- About Balmoral Little Athletics
- What ability level does my child need to join little athletics?
- At what age can I register my child?
- What are this season’s dates?
- Can my child trial little athletics first?
- How do families get involved on Wednesday night competitions?
- How do I learn what to do at Wednesday night’s competition?
- What happens at Tuesday’s training nights?
- What happens at Wednesday’s competition nights?
- How do I find out my child’s results for the week?
- What do the athletes wear?
- Does my child need special shoes?
- Is there a map of the field layout?
- Is there a canteen?
- Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?
- Do athletes train or compete at Balmoral during school holidays?
- How are families informed of news or training or comp cancellations?
- What other competitions are available for my children?
- Where is the club located?
- Have any further questions?
About Balmoral Little Athletics
Balmoral Little Athletics is a member of Little Athletics Queensland (LAQ). Each season, which runs from Aug/Sept to March, we have approximately 400 children register at the club.
In Queensland little athletics is divided into 11 regions and we have 80+ centres across the state.
Balmoral is part of the South East Region, which includes nine other clubs. These clubs come together to compete at the regional carnivals, with the clubs from the other regions coming together for the statewide carnivals (winter, spring and summer) and championships (state relay, combined event and state championships). For more information, visit Little Athletics Queensland website.
What ability level does my child need to join little athletics?
Children of all skill and ability levels are welcome at Balmoral. We offer plenty of encouragement to achieve their personal best! Our emphasis is on fun, fitness and friendships – and a ‘have a go’ attitude. We encourage children to discover new skills and learn to be their best while making friends and having fun.
At what age can I register my child?
At Balmoral we welcome children from 3 to 17 years. For the new season, 2026/27, this means children born in 2023 (TinyTots) to 2010 (U17) can register for little athletics at Balmoral.
When you complete the online registration, the age group for your child will be automatically allocated according to their date of birth. For more information, see the official Little Athletics Queensland Registration Ages Table.
Please note, your child must participate in his/her appropriate age group as listed on the table regardless of their abilities or friendship groups.
What are this season’s dates?
The Little Athletics season runs from September to March. Our 2026/27 season begins on Wednesday 2nd September.
Weekly training is held from Tuesday 8th September to Tuesday 9th March 2027, and weekly competition runs from Wednesday 2nd September to Wednesday 17th March 2027.
We break during school holidays and finish the season with our centre break-up and presentation evening in April after the State Championships.
Can my child trial little athletics first?
Yes! If your child is interested in trialling little athletics before committing for a full season, we offer a two-week trial period. The fee for the trial is $40 per child, which is deducted from the full season fee if you wish to continue. Trials are available from the start of a season (Sept) until the end of November. If you have previously registered for Little Athletics, competing a trial period is not an option.
What is expected from parents on Wednesday’s for competition nights?
Parents are required to help out in order for us to run a successful program for our children.
In 2026/27 we are introducing a new volunteering system. All age groups will require an Age Group Coordinator (AGC) who will help coordinate families. Returning parents familiar with the program are encouraged to volunteer for these roles, however new parents are welcome to put their hand up as well. Training will be provided to AGCs, and plenty of support will be given to them by our new Volunteers Coordinator.
AGCs will explain to families in their group what needs doing and how to complete each role. (Measuring, Recording, Managing athletes etc.) They will be able to direct families to instructional videos on how to run events correctly.
Each AGC will create a roster for the families in their group and all families are expected to help out on their allocated weeks (or arrange to swap if needed.)
Without parent support, our athletes can’t compete.
By working together, we share the load and create a positive community for all.
What happens at Tuesday’s training nights?
Free training by qualified coaches is available every Tuesday for Balmoral Athletes; U6–U8 from 5:30–6:30pm; U8+ from 6:00–7:00pm (arrive 10 minutes early for sign-in) – except during school holidays. There are three or four disciplines to choose from each week.
The weekly training schedule is posted on the BLAC Facebook page. It’s not compulsory to attend, but a great opportunity to learn/improve skills and technique.
If you come along, please sign-in your child/ren on the sheets provided.
Are you a coach? If you are a Level 1 or higher coach and would like to be involved in training please let us know. All our coaches are remunerated.
What happens at Wednesday’s competition nights?
Club competition is on every Wednesday from 5.00pm, except during school holidays.
The weekly competition program will be emailed to families and published on the Balmoral Facebook page – which has public access and can be accessed whether or not you have a Facebook account.
For Athletes: At the start of each comp, each age group will complete a warm-up session with the senior athletes. Afterwards, they’ll then move to their first allocated event.
For Parents: While the athletes warm up, our Operations Manager provides an update to parents. During the competition, rostered parents for that week will help with running events.
To help each age group run smoothly through their events, parents are placed on a roster to:
- Age Marshal: A parent or two volunteer to be the Age Marshal for the evening to organise the kids for each event. Age Marshals wear a high-vis vest so athletes and parents can find their group.
- Field Event Recorder and Measurers: about four parents are needed to measure and record the field events for their age group. The measuring equipment will be already set up at the event. Field events are recorded using a tablet, which is collected from and returned to the clubhouse.
- Age Group Box: set-up for each age group in front of the clubhouse, each box contains the age marshal vest and an age group folder with evening program, event information, an athlete list, etc. This box should be taken from event to event and also used to carry athletes’ drink bottles, jumpers, etc. At the end of the evening, we ask parents to remove all the items in the box, place the age group folder in the Clubhouse and fold and store the box, also in the Clubhouse.
Each age group will have an Age Group Coordinator (AGC) who will help families learn how to do these roles.
REMINDER: Parents must remain on-site regardless of whether they are volunteering that night or not. We take child safety very seriously and have a strict no drop-off policy as our small committee is unable to provide adequate supervision to hundreds of children.
How do I find out my child’s results for the week?
Your athlete’s weekly results are loaded onto an online portal called Results HQ.
This is the same portal you used to create a family account and register your athlete. To access the portal simply sign-in with your email and the password you created.
Please allow a few days for all results to appear as sometimes there is a lag in uploading results information.
What do the athletes wear?
For Tuesday’s training nights no uniform is required. Just wear comfortable active clothes and appropriate footwear.
For Wednesday’s competition nights:
- If your child is trialling, no uniform is required. We recommend they wear comfortable active clothes and footwear. No times or distances/heights will be recorded for trialists. Recording starts once they have signed for the rest of the season and are issued with a registration number.
- If your child is registered for the full season they are required to wear the club competition uniform and appropriate footwear:
- BLAC Club Polo/Singlet/Crop top
- Plain navy or black shorts or bike pants with NO visible branding or embellishments. If there is any logo please ensure it is no bigger than 4cm x 4cm.
At the sign-on session you will receive the ‘Coles’ badge, Age badge and competition number, these must be attached onto your child’s uniform for the start of the season.
For more information about uniform requirements and placement of patches, please visit here.
Does my child need special shoes?
For Wednesday’s competition nights it is recommended athletes wear appropriate footwear, such as:
- Runners, waffles, or
- Spikes, which are only permitted for U11 ages and up. However, U11s and U12s cannot wear spikes for 800m or 1500m events.
- Please be aware, as per LAQ footwear rules, spikes are not allowed to be worn between events. They can only be put on after reaching the specific event and then removed immediately after that event, even if the next event also allows spikes to be worn. More information see LAQ’s Footwear Policy (found in LAQ Competition Rules & Regulations).
Note: The only spikes permitted on the long jump run-ups at Balmoral Little Athletics and the track at QSAC/SAF (Nathan) are the Christmas Tree and Pyramid shape (see image).
Is there a map of the field layout?
Yes, this site map shows the location of the field events and starting line for the track events. The weekly event program will list the location for each age group’s events.
Is there a canteen?
We run a basic canteen on Wednesday evenings, with each age group placed on a roster to help out once per season. Our Canteen Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator assist families in this.
The menu includes: sausages in bread, party pies, zooper doopers, drinks and lolly bags. We also offer free bananas which are supplied by Little Athletics QLD’s major sponsor, Coles.
There is no canteen available on Tuesday nights.
Do athletes train or compete at Balmoral during school holidays?
No, there is no training or competitions at Balmoral during school holidays. However, there maybe carnivals or competitions happening, which are promoted on the LAQ website and /or via our Facebook page . These events are also listed under ‘Nominations’ in Results HQ.
How are families informed of any news or any training or comp cancellations?
Registered families will receive contact via email should we need to cancel. We also communicate changes via our Facebook page. To access the latest information quickly we recommend following our FB page.
We aim to communicate any cancellations by 3:30pm on the day, but we appreciate your patience and understanding when this cannot occur.
What other competitions are available for my children?
Balmoral Little Athletics Centre is a member of the South East Region. Our region runs two major events during the season:
- Regional Relays
- Regional Championships
In addition, other centres (across Queensland) also host carnivals. Plus, Little Athletics Queensland runs a number of carnivals as well as the State Relay Championships (Dec), Combined Event Championships (Feb/Mar) and State Championships (Mar).
We encourage all our athletes to participate in the carnivals and regional events – they’re great fun and offer great experience.
Advice about upcoming events, how to nominate and closing dates for nominations is promoted through our club (Facebook, email, and Wed’s Centre Manager announcements).
Have any further questions?
If you have any further questions or queries, please:
- Email us at info@blac.org.au
- Message us via Facebook
- Or come and see us at the clubhouse. You’ll find us wearing BLAC polo shirts/jackets.
