Email to Parents 14 January 2024 – AGM, Membership payments, Xmas, Training, Peco XC, Wakefield indoors and more
This was sent as an email to parents of juniors who were members as at 31 December 2023.
It was sent from email address Valley Striders Juniors ([email protected]) at 00.00 on 15 January. If you didn’t receive it, please check your junk email, and if you still can’t find it, please email [email protected] (not the gmail address)
If you have any questions or comment reply to Facebook posts or email [email protected] .
Annual General Meeting
I hope you all received an email “VSAC AGM Tues 16th Jan. 2024 @ 19:30” from [email protected] . This to review our club year 01/09/2022 to 31/08/2023 and our membership year 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023. Attendees from the adult section and parents of juniors in the junior section are welcome to attend and I hope a few parents will be there.
I will be presenting a report about the Juniors at this meeting and I’ll also upload this report to the website on Wednesday so it’s available for everyone to read.
Membership Fees for 2024
This applies to those who were members at 31 December 2023.
The proposal to the AGM is that junior fees remain the same, i.e. £40 for most members, £20 for “limited training” (10 or fewer sessions) and £5 for social members (no training). In addition, those who are 11 or older and competing in “higher” club competition (West Yorkshire and above) will need to pay an additional £21 for England Athletics and Northern Athletics affiliation.
There will be discounts for those who competed in junior races in Peco and at Eccup, Wetherby and Abbey Dash in 2023.
There will also be special rates of £20 for school year 1 and £5 for reception year and younger.
Everyone will get an email later this week with how much to pay (including discounts) and how to pay.
Please don’t pay till you get the email!
Christmas
I think I’ve seen most of you this year already but just to say I hope you did have a good Xmas and New Year break.
Arrangements for our run round Roundhay Park Lake on 27 December had to be hastily reorganised after very heavy rain on Boxing Day evening left huge puddles on the path round the lake. I was very surprised (and pleased) that 28 juniors and almost as many parents appeared in the drizzle at 10:15. I owe a big thank you to Gemma Traviss-Turner and others for leading a warmup lap of the tarmac path round the arena and organising “short/medium/long” on the hill from the car park up past the playground. And we had 5 teams of 4 juniors for a very slippery session of “Café or Lake” relays. Thanks to Nic Hartley for bringing the sweets!
Niamh Archbold was presented with the Participation Cup for girls for spring/summer 2023.
Training 2024
Numbers were well down on 2 January due to it still being school holidays and it being a cold drizzly evening. The pitches at Leos had had 4 days of almost constant rain and weren’t really fit for anything. There were less than 12 at each timeslot so we had just one group and took them for a jog down Crag Lane to the little car park and then did some sprint and recovery reps on the cycle path between the car park and the Buckstone Estate. We did come back to Leos and did try 3 activities on the pitches; we managed about 2 minutes of each before giving up.
On 9 January, New Year’s Resolutions must have kicked in as we had 94 – our fourth highest attendance ever! 14 were at Beckett and we packed in 80 at Leos – squeezing 4 activities into less than half the normal space!
Samuel Keene was presented with the Participation Cup for boys for spring/summer 2023.
I’m sure there are going to be weeks in the next two months when not all of that portion of the pitch will be suitable and the contingency plan will be to set up as many activities as possible at Leos (which may be zero) and one activity on the cycle path (if it’s not icy). If no sessions are possible, then TFH (training from home) will apply and you’ll be able to do a training session at home or in a park any time between Tuesday and Sunday and count it towards your 25/50/100 medals.
Peco Cross Country League (for school years 2 to 11)
72 V S juniors have already entered and we’ve averaged 40 per race.
The remaining dates (all Sundays) and venues are
- 28 January at Middleton Park (this is a change of venue)
- 25 February at Roundhay Park (this is a change of date)
- 10 March relay race at Bramley Falls Woods
If you’ve not already entered the series, entries are open at https://racebest.com/races/qestg until Friday 26 January at 2pm. £6 covers these 3 events.
The relay race is being organised by Valley Striders and we’ll be asking for help from parents to marshal on the race route (please).
Wakefield Indoor Junior Athletics
Wakefield Harriers are organising 3 indoor athletics meetings at Thornes Park on Saturdays 17 February, 23 March and 13 April. Events available are 50m sprint, 50m hurdles, long jump, high jump and shot. Minimum age is school year 4.
I know we’ve not done any track and field since September but here’s an opportunity to refresh your memory before the outdoor season starts in April.
Events for Autumn/Winter 2023/24 and Results
Details of Peco, Wakefield and many other events, including schools events, are listed on a page on our website https://www.valleystriders.org.uk/events-for-juniors-autumn-winter-2023-24/ .
This page also includes many results.