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COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ON-FIELD HELPERS:
Little Athletics Centres cannot function without the help and
assistance of the parents of little athletes. Each venue requires
the attention of a prescribed number of parents to ensure that it
operates correctly and within the specified time frame, so it is
important that each venue has its full complement of
helpers.
DUTIES OF COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
PRESIDENT: Chairs each
meeting; represents ALAA at LAANSW meetings; generally ensures
smooth running of Centre.
VICE PRESIDENT:
Performs President's duties in the absence of President or as
directed by President.
SECRETARY: Takes the
minutes of all meetings and distributes these to Committee Members;
responsible for sending and receiving Centre correspondence;
represents ALAA at LAANSW meetings.
TREASURER: Collects and receives
all money due to the Centre; makes all payments authorised by the
Committee; takes custody of, and keeps, books of account and
records.
REGISTRAR: Receives all
registration records and ensures these are filled out correctly;
collects all registration fee payments and liaises with Treasurer;
ensures all athletes are registered with LAANSW; maintains a
register.
RECORDERS: Arranges for recording of weekly results; checks for record performances. Prepares relevant statistical, ranking and personal
performances of little athletes to identify all little athletes
eligible for awards.
Liaises with the Centre's Registrar relating to the electronic
registration of little athletes.
PUBLICITY: Provides
publicity material to local press and web site; ensures that the Centre's
activities are published; liaises with Records and Rankings Officer for and
statistical information for publication. Publishes ALAA newsletter
on the Internet.
COACHING: Implements a
coaching program; organises coaches. Assists in identifying training
course for parents to attend and
qualify.
EQUIPMENT: Ensures equipment is in
good order; ensures Centre has adequate equipment. Monitors the
setting up of equipment for each weekly competition. Monitors that
equipment is dismantled and correctly stored back in the equipment
room. Should arrive at the oval by 4.15 pm to commence the
distribution of equipment on the oval, ready for competition at
4.45 pm.
CANTEEN: Responsible for the
operation and management of canteen
facilities.
UNIFORMS:
Attends to all matters relating to fitting out of the Centre's
athletes with the official Centre uniform. Negotiates with suppliers
for the manufacture of the Centre's uniforms. Arranging the purchase
and distribution to each little athlete, upon payment; liaises with
the Treasurer.
ON-FIELD
DUTIES
Remember parents, you do not have to have any
previous experience in athletics, only the strong desire to help out
to ensure that all parties; little athletes, officials, parent
helpers and spectators thoroughly enjoy attendance at the Armidale Little Athletics weekly competition
days.
The following information is presented to all parents
to assist you in becoming familiar with the numerous helper
positions that are required to be manned to ensure that the event
venues function to their maximum potential to reduce any chance of
delays etc.
RECORD
PERFORMANCES
TRACK AND FIELD EVENT: All
record performances are to be verified by an official Armidale
Little Athletics Committee Member.
COMPUTER DATA ENTRY:
Parents assisting in the entry of the daily results on-site will be
trained in the operation of specially designed program, to transfer
the little athlete's performances from the daily results sheets into
the results data base. More than one (l) parent can perform this
function, daily or on a weekly rotational basis. One (l) parent
coordinates the collection of the results, at regular intervals from
the various venues and returns them to the computer
room.
TIMEKEEPERs:
The timekeeping function is quite precise.
CHIEF
TIMEKEEPER: The Chief Timekeeper uses a multi-time
stopwatch.
TIMEKEEPER: Ensures that watches are in working order. Any watches not
functional should be directed to the Equipment Officer. The
timekeeper only uses the ON/OFF switch and times one (1) performance.
The stopwatch time is only cleared on direction of the Chief
Timekeeper.
When the timekeepers are ready for
the next race, they watch the starter.
You start your watch when you see the smoke from the
explosive cap (NOT THE SOUND).
The timekeeper keeps an eye on the athletes until
approximately ten (10) metres from the finish, and then turns
his/her attention to the finish line. The watch is stopped by
identifying the torso (i.e. from the neck down to the waist) of
their place runner (you time a place as allocated by the Chief
Timekeeper, you do not time the finish by lanes).
After all
athletes have completed the race the Chief Timekeeper will check his
multi-stop watch time against each place timekeeper. Should there be
any discrepancies then the Chief Timekeeper determines a cause for
the discrepancy and allocates a time for the athletes
place.
The time allocated to the athlete is determined to one
(1) tenth of a second, ie a performance of 10.12 or 10.19, the
performance of 10.2 is given to the athlete. You round up for any
digit above the one (1) tenth of a second performance. Where a
timekeeper does not have a place to time (fewer runners in a race)
then they can be utilised as a second timekeeper on another place. Should there be more
than one time on a place (two(2) watches) then the slower time is
given to the athlete, in the event that three (3) watches time a
place then the athlete is given the middle time.
The Parent
Helper completes a results sheet, which includes the performances of
each athlete in the race.
Any record performances are
also determined in this way; the time that gives the athlete the
record must also be the slower of the two (2) times, ie record =
10.8 and the other time is 10.67 (10.7) and the first place time is
10.78 (10.8) then the athlete gets an equal record (10.8) etc. A
record slip is completed by all concerned at the time of record
certification.
NOTE:
The athletes are first placed in order that they finish, it is
resolved who came first, second, third, etc, any `equal' placing is
also resolved. In the event of two or more athletes recording the
same time, then the athlete deemed to have come first will be
accredited with the record.
PARENT HELPERS
GENERAL:
All Parent Helpers are asked to be vigilant when entering
information in the results folders. Ensure that the athlete numbers
are the current season's numbers.
RECORDING
TABLES
OUTER TRACK: The
results are extracted from the Chief Timekeeper's results stopwatch
tape for the event, and are entered IN FULL as indicated on the time
slip.
Some events are conducted as a mixed group, being mixed
sexes/same age, mixed ages/same sex, mixed ages/mixed sexes, etc.
The individual Parent Helpers in each age group should list the
performances of their little athletes on their sheets.
INNER CIRCULAR AND SPRINT TRACK:
The parent helpers will record the results on their sheet. The
order will be given by the time keepers. All athletes should
line up in order of finish.
STARTER: The Starter controls
the event once the athletes are released to start their event. The
starter cannot start the athletes until the starter gets the all
clear from the Chief Timekeeper. Once the starter gets the all
clear, the athletes are called to their mark. Instructions are
issued to the athletes, the starter then confirms he/she is ready to
start the event with the Chief Timekeeper, he/she then goes behind
the athletes. The starter must be able to view all the athletes from
this position, and also be in sight of the timekeepers. For events
under 800 metres (the athletes complete the running event in a lane
each) the starter issues the instruction "on your marks...", a pause
allows the athletes to get themselves ready in blocks/ crouch start.
Then with a steady voice he issues `set...', ensures that the
competitors are steady on their mark, the gun is then
fired.
Should there be an early break from an athlete the
starter then discharges the second cap to stop the athletes, to
return back to the start. Instructions are issued to the athlete who
is considered to have broken the start early.
If the track
event is over 400 metres the starter issues the instruction "on your
marks..." and after a short pause the gun is discharged (the word
"set" is omitted).
HIGH
JUMP
RECORDER: Recorders enter the
height of the bar in the space provided, a tick (P) for a successful
jump, a cross (X) for a failed jump or a pass (P) to pass a jump. At
the end of the athletes three failed jumps, a ticket is issued with
the athletes last successful performance. At the conclusion of the
event the recorder does not need to `rank' the athletes, but may
attempt to do so if they wish.
BAR ATTENDANT: Ensures that the
bar is placed on the bar supports and is steady before the athlete
is given the all clear to undertake his/her jump. Assist in
measuring the height of the bar, ensuring that the bar is check
measured in at least three (3) places, with the bar supports at each
side adjusted accordingly.
Ensure that the bar straps are
wrapped around the bar and under the bar support. This will allow
the bar to drop down along side the jump supports and not onto the
jump bags with athlete. This will ensure that the athlete is not
injured should he/she not be successful at the
jump.
LONG/TRIPLE
JUMP
RECORDER: The recorders enter
ALL performance of each successful jump, a foul (F) for an
unsuccessful jump, or pass (P). After each jump, the distance is
measured and recorded. After the athlete has jumped three (3)
times, the recorder writes down the athlete's best performance.
It
is important that the athlete's best performance is entered in
the `BEST' Jump column.
RAKER: Ensures that
the sand surface in and around the area where the athletes are most
likely to land in the jump pit. The surface has to be flat, without
going to extremes, but the surface disturbance from any previous
athlete's mark has to be thoroughly erased.
MARKER: Places the marking rod (which is
attached to the front of the measuring tape) into the sand at the
edge of the disturbance closest to the jump
board/mat.
MEASURER: The measurer then reads
the performance from the tape and informs the recorder. The measurer
also acts as the jump judge, to ensure that the jump is legitimate.
For those athletes using the one (1) metre/half metre sand mats the
measurement is made from the surface disturbance directly to the
front imprint on the mat (usually covered with sand). Should the
athlete not jump from the mat, but jumps before the mat, the
measurement is taken perpendicular to the front edge of the mat
closest to the pit. For those athletes using a board/white line the
measurement is taken from the surface disturbance perpendicular to
the board/white line.
Any part of the jumper’s foot that
starts over the leading edge of the board/white line/mat is
considered a foul jump.
DO NOT CALL `FOUL' while the athlete
is performing his/her jump. This will distract the athlete and may
cause injury if the jumper is startled and lands
incorrectly.
DISCUS/SHOT PUT: For
the safety of the Parent Helper, it is directed that the Helper
stand outside of the discus cage. Failure to comply could result in
denial of liability should an accident occur. The Helper is
to ensure that ALL persons in the vicinity of the discus/shot put or
javelin are clear of any danger of being
hit.
The shot put Helper ensures that
the thrower does not remove the shotput away from the neck/jaw
region before the throw.
For discus and shot put, the Helper
ensures that the athlete does not step over the front of the circle
following the throw/put, but enters and exits from the back of the
circle.
The Helper measures, interprets and advises the
performance to the recorder. A Committee Member is required to
confirm a record performance.
MARKER: The marker places a
marker peg at the point where the discus/shot put lands. The
athlete performs three (3) throws/puts and then the `BEST' performance is measured. Should two (2) or
more marks look equal then ALL performances are measured. The marker
places the measuring rod (which is attached to the leading end of
the tape measure) at the peg mark and the judge then reads the
performance at the edge of the ring in a straight line from the
performance point to the centre of the
circle.
RECORDER: The recorder enters the
`BEST' performance on the result sheet.
RETRIEVER: The retriever ensures
that the discus/shot put is safely returned the circle area
for the next athlete. |
