WELLS CITY HARRIERS
JUNIOR COACHED TRAINING
Training for juniors age 8-16 for 2025 is now in full swing. The sessions are as lively as ever! 8 qualified coaches on a rosta to ensure 4 or more present each week to work with the age groups - age 8; age 9 & 10 starting to compete; age 11-16 competing at least once a month. (in order to support the team and keep their training place).
The Harriers hire Millfield School track and by March each year are starting to coach for Track & Field with early season targets being the Yeovil Spring Open at Yeovil Arena held at Easter and the County AA Championships held at Yeovil Arena in mid-May. Those aged 11 and above are expected to make themselves available for team selection once a month with our combined team with Yeovil Olympiads (YOAC) when we compete in the SW Athletics League - fixtures held in Exeter.
From the end of September we will be back training under the floodlights using the track, infield and the adjacent grass slope as preparation for our members who like to compete at cross-country for the Club.
(Over autumn/winter we also keep our sprints group going for those age 11 upwards who have been competing at sprints & long jump the previous summer).
When: Monday start 6.30pm and finish 7.30pm
(note we train through half-terms but not on Bank Holiday Mondays)
Who: Juniors aged 8-16
Where: Millfield Track, Street
(Registration at hut on starting line from 6.20pm)
Youngest group - School Years 3,4 &5: Please contact us if you have a youngster aged at least 7 and a half to be placed on the waiting list. When a space becomes available you will be invited to come and give the session a try.
Older age group - School Years 6 & above (age 10+) welcome to come and give it a try, and space offered if athlete is keen to compete. We expect most athletes to compete for the Club at least once a month at the Club cross-country events in Autumn & Winter and at track & field events over Spring & Summer - our coaching is geared to those that compete.
Contact us for more information
To add your child to the waiting list, please complete the online form here. One of our coaches will get back in contact with you when a place becomes available.
The athlete should bring layers of clothes all seasons as we train regardless of how cold or wet it is, & bring water in a labelled bottle as the training will make you thirsty.
Monday Juniors with coaches in December 2022.
WHAT WE DO
Although our senior members focus on a variety of running disciplines, Wells City Harrier coaches encourage our juniors to participate in a variety of athletic events. This ensures our athletes develop the fundamental skills of athletics (vital to every sport). These include sprints, middle-distance, long jump; for all age groups; and shot put (for u13s and above); and turbo-jav (for u11s) in spring and summer; and endurance running, circuits, hills, in autumn and winter.
The focus from mid-September onwards to early March is preparation for the cross-country/road running season, but we also have a small group that continue to train for sprints throughout.
MEMBERSHIP AND COSTS
Those who are accepted onto the coached sessions: please ensure you have joined the Club (see our membership page here) and book your place for each term. The cost is £30 per term (just over £2 per session!). This to be paid at track at the start of each term - payment by card or cheque payable to 'Wells City Harriers'.
COMMITMENT THE CLUB EXPECTS
FROM JUNIORS WHO TRAIN WITH WELLS
We expect that juniors will attend regularly to benefit from the coaching - we train in all weathers. We also expect juniors from the age of 10/11 to start competing for the Club at least once a month. This might be as part of the team - please ensure you are available and take every opportunity suggested - at the cross country races (Wessex or Gwent League fixtures - free to enter as part of the Harrier membership) or at the Street 1k, 2k or 5 k road races over autumn & winter(£2 to enter each 1 or 2k; £5 for each 5k race); and at Track & Field competition over Spring & summer, as part of our strong combined team with Yeovil Olympiads.
When we compete at cross country, or at a road race or Parkrun we wear the Royal Blue vest of Wells City Harriers - available from Graham for £10. We also have a fluorescent yellow T-shirt for juniors, also priced £10 for members.
In addition to our coached Monday session we encourage juniors to have a go at junior 2k Parkruns (age 9-14) or senior 5k Parkruns (age 13 upwards, although younger runners also take part)
Priority for a training place on a Monday is given to juniors that compete for the Club.
COACHES
Full Coaches: Paul Chadwick - Coaching since 2003; Graham Goldsmid (2004)- both middle distance & XC coaches; Al Thorner (2012) - Sprints coach; Stuart Dowden (2024) middle distance ;
Assistant Coaches: Sarah Massey (2023); James Fisher (2023); David Hirst (2023); James Shaw (2023); Christian Green (2024)
Rota of Graham, Paul, Al, Sarah, Stuart, James, David. James and Christian. Parents expected to assist.
Numbers are limited to 50 per session until more parents qualify as Coaches. Waiting list is in operation when full. If you are a parent and would like to volunteer, please speak to one of our coaches to find out how to get involved or see our coaching page for more information. We need at least one more female coach.
HOLIDAYS
No sessions on Bank Holiday Mondays; or the 2 weeks over the Christmas break; or late July and during August when all the volunteer coaches take a well-earned summer break.
WAITING LIST / NEW MEMBERS
Contact Stuart & Al to join our waiting list or make enquiry.
After making an enquiry about our training sessions and registering your contact details, you can attend 2 sessions for free to check out if the coaching/training is what you need/want and for us to confirm there is a space. After that to continue being coached/using the training facility we require all individuals to be paid up Members of the Club. It is a condition of our hire agreement with Millfield Track, and Harrier Policy, for all sessions to be organised with members registered.
RISK ASSESSMENT AND INSURANCE
The Harrier sessions have been Risk Assessed and are covered by Club insurances for Club members. (When training on your own please only train in public areas and do not use private facilities unless the Harriers have a formal agreement with facility managers for access at specific times of the week - see below).
MILLFIELD AGREEMENT
We have to follow strict protocol with hiring the track at Millfield - please follow the directions of Club coaches and ensure you register at the beginning of every session to ensure that we can account for everyone present.
OTHER SESSIONS
Training on other days - another Harrier coached session for endurance runners can be planned subject to demand - but as an alternative we would encourage our juniors to run at 5km Parkruns on the Saturday (if age 11 and above) or at junior 2km parkun on the Sunday (if,say, age 9-12).
TRAINING & COMPETING WITH YEOVIL OLYMPIADS
We have a reciprocal arrangement with YOAC to train with them at the Yeovil Arena and vice versa.
Their training nights are usually Tuesday (all year) & Thursday (summer) – see YOAC website for more information; and Saturday mornings sometimes at Ninesprings (Goldenstones) for juniors.
When we compete at Track & Field with YOAC we join their team and wear their Orange competition vest.