North Coast Triathlon Club - Perth, Western Australia

The Junior Development Program is proudly supported by the City of Joondalup through the Recreational Service’s ‘Clubs in Focus’. It started at the beginning of Term 4, 2008. Arrangements for the 2009/10 season follow.

Keep up to date by reading the Junior and TRYstars news in our weekly club bulletins – “What’s Happening” available via the home page of this website.

Friday nights: We have Robyn Scott to coach our Juniors on Friday nights. She is a very experienced Level 1 Triathlon coach who for many years coached and managed the School Sport State Team. These sessions are aimed at introducing Juniors to triathlon and progressing the senior TRYstars into the Junior program. Robyn will be providing a good ground work in running and cycling technique, transitions as well as improving fitness. It is organised with alternate weeks of running training at Sorrento Surf Club and cycle training at Duncraig SHS. Both start at 5pm. The running session is linked to the fortnightly club aquathlons which the Juniors will be encouraged to participate in by the end of the season. Juniors (12 – 15) may compete in the Aquathlons independently of the Junior training, but must check with the race director first. If you leave the training session to do this, please let Robyn know. Fridays will continue to run concurrently with our TRYstars program.

The club focus for Juniors is targeting good technique in all three disciplines. To assist with this we are providing specialist coaches in each of the three disciplines to improve skills as well as fitness.

Swimming: Claire Whitehead (ex Breakers swimming club coach) will continue to coach the swimming on Wednesday mornings. This is for Juniors who do not already swim with swim squads and would like one session a week of coached training. If you are new to this session please contact Clare by email and then attend the first session on 21st October at 5.30am. To swim with this group you are expected to pay by the term ($65 for Term 1 covering 9 weeks) Pool entry is additional.Clare’s email address is: Clarewhitehead2@bigpond.com

Running: Matt Laspina and Aaron Patterson will be coaching the Junior running on Thursday nights. Both have a background in athletics, experience in coaching and are 3rd year university students, Matt is training to be a sports teacher and Aaron to be a sports physiologist. Both have competed successfully at high levels in middle distance running, with Aaron coming 4th in the City to Surf 2009. Again emphasis will be on technique as well as fitness and speed. The Junior running will start at 6pm on Thursday 15 October alongside the adult run training. Cost $2.

JUNIOR GROUP RIDES (FOR 12 YEARS AND UPWARDS)
Junior Group Ride Pre-requisites

As the North Coast Triathlon Club Junior Membership has continued to grow, it has become necessary to develop some guidelines for morning group rides on the Saturday and Thursday. Group rides are primarily for the more experienced juniors with a reasonably high level of cycling skill competency.

This is required to enable the risks associated with group rides to be managed to a reasonable level, especially when the complexities of vehicular traffic, road conditions and weather are added in addition to the variability of the skill set of the group.
In a child’s cycling development to juniors it is expected that they will progress through

Triathletes have the skills and are capable to make a cycling trip and undertake activities safely in a motor traffic free environment and as a prerequisite to a road trip. (TRYstars)
Triathletes have the skills to enable safely make trips on quiet roads (Junior Friday training, Saturday afternoon Cycling Skills Training).
Junior Triathletes have the skills to safely make a trip on busy roads and using complex junctions and road features, and acquire group riding skills in the group environment.

To become a competent junior triathlete it is necessary to acquire and practice time trialling skills, it is not necessary to have group riding skills. Therefore it is not imperative for juniors to do group rides to enjoy or to be successful triathletes.

Group rides are good training environments, can have competitive components and skill development, and are good socially. For less experienced cyclists smaller groups and more control in environments with limited or no traffic (dual paths) are more applicable. To be suitable for group rides it is essential to be a member and that the junior has well developed cycling skills, and Saturday junior rides are designed for experienced juniors that at least 12 years of age. The lower limit on age has been based on children’s mental decision making capability. The following form has been designed by the club junior cycling coaches to provide guidance on some of the skills that would be expected to be mastered prior to be considered suitable for group cycling. Ideally the juniors bike will have 700cc wheels or 650cc as a minimum to provide stability and predictability when riding in traffic and a pace line. The aim of the form is to allow the junior in conjunction with their parents to make a preliminary assessment of your current level of cycling skills, and to help you identify any areas (if any) in which you would like to receive cycle training.

It would be expected that juniors would cycle with the Saturday group rides for about 12 months before commencing riding on Thursday mornings. JUNIOR GROUP RIDES (FOR 12 YEARS AND UPWARDS)

Saturday morning Junior Ride: This will continue on Saturday mornings from MacDonalds, Joondalup usually at 6.30am to finish at approx 7.30am. We hope this will be coached some weeks By Symmetry Cycling while other weeks supported by willing parents and club members who will continue to encourage the Juniors to practice the skills learnt from the coaches.

Older Juniors (15+): You are welcome to the sessions above and may like to discuss with the coaches what is appropriate to your training.

Social:
North Coast is renowned for being a friendly sociable club making everyone welcome. We continue this philosophy with the Juniors. The Junior ride on Saturday mornings always finishes at Macca’s linking up with the adult rides giving the juniors and their parents a chance to socialise and meet other club members while enjoying hot chocolate, drinks and pancakes . Similarly our Friday night training is linked to the adult Aquathlon, fortnightly, with sausage sizzles and the Sorrento Surf Club bar open for everyone. Many club members come to this even if they are not competing to catch up socially with other club members. Two Junior Socials are organised each season specifically for the Juniors. Last year we went to Darklight and the High Ropes Course, both followed by a meal for the juniors and their parents.

North Coast Juniors Friday Night Program.
October 2009 to Christmas:

Parents please park on the roads at Duncraig as we use the school car parks for the cycling sessions.

Venues and times may be subject to change. Check the TRYstars and Junior News in the club weekly bulletin “What’s Happening” for any changes. This can be found on the home page of this website.

The program will continue after Christmas starting again on Friday 15 January at Duncraig SHS with a cycling skills session.

Juniors DO NOT OVERTRAIN……..
Please stick to the distances and the gear ratios recommended in the Junior Brochure

DATES FOR THE HAVE-A-GO TRIATHLONS:
All are at Craigie Leisure Centre, Whitfords Ave, Craigie.

Saturday 31 October 2009.
Rego: 2.30pm, race briefing: 2.45pm Start: 3pm Finish: Approx: 4.15pm
Saturday 21 November 2009.
Rego: 2.30pm, race briefing: 2.45pm Start: 3pm Finish: Approx: 4.15pm
Sunday 21 February 2010.
Rego: 7.30am, race briefing: 7.45am Start: 8am Finish: Approx: 9.15am
Sunday 7 March 2010.
Rego: 7.30am, race briefing: 7.45am Start: 8am Finish: Approx: 9.15am
Saturday 27 March 2010.
Rego: 2pm, race briefing: 2.15pm Start: 2.30pm Finish: Approx: 3.45pm

Further Details are available from Rosa Illingworth on: Pjillhome@westnet.com.au

Special Information on Membership for 12 – 15 year olds:
When signing up for TRIATHLON you have TWO OPTIONS:

Which membership should I choose?
Junior Triathlon is for 12 year olds and over only:
Triathlon Australia, the ruling body of Triathlon in Australia, does not allow juniors to race competitively until they are 12. Our Junior Program is aimed at encouraging children aged 12 or over to start competing in triathlons,

put in: TRYstar. for TRYstars membership (Cost: $72 for new members, Cheaper options for renewing TRYstar members and families with more than 1 child)
put in: INDIVIDUAL for Junior membership for 12 yr olds and over only (Cost: $100)
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North Coast Tri Club:
North Coast Tri Club started in the early 1990s, is 400+ members strong and has very experienced athletes and coaches in our midst to help out our juniors as they progress through the sport. This summer will be our seventh full TRYstars season and our second full Junior season each year the program is refined and improved. The club welcomes new members of all ages. Many training sessions are provided as well as the fortnightly Aquathlons in the summer.