Indoor innovation

To meet this challenge, the Norwegian Athletics Federation imported the ‘Sportshall Athletics’ concept from Great Britain in 2001 and has developed its own version called Team Athletics Games, which is being slowly rolled out to clubs in the country.

The federation’s Karin Eftedal, who is responsible for youth athletics activities, explains that, like the British version, which is also the basis for the IAAF’s Kids’ Athletics, Team Athletics creates an indoor environment in which the fundamental movements of the sport can be practiced, thus allowing athletes to be active, compete and stay interested when the weather outdoors is less than ideal.

“Team Athletics uses lightweight, brightly coloured equipment, which can be quickly and easily set up in indoor spaces such as gyms, classrooms or if the weather is good, on sports fields. A large number of children can play, train and compete all year round.”

“It really tests the individual’s basic sport skills and there is a lot of action, which suits the kids of today.”

The equipment includes a ‘Reversaboard’, which allows athlete to run and turn around quickly in a confined space, a balance board, a hi-stepper, a soft javelin and plastic hurdles. There is also equipment for doing vertical jumps as well as the standing long and triple jumps. (For more information on the equipment, see the website www.eveque.co.uk/uk/prod_primaryagility.htm.)

“We have given a small number of clubs around the country sets of the equipment so they can try them out.”

On one day each year, the federation organises a team competition, open to children between 8 and 16 years old, for the clubs using the equipment. The emphasis is on the importance the team, fair play and the idea that trying one’s hardest is more important than winning. T-shirts, participant medals and team trophies are provided.

“There were about 1,600 kids participating last year, which is still a relatively small number. But we know that additional challenges between clubs are taking place and we are getting positive reports that kids are moving on to traditional athletics.

“This encourages us to improve our communications and try to roll out the programme to more clubs in the future.”