WELLS CITY HARRIERS

JUNIOR COACHED TRAINING

2024: sessions as lively as ever! 7 qualified coaches on a rosta to ensure 3 or more present each week to work with the 3 age groups - 8 & 9; age 10/11 starting to compete; and age 11-16 competing at least once a month. 

When: Monday start 6.30pm and finish 7.30pm

(note we train through half-terms but not on Bank Holiday Mondays)
Who: Juniors aged 8-15 

Where: Millfield Track, Street

(Registration at hut on starting line from 6.20pm)

Currently full for the younger age 8&9 group. There is a waiting list - some spaces are expected to become available in September 2024.

Older age group (10+) welcome to come and give it a try, and space offered if athlete is keen to compete. Contact us to join waiting list or to try out. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monday Juniors with coaches in December 2022.

WHAT WE DO

Although our senior members focus on a variety of running disciplines, Wells City Harrier coaches encourage our juniors to participate in a variety of athletic events. This ensures our athletes develop the fundamental skills of athletics (vital to every sport). These include sprints, middle-distance, long jump; for all age groups and shot put (for u13s and above); and turbo-jav (for u11s) in spring and summer; and endurance running, circuits, hills, in autumn and winter.

The focus from mid-September onwards to early March is preparation for the cross-country/road running season, but we also have a small group that continue to train for sprints throughout.

MEMBERSHIP AND COSTS

Those who are accepted onto the coached sessions: please ensure you have joined the Club (see our membership page here) and book your place for each half-term. The cost is £15 per half-term (less than £2 per session!). This to be paid at track at the start of each half term - payment by card, cash or cheque.

COMMITMENT THE CLUB EXPECTS

FROM JUNIORS WHO TRAIN WITH WELLS

We expect that juniors will attend regularly to benefit from the coaching - we train in all weathers. We also expect juniors from the age of 10/11 to start competing for the Club at least once a month. This might be at the cross country races (Wessex or Gwent League fixtures) or at the Street 1k, 2k or 5 k road races over autumn & winter.

In spring & summer there are opportunities at Open Track & Field meetings at Yeovil, and the chance to be part of the joint team with Yeovil Olympiad's in the SW Athletics League. We also prepare the youngsters to compete at the Somerset County AA Championships, the SW Inter-Counties and national level competition.

In addition to our coached Monday session we encourage juniors to have a go at junior Parkruns (age 9-14) or senior Parkruns (age 13 upwards, although younger runners also take part)

Priority for a training place on a Monday is given to juniors that compete for the Club.

COACHES

Rota of Graham, Paul, Al, Isaac, Sarah, Stuart, James and David. Parents expected to assist.

Numbers are limited to 40 per session until more parents qualify as Coaches. Waiting list is in operation when full. If you are a parent and would like to volunteer, please speak to one of our coaches to find out how to get involved or see our coaching page for more information.

HOLIDAYS

No sessions on Bank Holiday Mondays; or the 2 weeks over the Christmas break; or late July and during August when all the volunteer coaches take a well-earned summer break.

WAITING LIST / NEW MEMBERS

Contact Stuart & Al to join our waiting list or make enquiry. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After making an enquiry about our training sessions and registering your contact details, you can attend 2 sessions for free to check out if the coaching/training is what you need/want and for us to confurm there is a space. After that to continue being coached/using the training facility we require all individuals to be paid up Members of the Club. It is a condition of our hire agreement with Millfield Track, and Harrier Policy, for all sessions to be organised with members registered.

RISK ASSESSMENT AND INSURANCE

The Harrier sessions have been Risk Assessed and are covered by Club insurances for Club members. (When training on your own please only train in public areas and do not use private facilities unless the Harriers have a formal agreement with facility managers for access at specific times of the week - see below).

MILLFIELD AGREEMENT

We have to follow strict protocol with hiring the track at Millfield - please follow the directions of Club coaches and ensure you register at the beginning of every session to ensure that we can account for everyone present.

OTHER SESSIONS

Training on other days  - another Harrier coached session for endurance runners can be planned subject to demand - but as an alternative we would encourage our juniors to run at 5km Parkruns on the Saturday (if age 11 and above) or at junior 2km parkun on the Sunday (if,say, age 9-12).

TRAINING WITH YEOVIL OLYMPIADS

We have a reciprocal arrangement with YOAC to train with them at the Yeovil Arena and vice versa.

Their training nights are usually Tuesday & Thursday – see YOAC website for more information; and Saturday mornings sometimes at Ninesprings (Goldenstones) for juniors.