Youth Track - Spring 2018 Session

Register for Youth Track - Spring 2018 Session

OVERVIEW

Introduce your younger child to Track & Field and/or help your older child improve his/her event specific skills.  This low-key, fun program includes sprinting and distance running, jumping, and more.  Athletes will learn a routine of proper warmup, drills, and stretching, and be exposed to some of the more specific, technical aspects of certain events (starts, form, etc.)

The program is offered in the Spring and Fall. During summer, we sometimes offer shorter sessions, reducing early summer conflicts with other sports and vacations.) Sessions are typically 8 weeks, though the Spring 2018 session will span nine weeks due to skpping a session on Easter. Youth Track is appropriate for youth from ages 4-13, as well as high school athletes seeking additional help in the off-season/over the summer. The program includes regular harder bouts and time trial efforts. Though we are unable to consistently offer the "mock meet" we've had at times in the past due to space/time constraints at SLHS, smaller timed efforts will be included throughout the program when appropriate. If your child is 9 or over and seeks a more competitive opportunity, during the spring months, consider the Youth Track TEAM, described below.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Intro to Track & Field/Youth Track Program

The program meets SUNDAYS at South Lakes High School in Reston. In the future, we may add locations, but the coaching/volunteer demands for a youth program are such that we are limited to Reston for the moment.

Participants are encouraged to attend weekly, but we understand that school events, vacations, other sports, and family commitments may mean participants cannot always attend every session. The program is designed with this fact in mind -- your child's experience will NOT be compromised if you cannot attend every week. Older participants can also ask coaches for guidance on what to do on their own during the week.

Practices also enable athletes to test their progress with some timed efforts. Coaches may suggest further competitive opportunities for more experienced athletes and/or those seeking a more official timed competition.

The $70 program cost for Spring session includes a program t-shirt and 8 weeks (or as many as you can attend) of coached sessions.  Active participants also receive special promotions at Potomac River Running Store.

=PR= Youth Track Team

For older runners (age 9-17) seeking a more serious training regimen and racing opportunities, the Youth Track Team is a great option. The session will meet weekly (weather permitting), beginning in early March and carrying forward to late May. Team members would also attend 2-3 local meets throughout the Spring, for which registration is included in the $175 team fee. The session will culminate in USATF champs/Junior Olympics/AAU champs.

The Team program sessions will initially start at 4:15 PM and last roughly 60 minutes to allow participants to adjust and gradually build skills. After the Youth Track Program starts later in March, the Team program duration will be extended, extending til 5:30 and possibly starting earlier. The Team program includes more event specific coaching as well as some advice on training routines for other days of the week. We anticipate the initial group will be fairly small, enabling more athlete-specific attention than the standard Youth Track program.  There will be no session on Easter Sunday, April 1st.

REGISTRATION

2018 sessions include:

  • Spring Session: 8 weeks, March 18 - May 13 (no practice 4/1 for Easter. We are aware that 5/13 is Mother's Day, but County restrictions on track access means we cannot extend the program to 5/20), meets SUNDAYS from 4:30-5:30 PM
  • Summer Session: TBD
  • Fall Session: TBD

While we plan to engage as many coaches and volunteers as necessary to accommodate interest, the program MAY fill, so early registration is encouraged.  Assuming the program is not full, we WILL continue to accept participants throughout the program's duration and welcome late joiners -- but, there is no pro-rating of the $70 fee (which has already been subsidized due to the youth focus of this program.)