Aussie Aths, a new health and fitness program for kids, is headed for the Mornington Peninsula.
Commencing from early March with a four-week introductory program, before full term programs get underway in April, the Aussie Aths program will be delivered by a local coaching team headed by Frankston Athletic Club coach Alistair Tait.
Aussie Aths was developed with the goals of helping kids get healthier, fitter and faster and commenced in multiple venues in Victoria last year and has recently expanded to the Gold Coast under the tutelage of Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson’s former coach Sharon Hannan.
Aussie Aths is designed to teach the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – of every child in a fun, game-based program.
And with one in four Australian children overweight or obese according to the OECD*, the
Aussie Aths activity program is designed especially for kids and aims to prevent obesity and other associated diseases, by addressing the issue of less screen time and more outdoors play time.
Tait, an Athletics Australia Level 3 advanced event group coach in sprints, relays and hurdles said Aussie Aths was the fun activity program that kids and parents have long been looking for.
“I am passionate about empowering kids and providing a fun learning environment that also challenges kids to improve,” Tait said.
“Aussie Aths is about helping Aussie kids to be healthier, fitter and faster in a fun environment. It’s exactly the type of program that parents have been looking for and I couldn’t be more excited about launching it here on the Peninsula.”
“And it’s not just for those interested in athletics. Aussie Aths will help kids who play netball, basketball, AFL, soccer or any of the 100’s of other sports on offer. The basic skills required for most land-based sports are either running, jumping or throwing or a combination of all three, and that’s what we teach at Aussie Aths,” Tait added.
Aussie Aths has three age group programs – Active for prep to grade 2’s, Accelerate for kids in grades 3-6, and the Aussie Aths Academy for kids in grades 6-8, which ensures the program activities are suited to the age of each child.
In another plus for time-poor parents, Aussie Aths only goes for an hour and runs at various times and locations after school on Mondays to Fridays, and on Saturday mornings during school terms.
Programs commence from Monday 4th March and will be conducted at Mornington Secondary College, Bayside Christian College, Frankston High School and Ballam Park Athletics Track before expanding to Baxter, Moorooduc, Mount Eliza and Frankston South in terms 2 and 3.
* Source – A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia, 2017.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare