Junior Members
City of Sheffield and Dearne (CoSaD) AC Junior Athletes
General Information
Age groups
Competition age groups are as follows:
U11 – Y4 and Y5
U13 – Y6 and Y7
U15 – Y8 and Y9
U17 – Y10 and Y11
NB Age groups for cross country and English Schools’ competitions may vary.
Seasons
The outdoor track and field (T&F) season runs from the 1st April to the end of September. The cross country (XC) and indoor T&F season runs from October to March.
Coaches and venues
The club has dedicated, qualified and screened coaches in a wide variety of athletic disciplines.
Coaching predominantly takes place at SHU City Athletics Stadium at Woodbourn Road and at the English Institute of Sport (EIS). We do not charge* for coaching, however an admission charge is payable at both venues. A lifeCARD will reduce the cost of entry to the EIS. Alternatively an Athletics Unlimited card, once purchased, will provide unlimited access to both venues for no extra cost.
All potential new members are welcome to come along on training nights and see if they enjoy the sessions. Group sizes are maintained at manageable levels and therefore there may be some restrictions on sessions that can be attended.
The club has a specialist pole vault squad led by the level four coach Trevor Fox. Olympian and double Commonwealth medallist Luke Cutts and the 2015 European Junior Champion Adam Hague are part of the pole vault squad. Trevor welcomes new junior members to try out the exciting discipline of pole vaulting.
To find out more about suitable coaches for your child please contact Kealy Redfurn or Daryl May
*there are a number of coaches who also train CoSaD athletes that charge for their services
Competitions
There are a wide range of competitions available for athletes to compete in over the sporting year.
South Yorkshire leagues
The South Yorkshire County Athletics Association (SYCAA) hold various competitions. These include the outdoor T&F league (four events between April-July), XC league (four events between Oct-Dec), and an indoor T&F league (four events between Nov-March).
Youth Development League (YDL)
The YDL is separated into the Lower YDL for U13 and U15, and an Upper YDL for U17 and U20. The YDL is very competitive, with all clubs entering their strongest teams. Competing at the YDL is an important part of being a CoSaD athlete and we would urge all athletes to consider putting their names down for these events. It’s a great experience as it gives athletes an opportunity to compete out of area, in a wide variety of disciplines and as a team.
The Lower YDL consists of four dates between April and July. The Upper YDL consists of three dates between May and July. It is important that we can field a full team, including track officials. For each event for which we have no athlete, we lose points. Therefore, athletes who attend can often try a range of disciplines, to fill gaps where necessary.
Open events
Open events are for all athletes, whether they are affiliated to a club or not. CoSaD runs a number of opens, called Run Jump Throw events, throughout the year. More information can be found here. Other local athletics clubs also hold open events. For up to date information about open competitions please follow our Facebook or Twitter pages (see the ‘Staying in touch’ section).
Road relays
Road relay competitions are held in autumn and spring. There are north of England and national competitions. For up to date information about road relays please follow our Facebook or Twitter pages.
Intercounties matches
Athletes may be selected to compete for South Yorkshire at an Intercounties match. Intercounties matches are normally in September for T&F and March for XC. Selection is based on Power of 10 (see below) results and is controlled by the SYCAA.
Club kit
For all club competitions, athletes must wear the club colours. For open races, athletes can wear any suitable clothing. To purchase club kit please email us at kit@sheffieldathletics.co.uk
Power of 10
Power of 10 is a website maintained by British Athletics. It acquires the results from all qualifying competitions and monitors athletic performance. This allows athletes to see their PBs, progression and national rankings.
Power of 10 is used for selection for some competitions, such as the Youth Development League (YDL) or Intercounties matches. To register, visit the Power of 10 website.
Staying in touch
We have a young athletes Facebook page for general updates, competitions, results and information. This is a closed group – search for ‘City of Sheffield and Dearne Junior Members’ and request to follow. You will then be added.
We also have a City of Sheffield and Dearne Junior Members Twitter account. Follow us @shefanddearneacjr
Most of our coaches also have their own communication channels via Facebook, text message and email.
Membership
Membership fees are due by the 31st March each year. CoSaD membership fees include the England Athletics registration fee and a fee to Northern Athletics. If you wish to join midway through a year, membership fees are adjusted accordingly.
Volunteering
We always welcome parents and carers getting involved and volunteering either at training, events or at competitions.
Policies
CoSaD caters for all, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social or economic status. We use UK Athletics Codes of Conduct for coaches, volunteers, athletes and parents or guardians to ensure expected standards of behaviour.
General Data Protection Regulations
When you become a new member of or renew your membership with City of Sheffield and Dearne Athletics Club you can also choose to be registered as a member of England Athletics (you will have to register with England Athletics if you ever compete for the club under the UKA rulebook). If you tick the box we will provide England Athletics with your personal data which they will use to enable access to an online portal for you (called myPortal). England Athletics will contact you to invite you to sign into and update your MyAthletics portal (which, amongst other things, allows you to set and amend your privacy settings). If you have any questions about the continuing privacy of your personal data when it is shared with England Athletics, please contact dataprotection@englandathletics.org
Safe guarding and welfare
If you have any concerns regarding either a safe guarding or welfare issue, please contact Adele Hague
Useful links
South Yorkshire County Athletics Association
Sheffield Federation for School Sports