First few sessions: Any comfortable clothes they can run in (t-shirt, shorts) and supportive running shoes. Not thongs or sandals.

After registration: Children need to wear the club uniform for Friday night competitions.

Uniform consists of:

• Polo shirt ($45) OR singlet/crop top ($40)
• Black bike pants or plain black shorts ($30 through the club, or any plain black shorts are acceptable)
• Registration number bib (must be attached to the top)

We’ll provide ordering details once you’re registered.

Yes. Children can have up to two trial nights at $10 per night. They’ll participate in all the events scheduled for that evening, just like registered athletes.

If your child decides to register for the full season after trialling, we’ll refund the trial fees .

This is genuinely worth doing if you’re unsure how your child will enjoy Little Athletics and is a great way to trial without a significant cost.

Arrive 10-15 minutes before the session starts (check-in opens at 5:30pm, group warm-up at 5:45pm, events start at 6pm).

Check in at the registration desk when you arrive—we’ll point you in the right direction. We’ll get your child sorted with their age group, and officials will explain what’s happening as they go.

Most kids are nervous the first time. That’s completely normal, and our officials are used to it. They’ll make sure your child knows where to go and what to do.

We see this all the time. Stick with them for the first session if that helps. The officials know how to welcome nervous kids, and once your child sees other kids just having a go, it usually clicks.

If they’re still uncomfortable after a trial session, that’s okay too. Not every activity suits every child, and there’s no pressure to continue if it’s genuinely not working.

Registration: $170 per athlete (ages 6-17) | $120 for tiny tots (age 4-5)

Family cap: Maximum $465 (the Cap) per family for the entire season, regardless of how many children you register. This includes all registration fees and levies. Note: the registration system may charge more the Cap for families of 3 or more. We will contact to refund the difference and bring your payment back to the Cap.

Additional costs:

• Track access levy: $75 per family (covers facility fees to UniSC)
• Parent helper levy: $50 per family (fully refundable if you volunteer)

Real cost for a family with two children:

• Total: $465 for the season
• After parent helper refund: $415

Uniforms are not included in registration—we’ll provide ordering details once you’re registered.

Yes, there are support programs available. Eligible families may be eligible to access support through the Queensland Government’s Play On funding program.

Details and applications: 

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/playon/apply

We charge $50 per family, and you get it back at the end of the season if you help out at Friday night competitions (usually around 12 nights).

Like every Little Athletics club, we’re entirely volunteer-run. The tasks are straightforward—timing races, measuring jumps, recording results. You don’t need special knowledge, and we’ll show you what to do.

Just sign your parent helper card each time you help out, and you’ll receive the $50 refund at the end of the season.

Refunds are only given under exceptional circumstances. This is why we offer trial sessions—so you can be confident before committing to the full season.

Details about our refund policy are available in the registration pack and on request.

When: Friday nights from September through March

• Check-in: 5:30pm
• Group warm-up: 5:45pm
• Events start: 6pm
• Typical finish: 8:00-8:30pm (earlier for tiny tots)

Where: USC Athletics Track, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs

We do run through the September/October school holidays. We take a three-week break over Christmas.

It depends on their age group. We run a six-week rotating program, so over the season your child will compete in all available events for their age group multiple times.

Track events: Sprints (50m-200m depending on age), middle distance (300m-1500m), hurdles, race walks

Field events: Ages 6 up: Long jump, shot put, discus and high jump (scissors) + Ages 11 up Triple Jump, Javelin and High Jump Flop

Each Friday, children rotate through 4-5 events depending on their age group. The program is posted on our Facebook page each Thursday.

Tiny tots have their own program with play-based activities designed to introduce the youngest children to athletics.

Events start at 6pm and typically finish around 8:00-8:30pm.

Tiny tots finish earlier—usually by 7:30pm.

Your child won’t be competing the whole time. They’ll rotate through their scheduled events and have downtime between rotations.

Most families aim to attend every week, but we understand life happens. If you miss a session, it’s not the end of the world.

Regular attendance helps your child improve and feel part of the group.

Little Athletics is an Australia-wide organisation for children aged 4-17. The emphasis is on participation and personal improvement—children are encouraged to beat their own Personal Best performances rather than just competing against others.

We’re affiliated with Little Athletics Queensland and Little Athletics Australia, which means we follow proper programs, have trained officials, and maintain standards.

Yes, but they’re optional. The main additional events each year are:

• Regional Relays (November)
• Regional Championships (February)

From under 9s upward, athletes competing in Regional events can qualify for State Championships.

These are great opportunities if your child wants to compete at a higher level, but Friday night competitions are the core program.

Staying up to date with everything happening at University of the Sunshine Coast Little Athletics Centre is easy. 

Follow us on Facebook for regular updates and information on training opportunities, competitions and the Friday night schedule.

 The Stack Teams app is the principal way the centre communicates  register, tochat to other parents and RSVP to events and know what is going on

We need volunteers to run Friday night sessions – this is how Little Athletics clubs operate everywhere.

The tasks are straightforward (timing, measuring, recording), and we’ll show you what to do. You don’t need any special knowledge or athletic background.

If you help out around 12 nights during the season, you’ll get your $50 parent helper levy refunded. That’s the extent of the expectation.

Some parents volunteer more because they enjoy being involved. That’s fantastic, but there’s no pressure beyond the basic parent helper requirement.

We understand that many parents may not have been involved in Little Athletics before but don’t worry…..we all started out as new parents not knowing what to do or how to help.

We’ll guide you on what to do, and all the tasks are straight forward and you’ll have support from the other volunteers.

Yes. Centre policy requires a parent or guardian to sign in their child each week and remain at the track for the duration of the competition.

This is for safety and supervision—we need to know there’s a responsible adult present for every child.

For yourself: A chair (we’re outdoors), water, something to do between events if you’re not volunteering that night.

For your child: Comfortable running clothes, supportive shoes, water bottle, hat, sunscreen.

That is absolutely OK! Most kids haven’t. We teach them everything they need to know.

The first few sessions are about learning what each event involves and getting comfortable with the format. Nobody expects them to know what they’re doing on day one.

We cater for kids of all athletic abilities and skills. This isn’t about being the fastest or the most athletic. It’s about trying your best and improving over time.

Every child has events they’re naturally better at and events they struggle with. The rotation through different events means everyone discovers something they enjoy and something they’re good at.

No. We get new athletes every season, and plenty of kids start with zero athletics experience.

The age group system means your child competes with kids born in the same year, so everyone’s at a similar stage of development. They won’t be competing against kids who’ve been doing this for five years—everyone’s learning together.

Yes. We’re committed to including children of all abilities, and we work with families to support their child’s participation.

If you’ve got specific questions about how we can accommodate your child’s needs, contact us directly and we’ll talk it through. We want to make this work for every child who wants to be involved.

Age groups are based on the child’s year of birth. For example, a child who is 10 years old on 31 December will be in the under 11 age group for that season.

This system keeps children competing with others born in the same year, regardless of when their birthday falls during the year.

Tiny tots are age 3 and 4 . They have their own separate program designed to introduce them to Little Athletics through play-based activities.

From 5 (under 6s) upward, children participate in the regular age group competitions.

Open days / trial sessions: Any comfortable clothes they can run in (t-shirt, shorts) and supportive running shoes. Not thongs or sandals.

After registration: Children need to wear the club uniform for Friday night competitions.

Uniform consists of:

• Polo shirt ($45) OR singlet/crop top ($40)
• Black bike pants or plain black shorts ($30 through the club, or any plain black shorts are acceptable)
• Registration number Bib (must be attached to the top)

We’ll provide ordering details once you’re registered.

As part of embracing the Little Athletics mantra of Family, Fun and Fitness, our coaching philosophy is to develop in our athletes a love of physical activity that will encourage them to play for life.

At USCLAC we are working to create an environment that allows for a fun, safe, inclusive and challenging environment where children can achieve success while developing their skills and an understanding of sports particularly athletics.

All Friday night competition involves skill instruction.

We have additional skill and performance coaching available at additional extra cost as required.

Yes, we run through the September/October school holidays. Normal Friday night competitions continue.

We take a three-week break over Christmas, then resume in January until the season ends in mid-March.

Staying up to date with everything happening at University of the Sunshine Coast Little Athletics Centre is easy. 

Follow us on Facebook for regular updates and information on training opportunities, competitions and the Friday night schedule.

Download the Stack Teams app to register, chat to other parents and RSVP and to know what is going on. The stack app is the principal communication channel for families.