Little Athletics in Australia: Age Groups, Costs and How to Join

Little Athletics takes children from age three, in centres that run a Tiny Tots program, right through to Under 17 — the widest age range of any junior sport program we've covered. The track-and-field season runs from around October to late March in most states, and registration costs somewhere between $80 and $310 for the year depending on which of Australia's roughly 500 centres you join, because unlike Cricket Blast's single national price, every Little Athletics centre sets its own fee. Here's what we checked, state by state, ahead of the 2026-27 season getting underway this October.

Key takeaways

• Age range: Tiny Tots (3–4, not run at every centre) through to Under 17 — a 14-year span, wider than any other program in our junior-sport series.
• Scale: more than 100,000 children take part each year across about 500 centres nationally, run by volunteers through state associations in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and WA.
• Cost: no national fee. The four centres we checked for 2026-27 range from $80 (Tiny Tots, Tasmania) to $310 (first child including a family equipment levy, Queensland).
• Season: track and field runs roughly October to late March (Western Australia starts in September); a separate winter cross-country season runs April to July in most regions.
• Vouchers: most states' kids' sport vouchers can be put towards registration where the centre is a registered provider — see our full state-by-state rundown below.
• Northern Territory: there's no "Little Athletics"-branded association in the NT. NT children join the same style of program through Athletics NT's own clubs instead.

What age can my child start Little Athletics?

Most centres start with Tiny Tots, a non-competitive introduction for three and four year olds (occasionally five) built around motor-skill games rather than events. Athletics Australia's own pages are explicit that Tiny Tots "is not run in all States and Territories" — some centres go straight to the graded age groups, so it's worth checking your local centre before assuming it's on offer.

From there, children move into the standard age groups — Under 6 through to Under 17 — based on their age as at 31 December of the season. These groups compete across the full multi-event program: sprints, hurdles, middle-distance running, race walking, relays, shot put, discus, javelin, long jump, triple jump and high jump. Rather than specialising early, kids typically try most of these across a season, which is the thing parents researching "what sport should my child play" often don't realise about athletics compared with a single-skill sport.

What does Little Athletics cost?

There's no equivalent of Cricket Blast's $99 national RRP here. Little Athletics Australia is a federation of independent, volunteer-run centres, and each one sets its own fee, uniform requirements and family discounts. We checked four centres across four states for the 2026-27 season directly on their own registration pages:

A few things worth knowing before you register:

• Registering early can be cheaper. Northern Suburbs LAC (NSW) charges $200 up to 31 August and $220 from 1 September — the same $20 gap shows up at several other centres too.
• Family pricing is common. Sale (VIC) prices by family size rather than per child — $160 for one, rising to $775 for five — and several other centres offer a flat sibling discount instead.
• Watch for extra levies. Gold Coast Athletics' $270 first-athlete fee becomes $310 once its compulsory $40 family equipment levy is added, plus a small online-platform fee at checkout.
• Uniforms are usually separate, though several centres (including Gold Coast) only require a shirt for Tiny Tots rather than the full uniform.

As a rough guide, Sale's own 2026-27 calendar runs the track and field season for 16 weeks (3 October 2026 to 20 March 2027), so its $160 single-child fee works out to about $10 a week — in the same range as what we found for Cricket Blast's $12.38 a session, for a sport that runs most Saturday mornings across a longer season.

Can I use a state activity voucher?

In most states, yes. Every state except the ACT runs a kids' sport voucher that can be put towards a registered provider's membership or registration fee, and an athletics centre affiliated with its state association typically qualifies. Amounts and application windows change through the year and by state, so rather than repeat them here, check the current figures and how to claim in our full state-by-state voucher guide before you pay.

When does the season start?

Little Athletics' main track-and-field season runs from around October to late March in most states and territories, overlapping Term 4, the summer holidays and the start of Term 1 — Western Australia's summer season starts a little earlier, in September. A separate, smaller cross-country season runs over the cooler months, roughly April to July, in most regions. Exact opening days, registration cut-offs and the cross-country calendar are set centre by centre, so confirm dates with your own centre once you've found it. If you're timing a move or planning around the school calendar, our school holiday guides cover the term dates each season sits inside.

Tiny Tots, age groups, or a club team?

Little Athletics is built as a ladder rather than a single entry point:

1. Tiny Tots (3–4, where offered) — games-based, non-competitive, no formal events.
2. Age-group competition (U6–U17) — the full multi-event program, usually scored so children of different abilities can compete fairly against their own personal bests rather than only against each other.
3. After Under 17 — many athletes move into open competition through an Athletics Australia-affiliated club, continuing in the same events they tried as juniors.

Because the program keeps the same multi-event format the whole way through, a child can stay in one club from preschool to the end of high school — which is the finding behind the age-span chart above.

Finding a centre near you

Our directory already carries listings for sports like swimming, tennis, cricket, netball and basketball, because commercial coaching businesses tend to list themselves online. Little Athletics centres are volunteer-run community clubs — the same as most cricket, netball and basketball clubs — so most don't have an individual business listing the way a private academy does. The fastest way to find yours is Athletics Australia's own Little Athletics centre finder, which links out to each state association (Capital Athletics in the ACT, and the NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmanian, Victorian and WA associations).

While you're comparing sports for your child, our Activity Index and full activities directory cover the structured classes and clubs that do list with us.

Frequently asked questions

What age can a child start Little Athletics in Australia? Most centres take children from age three or four through a Tiny Tots program, though it isn't offered everywhere. The standard graded age groups run from Under 6 through to Under 17.

How much does Little Athletics cost? There's no national fee. Across the four centres we checked for the 2026-27 season, prices ran from $80 (Tiny Tots, Tasmania) to $310 (first child including a family levy, Queensland). Ask your own centre for its current fee.

When does the Little Athletics season start? Most states run track and field from around October to late March, with Western Australia starting in September. A separate cross-country season runs roughly April to July.

Can I use a government sports voucher for Little Athletics? In most states, yes, where your centre is a registered provider. Check current amounts and how to claim in our state-by-state voucher guide.

Is there a Little Athletics program in the Northern Territory? Not under the Little Athletics brand — the NT sits outside that state-association structure. NT children can join the same style of junior program (including a Tiny Tots group) through Athletics NT's affiliated clubs, such as Darwin Athletics Club.

What happens after Under 17? Many athletes move into open competition through an Athletics Australia-affiliated senior club, continuing in the same track and field events.

Do all centres run every age group? No — Tiny Tots in particular isn't offered everywhere, and some centres cap enrolments in popular age groups once they're full. Check directly with your local centre.

How we checked

National participation ("more than 100,000" children, "approximately 500" centres), the season windows, age structure and event list are quoted from Athletics Australia's own Little Athletics pages (athletics.com.au/little-athletics), fetched 29 September 2026. Registration fees are a sample of four centres, not a census — Northern Suburbs LAC (NSW), Sale (VIC), Gold Coast Athletics (QLD) and South Launceston (TAS) — each fetched directly from the centre's own 2026-27 registration page on 29 September 2026; centre fees change each season and vary by centre, so treat these as examples rather than a guide to what you'll pay. The age ranges shown for Auskick, NetSetGO, Aussie Hoops, Cricket Blast and Tennis Hot Shots are quoted from AroundSchools' own published guides to each program. The Northern Territory finding is drawn from Athletics Australia's state-association list, Northern Territory Athletics' own site (ntathletics.org.au) and Darwin Athletics Club's Tiny Tots page (darwinathletics.org.au), all read the same day.

Related reading

• Auskick: Age, Cost and How to Join Junior AFL
• Cricket Blast: Junior Cricket in Australia
• NetSetGO: Junior Netball in Australia
• Aussie Hoops: Junior Basketball in Australia
• Tennis Hot Shots in Australia
• Junior Soccer Clubs and Tournaments in Australia
• What Does Kids' Sport Actually Cost in Australia?
• Kids' Activity Vouchers by State
• What Sport Should My Child Play?