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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

Susie Sutter: She is the interim high-jump coach. Susie is also an EMU track & field alumnus

John Palmer: He is the interim hurdle coach

Stacey Jackson (our mid-sprint, hurdle and high-jump coach) will return to coach in January. Stacey is also an EMU track & field alumnus.

6. Here are some logistics:

Everyone has to enter the Fieldhouse from the upstairs lobby, including the other clubs as well. The lobby is located at 936 West Circle Drive (Ypsilanti, MI 48197). Coach Wanda and/or Coach Lori and I will be taking attendance in the lobby, check 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 during the first week of the season. 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. 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 Ron Beasley (Youth Division Director) at 734-330-7931, or youth@aatrackclub.org for more information.

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YOUTH TRACK COACH WANTED

The club is looking to add another coach to our staff.

We're specifically looking for someone who is experienced with the hurdles, the high-jump and the throwing events. It would be great if the successful candidate is experienced with all 3 events. But when we rank the events/experience in the order of greatest need, it would be hurdles (most important), followed by the high-jump, and lastly the shot-put. The youth team will be training at EMU three (3) nights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (except during the holidays), through Wednesday March 15. We just need someone 2 of those 3 nights a week (from 7-9 PM) in general, and the club is pretty flexible with the nights the candidate prefers. The club offers a stipend (the amount varies on the amount of experience and the number of nights available), plus expenses.

Anyone interested should contact Youth Division Director Ron Beasley at 734-330-7931 (youth@aatrackclub.org)

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CROSS COUNTRY -- SEASON START AND END DATES

The club cross-country season starts Monday August 22. The season ends Saturday December 3

WHAT IS CROSS-COUNTRY

Cross-country is an outdoor distance-oriented "off-road" running sport, and in cross-country meets athletes typically race distances ranging from 1000 meters to 5000 meters (1 race per meet), depending on their age. Cross-Country is not track & field or a sprint-oriented sport. Cross-Country training and racing is typically done on grass and dirt trails (sometimes with hills), whereas track & field is done on a flat oval 6-8 lane track (and athletes usually race in 2-4 events per meet). In cross-country meets, each course is usually different (some courses are hilly while others are flatter). Whereas in track & field meets, each track is generally very similar/uniform (although the tracks may be different colors).

PRACTICES

Practices will be held in Ann Arbor on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, through Thursday December 1.

Practices will be from 6 - 7 PM through Thursday November 4. Practices will be held at UM Ferry Field during this time.

Starting Monday November 7, practices will be held indoors at Eastern Michigan University (Bowen Fieldhouse) from 6:40-8:15 PM.

There will be no practices on Wednesday November 23 or on Thursday November 24, due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

The last practice for the cross-country season will be Thursday December 1.

The season ends Saturday December 3 at the conclusion of the "AAU Junior Olympics National Cross-Country Championships"

Cross-country athletes will then have the option to continue training indoors the rest of the winter with the indoor track team for an additional price.

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The indoor track season ends Sunday March 19, 2023.

MEETS

The team will compete in seven (7) cross-country meets from September -through- December. One will be on Friday and the rest will be on Saturdays:

- USATF Junior Olympics Association Cross Country Championships (Northville, MI) on Saturday November 12

- Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships (Shelbyville, IN) on Saturday November 19

- AAU Junior Olympics National Cross-Country Championships (Knoxville, TN) on Saturday December 3

AGE RESTRICTIONS

Our club cross-country program is open to kids in grades 2-8 of all abilities, and to high schoolers *not* running for their high school teams. Kids need to be at least 8 years old (or turning 8 later this year) for safety reasons. Athletes will be running up to 5 miles each night, depending on their respective age and skill level.

Parents of athletes running for middle-school teams should check with their school coaches first before joining the club. We want to avoid over-training your kids and avoid other conflicts between the club team and their middle-school teams (such as meets). School teams come first.

Athletes running for their high-school teams should never train or compete for the club under any circumstances, once the high-school season starts, until the high-school season is done. Otherwise, athletes may risk losing eligibility to train or compete with their high-school teams. Again: school teams come first.

Athletes running for their respective schools this fall can (re-)join the club later in the fall when their school seasons are done and finish the club season out and compete for the club in the November and December National Qualifier and Championship meets!!

COVID TESTING, VACCINATIONS AND BOOSTERS

The club is no longer requiring vaccinations, boosters or weekly COVID tests, due to the relatively low infection rates now for outdoor activities like XC and outdoor track & field.
However, the following restrictions will apply, based on the latest guidelines from the CDC, the MDHHS and the club Board of Directors:

1. Anyone who has COVID-like symptoms should not come to practice -- they should stay out of practice and get a COVID test.

2. If anyone tests positive, they should notify the coaching staff, stay away from practice for at least five (5) days, and get a negative COVID test before returning to practice (they must show the COVID test result when they return)

3. Home-based COVID test kits are acceptable.

UNIFORMS

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.

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. Some sample pictures of the jerseys are attached. Our first meet of the season is scheduled for Saturday September 17. 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.

Athletes can wear their own running shorts or compression shorts, but they should be either dark green or black.

PRICING

The fees for the 2022 cross-country season will be $125 from November-December session. We are discontinuing additional child discounts.

Please pay online at: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/AnnArbor/YouthProgramCrossCountry2022

The increase over last year anticipates zero income from football concessions (canceled due to insufficient interest) as well as additional program costs in the wake of Ron's retirement.

Please contact Sarai Brachman Shoup (sbshoup@gmail.com) if this fee presents a difficulty for your family. The Ann Arbor Track Club is dedicated to providing opportunities for all to participate regardless of ability to pay.

Please contact (Youth Division Director) Ron Beasley at 734-330-7931, or youth@aatrackclub.org for more info.

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