It’s coming up to that time of the year again – let’s keep safe out there…..

With the upcoming summer season of athletics upon us its time to remind club volunteers, officials, coaches and athletes of some things that can make the season both safer and injury free

As well as the usual strains and sprains some common sights from last season were:

Hurdling injuries – mainly caused by a lack of training and also for those new to hurdles – it’s advisable that athletes who wish to try hurdling to get some initial coaching first and maybe at the start of the season have the hurdles set at a lower height until athletes get back into the groove

Spectator or athletes in the field of play of throwing events – be aware and be cautious of where and when throwing events and trainings are in action

Drones – another technology advance is the use of drones for filming events. There are Drone guidelines here in this handy video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSdKD_aKAO4  – Drone use and rules are governed by the CAA – not the Wellington City Council so please refer to the CAA guidelines for proper use. One important rule is no drones are to be flown within 4km of any airport. It should also be noted Newtown Park is in the flight path of the Wellington Hospital helicopter landing pad. There are also rules about flying drones over crowds and also privacy considerations. Therefore please ensure the appropriate rules are checked, and if necessary, the appropriate permissions are acquired, for any drone use at athletic events.

Lunging at finish line – last season there were a number of injuries caused by athletes lunging at the finish line to get that extra yard. Please make athletes aware of the potential injuries this can cause if they also lose balance

High Jump Guidelines – last year saw a serious injury and a number of near misses as a combined result of misjudged take-offs and inadequate landing area. The high jump pit (i.e. combination of pads to make up the high jump landing area) should be 4.8m x 2.4m at a minimum for all events, including training. For senior athletes the pit should be as close to the regulation for international competitions as possible, which is 6m x 4m x 700mm thick.

The high jump bar is approximately 4m in length so the pad area should extend beyond each end of the bar.

For parents and coaches supervising athletes, either in training or competition, it is important to give athletes the guidance to take off as close as possible to the upright on the side of take-off. This will ensure that they have as much of the pit available for landing as possible. If athletes take-off close to the centre of the pit they risk overshooting and missing the pads on landing. For young athletes it is advisable to put a cone near to the recommended take-off point to provide them with a visual guide for a safe jump.

Some other guidelines to note whilst participating at Newtown Park over the summer:

• This stadium is only reserved for Athletics Wellington at specific times.  It is generally open to all, but every user has a responsibility to act safely and courteously to         everyone else.
• Warm-up laps are best practiced on the grass inside the track or on the top field, if available.
• Please do not warm up or warm down by running on lanes 1 & 2 (see map below)
•  Keep clear of the track when not actually running.
• Return to your starting points via the grass on either side of the track itself.
• Equipment for general and training use is housed in the first area of the gear shed.
• It is the responsibility of those using the equipment to ensure that it is put tidily away.
• It is the responsibility of the last key holder on site to ensure that the gear shed is locked and secure before leaving the track.
• Throwing the javelin, discus and hammer can be very dangerous for athletes and others.  Always have assistance to ensure safe throwing in training and competition. (Warning signs are available)
• Everybody must exercise extreme care while throwing practice or events are happening. – thjs includes crossing from one side of the track to the other
• Shotput training is permitted from the High Jump end circle also from the Zoo end circle into the rough across the Pole Vault runway only.  Under no circumstances is shotput training from the Zoo circle to impact on the track or pole lineNo kicking or throwing of balls inside Newtown Park while events or training are occuring.No dogs are allowed in Newtown Park – this is a Wellington Council bylaw
• A designated Safety Officer must be appointed at all athletic meetings at Newtown Park. This person must be independent of any other officiating duties or coaching during the meeting and the nominated person must be able to be easily contactable during the day. If a separate Safety Officer cannot be appointed. The Meeting Manager will be the Safety Officer by default.

​Incident Report Form  Click Here

NEWTOWN PARK – LANE TRAINING ALLOCATION

DURING PERIODS OF HEAVY USE, PLEASE CONFORM TO LANE ALLOCATIONS AS BELOW:

LANES 1, 2, AND 3                     MIDDLE DISTANCE / WALKS – please avoid using Lane 1 for training whenever possible

LANES 4, 5, 6, AND 7                SPRINTS

LANES 7, 8 AND 9                      HURDLES (Lane 7 only when no sprints are on) 

Police Vetting

The new Health & Safety guidelines recommend Police vetting be done for all coaches, team managers, and any other persons who have a close involvement in potentially isolated circumstances with children. The cost for each check is $55 and is valid for 2 years. It is recommended that any coach of a junior team or athlete is police vetted. Athletics Wellington has and will continue to vet coaches of our Inter Provincial teams. A number of Athletics Wellington coaches have already been Police vetted via affiliation with Athletics New Zealand.

Most High Schools and Colleges in the Wellington region are adhering to this practice of police vetting of coaches and volunteers.

Athletics Wellington will provide further information and guidance around the process once we get a better understanding of impacts to clubs

At the end of the day it’s all about enjoyment of participating so enjoy the season – safely!.