Track and field is a sport that is very near and dear to my heart, I, being a track and field athlete in the throwing events. Beyond just having a love of the sport, there are a few specific things that I appreciate about it, the first being that you can participate in track your whole life. There are masters programs in place that allow people to participate in all aspects of track as long as they are bodily able. The second thing I love about track is how it prepares you for many different sports you may participate in, in your life.
This is where the main subject of this blog post comes in. Athletics Canada has instituted a national youth track and field program called ‘Run, Jump, and Throw’. RJT is a program for children ages 7-12 and is described as a ‘grassroots program’. This essentially means that it is a program that teaches the essentials later needed for the sport. Fun and activity based learning is the main priority of this platform.
This program though, is one that is not only beneficial to track kids. It teaches the absolute fundamentals of running, jumping, and throwing. It has shown to be valuable in a variety of disciplines, from hockey to soccer to even tennis and more. This is because it breaks down these three fundamental skills to their bare bones and then teaches kids, in a fun way, how to perform them to their maximum efficiency. One of the most common teams that will send their kids to RJT training is hockey teams. Hockey teams will focus on getting their players “retaught” how to run the correct way, so they then skate more efficiently, since the actions are so similar.
Check out this video to see RJT training and its benefits!
I am a certified Run, Jump, Throw coach and train children through Regina’s track team, Excel Athletika. I first hand see on a regular basis how this program instils the participants with basic athletic skills that then benefit them in a variety of facets of their life. I honestly believe that every sport should have a program very similar to that of RJT’s so that all people are introduced to these teachings. I think it would make a huge difference in every athlete’s life to have been taught these basic abilities.
http://www.athletics.ca/page.asp?id=64
Check out Athletic Canada’s website, detailing what Run, Jump, Throw is all about!
Julie's Exercise Science 