clean (straight out), and the action is a push, not a throw.
Discus is about generating rotational speed and releasing the disc at the right angle. For beginners, start with the standing throw before progressing to a turn. Younger athletes use a soft rubber discus which is safer and easier to grip.
Hold the discus at your side and roll it along the ground like a bowling ball. The discus should roll in a straight line. This teaches the correct release off the index finger with spin.
Stand sideways, extend the throwing arm back, and practise the hip-then-shoulder rotation, releasing into a net or fence. Removes distance pressure so athletes focus purely on technique.
Use paper plates as pretend discuses. They're light and safe, so athletes can practise indoors or in close quarters. Focus on the spinning release off the index finger.
The discus should spin off the index finger like spinning a top. If it wobbles or flutters, the release isn't right. Have athletes practise spinning the discus into the air straight up above them -- it should spin flat and come straight back down.
Younger athletes start with a foam "Turbo Jav" before progressing to a standard javelin from U11. The javelin is thrown overarm (like a cricket ball or football pass) -- never round-arm or underarm. The key is throwing "through the point."
Use a tennis ball or cricket ball. Practise the overarm throwing action -- step forward with the opposite foot and throw "over the top" with a high elbow. Do 10-15 throws focusing on throwing straight.
Stand side-on with the javelin drawn back. Without any run-up steps, throw the javelin using hip rotation and the overarm action. Repeat 6-8 times. Focus on the point landing first.
Walk through 3 approach steps: left-right-left (for right-handers), planting the left foot firmly on the last step and throwing. This builds the basic approach rhythm before adding speed.
The javelin must land point-first to count. If the javelin is landing flat or tail-first, the release angle is too low or the athlete is "pushing" it rather than throwing through the point. Cue them to "throw through the tip" with a high elbow.