Youth Track & Cross-Country News
INDOOR TRACK -- SEASON START AND END DATES
The Ann Arbor Track Club 2022-23 youth indoor track season starts Monday November 7.
Here are some specifics:
1. Practices will be held Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, starting Monday November 7 -thru- Wednesday March 15, 2023. Except: Wednesday November 23, Thursday November 24, Thursday December 22, Monday December 26, Wednesday December 28, Thursday December 29 and Monday January 2. There will be a total of 49 practices on the following dates:
- November: 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17, 21, 28, 30 (9 practices)
- December: 1, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21 (9 practices)
- January: 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 23, 25, 26, 30 (12 practices) [NOTE: We will practice on MLK day Monday January 16]
- February: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27 (12 practices)
- March: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15 (7 practices)
2. Athletes are NOT required to make every practice. Athletes can be excused for a variety of reasons, including school, religious, or family commitments. They (or their parents/guardians) just need to inform their coach(es). That being said, athletes should strive to make at least two (2) practices every week as a general rule, or they may lose the benefit of the training.
3. All practices will be held at Eastern Michigan University - Bowen Fieldhouse. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Athletes start warming up at 6:40 PM. Practice ends at 9 PM. Doors close at 9:15 PM. Athletes will practice their track events until 8 PM, and athletes will practice their field events (if any) from 8-9 PM. Athletes who don't practice any field events can leave around 8:15 PM after their "cool downs". A "Google Map" link to Bowen Fieldhouse is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qGYTMF3iye77zidw6?g_st=im
4. There is no free parking on the EMU campus. Parking lots and parking meters both charge $2/hour. My best recommendation for parents who live in the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti area and wish to minimize their parking expense is to drop your kids off in front of Bowen (on the upper level on West Circle Drive) and pick them up after practice is over.
5. We have the following coaches:
- Tim Harris. He is the Head Coach, and coaches the short sprints (any race 200 meters or shorter), the long jump, and the long sprints (400/800 meters)
- Vesna Cadikovska: She coaches the shot-put and the long sprints. Vesna is also an EMU track & field alumnus
- Mike Munson: He coaches XC and the distance athletes
- Gary Morgan: He also coaches XC and the distance athletes
- Hailey Richards: She also coaches XC and the distance athletes
- Lori Guy-Robinson: She coaches the "Basic Training" athletes (ages 10-under), and is a Club Administrator
- Wanda Brann: She also coaches the "Basic Training" athletes, and is also a Club Administrator
- Stacey Jackson. She coaches the mid-sprint, hurdle and high-jump coach. Stacey is also an EMU track & field alumnus.
6. Here are some logistics:
- Everyone should enter Bowen through the side door off the parking lot, go down the hall about 100 feet, and enter the fieldhouse through the double-doors on the left. Coach Wanda and/or Coach Lori and I will be taking attendance in the fieldhouse to make sure every athlete is registered, and then athletes can take the stairs down to the track. The lobby doors won't open until 6:30 PM.
- Parents who feel comfortable doing so can drop their kids off at the curb outside the lobby, and then park their vehicles. Or they can leave and return to pick up their kids after practice is over.
- You can't park on West Circle Drive (that's only for drop-offs and pick-ups) -- you'll have to park in the lower-level gated parking lot in front of Bowen (take West Circle Drive back to Oakwood, take a right, go north one block over to Structure Drive, and take Structure Drive all the way down to the parking lot (again: parking is $2/hour -- rounded up to the next hour). Directions to Bowen Fieldhouse is attached.
- If the Bowen parking lot is full, you can also park in the "Student Center" parking lot, which is another block further north. Parking there is the same price. And then walk over to Bowen from there. Or you can park at the side street meters (again: same price -- enforced 24x7).
- Once athletes are downstairs, they should find our "Team camp" in the north-east bleachers and start warming up at 6:40 PM. Coach Tim and other coaches will still be busy getting their equipment inside and setting up while athletes are warming up.
- Every athlete should bring running shoes to practice every day. Athletes will do their warm-ups, drills, cool-downs (and sometimes training runs) wearing regular running shoes. Athletes who also have track spike shoes should bring those as well -- especially the sprinters, hurdlers and long jumpers. Track spike pins should be 1/4 inch "pyramid" style pins (not the needle type).
- Our team will practice their track events (including hurdles) from 7-8 PM. Athletes who practice field events will practice field events on the infield from 8-9 PM. Once athletes are done practicing all their events, they should "cool down" (jogging and stretching) for 15 minutes. Athletes who practice just track events can "cool down" from 8-8:15 PM on the infield -- they should use the infield because other clubs will be using the track for their track events from 8-9 PM and we don't want to interfere with them or get run over. Athletes who also practice field events can "cool down" from 9-9:15 PM on the track, since all clubs will be finishing up and cooling down on the track at that time.
- Everyone has to exit the building by 9:15 PM. Everyone can leave Bowen by the big brown medal doors downstairs by the track to the parking lot if they want (you can exit but you can't enter). Parents who drop their kids off and return after practice can pick up their kids from that parking lot -- you get a "10-minute grace period" to enter the Bowen parking lot, pick up your kids there, and get out the parking lot for free.
7. Eastern Michigan University and the club have lifted all COVID protocols. No masks, no vaccines, no boosters, and no COVID screenings are required at this time. But if anyone (or anyone in their household) comes down with COVID, they must sit out practice for 5 days following the positive test.
8. The complete meet schedule is TBD. The two (2) meets we do have on our schedule are: the "AAU 14-Under National Championship" on Friday-Sunday February 17-19 (at Bowen) and the USATF Youth Indoor National Track & Field Championship" on Friday-Sunday March 17-19 (in Louisville, KY).
9. Registration is at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Ypsilanti/AATCYouthDivision2022IndoorTrackSeason
Parents with kids ages 6-10 who are new to track should select "Basic Training" (these kids train but do not compete in meets). Parents with kids who are experienced track athletes, but cannot compete in meets due to school, travel restrictions or other conflicts should select "Train Only". Parents with kids who are experienced track athletes and can compete in meets (local or away) should select "Travel Team".
10. Anyone who wants to apply for financial aid should contact Sarai Brachman-Shoup (sbshoup@gmail.com). We are also offering payment plans -- again please contact Sarai. If you need financial aid or a payment plan, please do not make any payments until you secure your financial aid or payment plan first, to avoid the club issuing refunds to you.
11. For new athletes and their families, we are now offering a "Trial Workout" as a courtesy. Not only can you come in and just watch a practice on your first day, but new athletes can also practice on their first day. And if it doesn't "work out" (no pun intended) there is no obligation to pay. But you get just one (1) practice to try things out. When you click on the registration link I mentioned earlier, you will see an additional option called "Trial Workout $0". Please note that the "Trial Workout" is only available thru the first week of January. And then this option will no longer be available.
12. Athletes who are enrolled in the "Basic Training" package will be done with practice shortly after 8 PM.
13. Our team uses "Champion" brand jerseys -- they should be purchased from our Champion Sales Rep. Her name is Kate Martin, and she is located in Manhattan, KS. Uniforms are required only for those athletes on the "Travel Team". E-mail: kate.martin3@hanes.com Phone: 800-336-4486 ext.1214. You can call or e-mail Kate, and she will send you an order form. Since it can take at least 4 weeks for jerseys to arrive once orders are placed, the club will loan jerseys to athletes until their orders arrive. Loaner jerseys need to be WASHED before they are returned. Athletes can wear their own running shorts or compression shorts, but they should be either dark green or black.
14. The club and Bowen Fieldhouse both maintain (separate) "lost and found" collections. If you or your kid(s) ever lose anything after practice, please contact me or any of the coaches.
15. The club uses a smartphone app called "Team app". We use it for broadcasting announcements concerning practices and upcoming meets, and any sudden changes such as weather-related practice/meet cancellations. This app is completely optional. It is recommended but it's not required. You can download this app for free, as follows:
- Use the web-browser (Safari, etc) on your phone to download the app from https://teamapp.com
- When you bring up the app, please create your own log in, and request access to "AATC_Youth"
- There are groups in "AATC_Youth" for parents and others for athletes that you can associate your account with and receive announcements for. You can request access to any groups you wish:
- There is a group named "Cross-Country Parents" for parents whose kids participate in cross-country.
- There is also a group named "Indoor Track Parents" for parents whose kids participate in indoor track
- There is also a group named "Indoor/Outdoor Track Parents" for parents whose kids participate in both indoor and outdoor track.
- There is a group named "Distance Crew" for athletes that compete in the 1500-meter run and longer track events (indoor and/or outdoor) as well as cross-country.
- There is also a group named "Mid Sprint (400/800 meter) Athletes" for athletes that compete in the 400-meter dash or the 800-meter run (indoor and/or outdoor)
- There is also a group named "Track & Field Athletes" for any other track & field events (indoor and/or outdoor)
You can receive broadcasts (as they happen) only via the app. But you can view current and past announcements from the smart-phone website: https://aatcyouth.teamapp.com/ You can also view our team gallery, our team calendar and other items from both the app and that website.
Please contact Head Coach Tim Harris (313-247-2870) or email youth@aatrackclub.org for more information.
