Kids ages 7-14 will have the opportunity to try some new sports in Airdrie soon, as the Hershey’s Track and Field Games will hit the city’s Genesis Place outdoor track on May 12.
It’s an open regional meet for kids to try distance running, sprints, relays, softball throwing and standing long jump. The seven and eight-year-old competitors won’t advance to provincials, but the top four participants in the older age groups will advance to the Alberta Championships in Edmonton. They will then have the choice of attending or not.
“The whole purpose of Hershey’s Track and Field is to introduce kids to the sport of track and field at an earlier age,” said organizer Jodie Matsuba-Szucs. “It’s for beginners, but also for track enthusiasts. The whole goal of it is staying fit. It’s great and we have a wonderful track outdoors. We have the ability and it’s quite simple to put on, so we are ready and set to go.”
The games, which began in 1978, are endorsed by Athletics Canada and are hosted between 25-30 events in Alberta each year. The majority of them are mostly closed events held at schools, but the one in Airdrie is open to everybody in the age range.
The featured events will include the 50-metre dash, 100-metre dash, 200-metre dash, 400-metre dash, standing long jump and softball throw for the seven and eight-year-olds. In the age 9-10 group, the 4 X 100-metre relay will be included. In the 11-12 and 13-14 age ranges, the 50-metre dash will be eliminated, but an 800-metre and 1600-metre run, respectively, will be added.
The participants can only do three events each and must pick two track and one field event, or two field events and one track event.
“There’s no experience required for Hershey’s and it’s free to enter,” said Matsuba-Szucs. “We will line the kids up and explain to them every detail on how they’re going to line up, to how the mark, set and go works. We’re hoping on up to 300 kids.”
Entry forms can be found online through a link on athleticsalberta.com, under Hershey’s Track and Field Airdrie, or be requested from Matsuba-Szucs at [email protected]. She is also encouraging any parents with special needs children to call her directly at 403-948-5165 for program information.
The Hershey’s Track and Field Games will take place at Genesis Place at 5 p.m. on May 12, with a weather make-up date set for May 15 at 2:30 p.m.
