13/10/2025 00:00, In Blog /

Welsh Athletics is on a mission to welcome 10,000 mini and junior participants in athletics by 2030.

Over the last few months, Welsh Athletics has conducted a national review to understand how we can better support grassroots athletics going forward and what needs to change.

This review involved:

• 3 months of consultation with clubs, partners and members to understand the current landscape, challenges and opportunities within the sport of athletics
• Desk-based research and analysis of grassroots’ sports around the UK and abroad to recognise learning and potential development opportunities
• Engaged with and visited 25% of our Welsh clubs, listened to athletes, parents and volunteers’ experiences

The review revealed:

• Only 23% of Welsh Athletics membership is made up of junior athletes (under 17)
• Although athletics is seen as a foundation sport, most sessions are aimed at those 9 and over, missing the fundamental early years
• Club volunteers are overstretched, with a small number of individuals fulfilling multiple roles
• Many athletics clubs place significant emphasis on talent identification and development
• There is strong demand from children, particularly those aged 5 to 9, to join athletics clubs, but many clubs have long-standing waiting lists that rarely clear

James Williams, CEO at Welsh Athletics, shared:

It has been clear for some time that we needed to undertake a comprehensive review of the way we support grassroots athletics. The sport, and more importantly the sport in Wales has remained fairly traditional for a long time, we haven’t evolved our offering, yet the world around us has changed significantly – young people have access to so many more sports and opportunities, far more than at any time previously. We need to ensure that the sport in Wales remains relevant, providing opportunities that young people want to engage with, that has fun and inclusivity at the heart of it.

 

The review we have undertaken reinforces the need for a fresh approach – we want to be bold, we want our clubs to come with us on the journey and we want the sport to thrive.

Read the full report here.

Next Steps

We are committed to supporting clubs in expanding their grassroots provision to welcome more children into their clubs with appropriate workforce, session content and competition structure, recognising that current club nights are tailored towards existing, competitive athletes:

• Develop a programme for recreational, grassroots athletics activities for ages 4+ outside of traditional athletics offering
• Develop regular, flexible and informal events for children to attend locally to introduce them to athletics environments
• Support entry level workforce to build confidence and learn basic athletics knowledge to facilitate sessions

Get Invoved

If your club is ready to enter the new chapter of athletics for the next generation of participants, come and join us at the roadshows during October to find out more!

Roadshow Dates:

Carmarthen Leisure Centre - Wednesday 15th October, 18:30 - 20:00 (arrival from 18:00)
Online - Friday 17th October, 18:00 - 19:00
Cardiff International Sports Campus - Monday 20th October, 18:30 - 20:00 (arrival from 18:00)
Online - Tuesday 21st October, 18:00 - 19:00 

Sign Up To A Roadshow Here

James Williams added:

The upcoming roadshows is a great opportunity for us to present the findings of the review and for us to engage in meaningful dialogue about what happens next. We are really passionate about this work, and we are also really excited about what the outcomes could be.

 

I encourage all clubs, and interested individuals to sign up to the roadshows and help shape the future of the sport in Wales.

For more information on Project 2030, click here.