Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we begin to renew memberships for the 2026 Season, we would like to remind all families of two important areas that require your support: competition participation and safe collection after training.
1. Competition Participation – Mandatory for All Juvenile Members
Our club is fortunate to have a very high level of interest from young athletes, and we currently operate long waiting lists for many age groups. To ensure fairness and to give entry priority to children who actively take part in club activities, every juvenile member is required to compete in a minimum set of events each year.
All athletes are expected to take part in at least one event in each of the following:
- Indoor Track & Field (January)
- Outdoor Track & Field (May)
- Kildare Athletics League (June)
- In-Age Cross Country (October)
Participation is a core part of athletics development, team spirit, and what it means to be a member of the club. Regular competition also helps coaches track progress and plan suitable training sessions.
If an athlete chooses not to take part in competitions in 2026, their place may need to be offered to another child on the waiting list in 2027 who is ready to participate.
We appreciate your help in ensuring your child attends the required events.
2. Bringing and Collecting Children to/from Training
We have had an increasing number of situations where juveniles are left waiting for long periods after training, or in some cases leave the training venue unaccompanied. This creates a significant safety concern and places additional responsibility on volunteer coaches.
To ensure the safety of all young athletes:
- Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian when being dropped to training.
- Children must not leave training on their own unless previously agreed with the parents and communicated to the coaches.
- Parents/guardians should arrange to collect their child promptly at the end of each session.
- Coaches are not permitted to leave a child unattended, which means they must stay behind until the child is collected — this is not sustainable for our volunteers.
- Please speak with your child about remaining with the coaches until collected and ensure clear collection plans are in place before each session.
3. Parking
Parents/Guardians must park in the school car park and not drive down to the club house. This is to ensure the safety of adults and children walking the narrow road to the track.
4. Dogs
Dogs are not permitted at the track or anywhere on the school grounds. This is a stipulation from St. Conleth’s Community College that Newbridge AC must comply with.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our club safe, fair, and enjoyable for all athletes. Your support helps us provide the best possible environment for young people to develop, compete, and enjoy athletics.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the coaching team or committee.
Kind regards,
Newbridge AC Committee