About Central AC

Introduction

Central Athletic Club. was established in 1974 and now has a proud history of team and individual success including a number of Scottish champions, record holders and Internationalists who have developed from the grass roots of the club.

With more than 300 members we are one of the largest athletics clubs in Central Scotland and the premier club in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire areas.

The aims of the club are to provide coaching support and competition for our members. We are always pleased to welcome new members and our philosophy is to encourage athletes of all ages and abilities to achieve their goals.

We provide coaching and competition throughout the year across a variety of events including Track & Field, Indoor League, Cross Country, Road Running and Hill Running.

Where is the club located?

We operate from three training centres, Stirling, Dollar and Balfron, each providing access to a range of athletic disciplines.

The Stirling group is our largest group and during the summer season, from early April to the end of September, it meets at Stirling University track . In the winter months, from October until about March, Tuesday night training sessions are based at Stirling High school and Thursday night sessions start off from the top car park at Stirling University.

There are two main training groups at Stirling.

The Junior group coached by John McDonald, Iain Fleming, Stuart Anderson, Tony Quin and others caters for the younger members of the club ranging in age from 9 through to under 15 level.

The older group, coached by Derek Easton, is the endurance group of the club and caters for the clubs most promising younger runners as well as for the more experienced (or older) members of the club.

In addition, for those members who show aptitude, specialised sprints, jumps and throws coaching is provided by John Dawson and Kenny Pearson. This group also normally trains at Stirling .

The Dollar group is based at Dollar Academy and is ably coached by Roy Lennon and Dawn Burns.This group caters for athletes of all ages from the Alloa, Dollar and Hillfoots area and also meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the emphsais during the summer being on track and field and on cross country in the winter.

Our newest group, the Balfron Satellite Group of Central Athletics Club has been established since September 2009. This sizeable group of 9 to 15 year olds meets every Wednesday night at Balfron High School. As with the other groups, the emphasis of the Club during summer months is on track and field events and cross country/indoor athletics during the winter season.

The group is coached by Dave Eckersley, Lynn Buchanan and Bob Steel along with John McDonald, Development Coach at Central Athletics Club and Alison Grey, Athletics Development Officer at Active Stirling. Click here for more info on this group.

When do we train?

The main club training nights are every Tuesday and Thursday rain, hail or shine, from 7 to 8.30pm with venues varying depending on the season. Other informal training sessions are arranged from time to time by the coaches..

No special clothing is required for training , just T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, track suit and training shoes. When you compete for the club you are required to wear a vest in the club colours. Club vests are yellow with blue side panels and can be purchased through the club from Andrina Buchanan Tel 01786 473776. Other club kit is also available for purchase such as sweatshirts and hats.

What coaching is available?

The club has a number of coaches who operate on a voluntary basis and cover most athletic disciplines . These coaches have attained recognised qualifications at Senior club coach, Club coach or Assistant club coach level. In addition, a number of parents assist, under the guidance of the qualified coaches.

How can you help?

Parental help is always appreciated, so instead of dropping off your children or watching from the sidelines, why not come and lend a hand? To ensure the continued success of the club parental support is essential.

The club is always keen to recruit additional coaches and also requires a steady stream of parent volunteers to assist the coaches on training nights and to assist or officiate at club events and league meetings. If you would like to find out more about any of the above please contact John McDonald for further details.