Try before you join
A free, no-pressure way to see if Little Aths is right for your family — no registration, no uniform, no commitment.
Try a Tuesday training session and Friday competition night, completely free. If your family loves it — you can join the season properly whenever you’re ready.
Before you come along
Free doesn’t mean unregistered — even for a trial, you’ll need to sign up first through the Little Athletics Victoria portal.
- Register as a trial member (free) via the Collingwood Little Athletics Centre page on the LAVic website, before your first session
- On the night, register your attendance at the front desk — this is only needed for Friday competition nights, not for Tuesday training. Once you’re a full member with a permanent bib, there’s no need to sign in every night.
- Bring your bib — print the one attached to your trial member registration email if you can, or ask at the desk for a spare bib to fill in on the night
A softer start: the Foundations program
The first few weeks of the season are our busiest, with lots of new families trying out at once. So for the season’s first four Friday nights, trial athletes (u7+) join Foundations — a fun, low-pressure way to ease into competition before joining in alongside our more experienced athletes.
- Age-group groups, each guided through the night by coaches for a selection of both track and field events to learn skills
- A short orientation in the very first week so everyone knows what to expect
- No results are recorded — it’s about having a go, not competing
Trialling after those first four weeks? No problem — you’ll simply join the normal Friday program alongside our experienced athletes, right through until the trial program’s registration cut-off in December.
What to bring for your trial
- Comfortable sports clothes and runners — no uniform needed until you register
- A hat and sunscreen
- A labelled water bottle
- A supervising parent/carer that remains on premises during the event
What age group is my child?
Little Athletics caters for athletes aged 5–15. The one exception is a 4-year-old turning 5 before 31 December — they can register and compete as a 4-year-old. From 1 January, every member must have already turned 5 to take part. Not sure which group your child falls into? Use the LAVic age calculator, or check your child’s birth year against the table below.
| Birth year | Age group |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Under 6 |
| 2020 | Under 7 |
| 2019 | Under 8 |
| 2018 | Under 9 |
| 2017 | Under 10 |
| 2016 | Under 11 |
| 2015 | Under 12 |
| 2014 | Under 13 |
| 2013 | Under 14 |
| 2012 | Under 15 |
Your first weeks: the Foundations Trial schedule
Trial members are welcome to join us for one free week as part of their trial. For the first month of the season, we run a special Foundations program for them to take part in, grouped by age: 7–9 and 10+. You can choose which week to attend: tap a week below to see its planned program, and see where each event is set up on our Our Venue page.
Week 1 · Fri 9 Oct 2026
3-rotation program
Week 1 is a 3-rotation program for all athletes, to allow extra time for welcoming, bib collection etc.
Week 2 · Fri 16 Oct 2026
Briefing 5:30pm · Warm up 5:45pm
Week 3 · Fri 23 Oct 2026
Briefing 5:30pm · Rotations from 5:45pm
This week runs with two age groups (7–9 and 10+) across four rotations. The warm up is built into rotation 1.
Week 4 · Fri 30 Oct 2026
Briefing 5:30pm · Rotations from 5:45pm
This week runs with two age groups (7–9 and 10+) across four rotations. The warm up is built into rotation 1.
Temp = a temporary/practice station while trial athletes get a feel for the event. Event locations are shown on the Our Venue page. Times are a guide — please arrive in time for sign-in.
Ready to join for the season?
Registration runs through the Little Athletics Victoria portal. Membership covers both the Summer and Cross Country seasons.
| Family size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Family of 1 | $225 |
| Family of 2 | $428 |
| Family of 3 | $642 |
| Family of 4 | $856 |
| Family of 5 | $1,070 |
A CLAC club singlet ($35, compulsory) is also required once you register — last season’s singlet can be reused if you already have one.