Housekeeping Monday

Can you believe it’s November? OMG where did the time go? Just  8 short  weeks before we start calling it the beginning of track season preseason training.Okay Okay Focus… Just Focus : - ) There is still time to get done what ever it is you need to before you happily give up you weekend (Happily….RIGHT??,RIGHT. For me it’s a big yard sale,a garage cleaning and a spruce -up of Lauren’s bedroom….More “Tweenie” she says. Try and get as big dent in the book I am co- writing as possible ,and complete the upcoming EXTREME MAKEOVER of TrackMom.com .How will you get Ready for track season? to early to think about it ? Okay I ask again …sooner than you think.

So here is a little TM housekeeping for Monday November 3rd,2008

Recent comments on TrackMom

Time To Renew Those National Membership Cards! Or Is It?

TrackMom Monique comments:

“I certainly feel; that with all that my family and I do to support our local AAU events, without any compensation, still pay for our children’s participation fees, give freely of our time and resources to better the cause; that our National President would not charge for an appearance to one event or even to multiple youth events. We have several families that have been negatively impacted by the failing economy, yet they continue to participate in local, regional, and national events. Many families have multiple national appearances and we’ve yet to see grants or scholarships at the youth level to support these efforts from AAU.

USATF does offer several grants and has a grant fund that local teams have the opportunity to apply for each year to help with expenses. AAU greatly benefits from our volunteerism, our dollars, and our Children (being the most valuable of the supporters). Why can’t they give back to the youth sports community in the same manner? I sent the planning committee my comments regarding the poor shading that was provided to our youth at the 2008 track and field Nationals, but I have yet to get a reply. Yes, I will be holding our $64.00 until track season thank you. Will you join me?”

AAU Narrows Choices for 2013-2022 Junior Olympic Games

John from Gerogia writes:

“Thanks for the update on AAU Junior Olympics game locations.It nice to know I can read things here at TrackMom I don’t hear other places onthe internet of local media.When are you going to start your own radio program? I have a lot of folks that are waiting on you. Be of Good Cheer!

It Does Matter Whether You Win Or Lose

Michael comments:

 “I’m rather involved in youth athletics both from a coaching and officiating standpoint. I’m glad Coach Mack emphasized the point that Youth sports participants are not mini major leaguers, but kids.Too often we adults lose sight of that. We have a tendacy to make sports a major issue in terms of winning/losing that, in some cases, it can cause children who participate not to have fun.

Sports involvement often involves various life lessons in terms of winning/losing/sportsmanship, but those lessons should also include the concept of “having fun” which has its own rewards.

This, in turn, can help those who participate as athletes, coaches, and parents to realize the big picture.”

Thanks for all the continued e-mails and comment here on TrackMom.

TrackMom’s latest favorite posts

Getting Your Youth Cross Country Runner Faster… Is It Possible?

Youth Sports Should No Longer Be “No Mom’s Land”

What Is The Financial Cost Of An Elite Athlete

Your Kids Highlight Reel…….. 8 Tips That Make It Special

Predicting Future Success Of A Youth Athlete

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 Last but not least my prayers and well wishes go out to Bryshon Nellums (19) one of USC’s top sprinters and fastest under 19 year old’s in the Nation.In 2007 the nations top High School male sprinter. Nellums was shot on Friday night. Acording to the L.A.Times he was hit once in his thigh and once in his hamstring, while leaving a Halloween Party. I look forward to seeing him competete this upcoming season.I wish you a speedy recovery.

 Until Next Time,

Planning For Success

 Planning For Success….

Coach Rashad Ahmad

 
As young people what are some of the things you do everyday that you plan for?
When you think about those things, what is important to you?

Are family, friends, being popular, sports, are those some of the things that are important?
Looking at track & field and looking at what you need to do to be successful at this, what are the things you  do to help you become successful?.
 
Do you just wake up each day and hope to be successful, do you have a plan, but not just any plan? You need to have a plan for success or a plan of success. Don’t hope for it, don’t guess or wish upon a star for it, plan on it. Just like a teacher will have a lesson plan, so should you have a plan, a plan for success.  There is an old saying ” If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”…what this means is, if you don’t have a plan in place to guide you, then you are planning to fail.
 
Part of your plan for success, is having those people in your life you can trust, you can count on. Have people who believe in you and your dreams, hopes, aspirations. Surround yourself with these kind of people, it doesn’t have to be alot of people, but again they have to support you. If it is alot of people who support you, then you have more support.
 
We all know that there are people in the world who don’t want you to succeed, who won’t support you, those are the one’s who are not part of your circle, your support group. How do you know who these people are, well just keep your eyes and ears open, they will let you know who they are, when they do, you must distance yourself from them.
 
I will continue in part two of this article about how important it is to have people on your side, in your corner, to help you become the success you are trying to be in track & field. and also in life.
 

To Your Success,
 
Coach Rashad

Coach Rashad is the head track coach for Illinois Oak Park Road Runners. A USATF Certified II, CSCS. He has undeniable passion and  expertise for Track and Field. In addition he runs a sucessful speed camp and finds time to train and compete at the Master Level  as well.

Please feel free to drop him a message right here at the comment box and for more infomation go to:

Illinois Park Road Runners

Speedy

Be of good cheer, keep the faith, be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know, your labor is not in vain, in the Lord..1 Cor. 15:58.

Tomorrows Olympians….. How Does USATF Nurture Them Today?

Runners  Take Your Mark….. Tomorrows Olympians 

Peter Thamel of the New York Times wrote an article entitled “Leaders From All Levels Agree to Focus on Youth Game”  It’s about the  youth basketball scene and how in recent past the decline in USA Basketball’s performances at the international level. Just not playing over the past few years as good as they had been expected, and what at all levels of Basketball youth through the pros should do to support better performances. He writes:

 ”As a result, a working group was assigned to identify needs in the sport from the youth level on up. The discussions between Amateur Athletic Union, high school, college, professional and USA Basketball coaches and officials were also meant to address issues beyond the quality of play.”

“The prevailing thought is that the United States’ struggles at the top levels of basketball can be traced to its lack of organization at the lower levels. It is the focus of this group to try to make youth basketball teams more cohesive on the court and to make basketball more of an entryway into a better life off the court”.  Read More here

What About Track & Field ?

 Even though the article was on basketball the core issues are exactly the same more attention needs to be paid to our youth track athletes by USATF as they are the heirs of a great legacy that needs a lot of nurturing to provide more support and success in the future.  One only had to watch the 2008  Olympic trials and Olympic Games to know we are not quite doing Track  the way it should be done. Our problems may be a few at the youth level but clearly it’s a Top Down Job in T&F’s  case that needs some real attention.

 A few question I would ask if I had a chance as a parent of a track athlete are:

1. How do you identify and nurture systematically the talent that is coming up  over the next few years?

2. How  does  this differ, if any from previous years ?

3. What can I do as a parent to help enrich this experience?

4. What mechanism does USATF have  (if any) for athletes that have financial hardships( practically all newly graduated athletes) to continue to develop their elite talent ie: coaching,housing,health care benefits etc.

 5. Why should any parent promote and encourage a youth athlete over many years when to most it appears there is no national grass roots support for elite athletes uniformly?

6. What is USATF doing to create an image that is positive and progressive in 2008 for Track and Field in the furture?

7.How many potential track athletes have we lost just in the last 3 years due to lack of support after a stellar college career ?

8. How can the public be educated about track and make it more public friendly, so as not to be the sport we  have come to be , a somewhat elitist sport?

9. How does USATF plan on nurturing it’s youth  divisional segment more positively to help enhance it’s elite segment in the future?

10. Can I as a parent expect change in the next 5 years for the positive?

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If you want to get involved and learn things of interest pertaing to youth athletes in track  and Field ,think about registering for the USATF Annual meeting which will be held in Reno, Nevada, December 3 - 7, 2008. (note :must be a USATF member)

This is where Track & Field’s most influencial get to together in an effort to allow all voices of U.S. T&F be heard on the topics that mean the most to us.

For more information go to USATF   Read more on the sign of the times

Until Next time,

Training of Elite Youth Athletes….. What Age Would You Start?

Given that some youth athletes can start their competive  running participation like  bullets out of a gun,only to later  begin to grow and change body size ,coordination and  perhaps interest change as speed abilty of others catch up, and even pass your bullet. How is a parent to know when fast is really “special”  fast and when it’s transitional fast?   Where do we find balance? Where do parents get information to help make informed choices about sports activity and more indepth training? Is it  really necessary? 

For more  on Elite  Youth Athletes see:

 What is an Elite Youth Athlete? ,  What Is The Financial Cost Of An Elite Athlete  and  Is There Such A Thing As A Youth Elite Athlete ?

Let’s see what contributing author Coach Mike Cunliffe has to say about training an elite youth athlete

How Much is Too Much and When is Enough not Enough ?

 Training Elite Athletes at what age? 

Often I’m asked at what age do you start training an elite athlete, I pause and tell the person (usually a parent)

The moment you know they are an elite athlete. I hear then often hear a familiar response “but what if their only 9″?  

I will now give you a scenario that I have given dozens if not a hundred times to parents.

If your child picked up a violin and played Mozart at age 7 and you called all the people you knew then discussed it with his or her teachers at school you then enrolled them in a special program, and then hired very competent (and expensive) tutors; you would be applauded as a responsible parent nurturing a “special and unique gift”.

If your child picked up a math book at age 9 was doing math suited for 8 graders and you placed him or her in a private school or possibly paid for special lessons and tutors after school; then began driving them in their middle school years to a university to work with math professors in order to make sure they were on track. You would be a wonderful parent taking the time and money to help your child develop their talent.

Now if your child could do either of the above in music or math and all recognized it, yet you did nothing to advance them. People would say (parents, grandparents, friends, etc) why don’t you do something for her or him. They need special attention. They are out of their league with the other kids in the school, etc. Often times family members step in to help financially (grandparents are common) at this point.

But there is one exception to the rule socially; athletics. When I say as a coach that I train our athletes on Seattle Speed with former PAC-10 T&F athletes as coaches and we have massage services and chiropractic; that we focus on core strength, and have a very detailed and specific flexibility program; we do bio-mechanic analysis, etc. I’m asked (sometimes told) isn’t that too much for such young kids? And here the hypocrisy begins.

The coaching staff. When you have coaches of this caliber working with 9, 10, 11 years olds (and older) they know what their doing, other than stating the obvious let me explain. They know and understand energy systems in relation to training effect. What is a true speed workout (distances, total distance for the workout, rest intervals between each rep, etc) what is a true speed endurance workout and what energy system does it relate to (Alactic - extended CP system); then when should you do these workouts and at what frequency in relation to various athletes in relation to their events and major meets, etc.

If your coaches on your child’s track team do not know these type of things - they are guessing and that in relation to child development in any field is not good at best and very bad in most of my observations. So we would agree that having a very knowledgeable and qualified staff would be something you would want for a gifted athlete. And I preface that with: ANY ATHLETE.

Be healthy. If the gifted violin player needs massage for his or her hands and shoulders because he or she is cramping when they play. What would happen? Massage would be immediately on the weekly agenda in order to “take care of the gift”. Now if a track athlete who is being coached properly is getting massage; that often times (not always) is construed as “over the top”. Massage is looked at as not needed or “too much” as is chiropractic. Let me elaborate on one of these - chiropractic. We use chiropractors at our practices to work on bio-mechanics in real time speed conditions in order to make adjustments to running form. I won’t make the case for chiropractic here in detail but suffice to say a majority of NBA and NFL teams staff them full time or at minimum use them regularly. I also know quit a few Olympians personally in Beijing who had chiropractors with them. If they did not work they would not be used - and I can testify to many times in my own experiences the direct positive results of their use. Massage and chiropractic are two things that are healthy for any person. So if a child’s gift was a physical/athletic gift how much more common sense should be exercised to make sure that while young and growing they stay as healthy as possible. In other words for an elite athlete to have these things is like the young mathematician having tutors to challenge the brain properly for the correct development.

Healthy food. We drill all of our athletes to eat healthy. I mean very healthy. Often times it’s the parents whose habits are bad and hold their kids back. The kids are willing to eat what is best but the parents prefer to stock the shelves with other items. If it’s the kid then they need to start eating healthy anyway. So regardless of track or whatever sport they are highly talented in they need to eat right; so don’t tie healthy eating to being a top athlete. Healthy eating is for everyone. So a healthy diet and feeding an elite athlete good food (organics - if possible) is that over the top? No.

So now I have the opportunity to ask the questions. Is it too much to have a 9 year old who is very gifted in T&F to have coaches who :

1) Know how to develop her or him and won’t hurt them by over training

 2) Won’t miss-train them and thus get in the way of progressing properly - remember a fast runner who is miss trained is still fast and now this is the key - but not at their fastest. Is it too much to have a 9 year old who is very gifted in T&F where proper alignment is directly related to speed and jumping ability; see on a regular basis a sports chiropractor and massage therapist

 Think on this before you answer. If the difference between 14^th and 8^th(making the finals) in the 100 meters for 9 yr olds is .25 and massage and chiropractic would definitely close this gap allowing for greater power output based on more acute mechanical alignment. Then getting chiropractic and massage combined and compared with training for 6-7 months and spending thousands of dollars to go to nationals - would be an increase of only 10-12% of the overall season budget - would that make sense? Well if your already spending 7 months training, your child has proven themselves to have a gift and you spend thousands of dollars on travel, gas to and from practice, time sitting in stadiums, etc etc. Then is an extra $300-$400 over 7 months over the top? No! Because you are already over the top with a 9 yr old! Note: .25 seconds was the difference this year at AAU nationals between 14^th and 8^th.

So after the above evaluation; doing what is right what you can do  at an early age for any child let alone a highly gifted child only makes common sense.

Coach Mike Cunliffe, Is the  Head Coach of the Seattle Speed Track Club  See his latest Interview Here . A USATF (former TAC) medalist - 5^thplace - in Nebraska 1982 (Inter. Boys LJ)  and dad of Hannah Cunliffe AAU Midiget Girl Double National Champion 100m and 200m.

What Is The Financial Cost Of An Elite Athlete

With the economic changes we are facing as Americans, we have unique financial challenges as we look forward to another eventful, busy track season.

Many questions swirl around my brain, like:

How much more will it cost to travel via airplane or car ? (gas prices over $1.50  more than when my family started this track journey)

How does the average family ; Williams, Jones and Smith afford  extended  National and International travel for competition?

When if at all would your strategy for athletic care change for him?   Is it if he wins a race with a large personal best? Win a few more races? Win with local good times?  Winning within the Assocation,Regional,of make it to a National meet? When?? Dr.Eric Smalls defines the definition of a Elite Athlete, In his book Kids and Sports  which is useful ,but a parent still has to define for himself and his youth athlete what this all means. The  elite sport engine phenomenon is fueled by private coaches, private clubs, and the in some(many) cases extreme sacrifice of well meaning parents.

During the Olympics much of the gold medal talk surrounded the Chinese and not only taking home more than any other country but the process of talent selection and development. I find it amazing that comentators and spectators a like make a big deal over the U.S. NOT bring home more gold but also not willing to do what many other countries do which is seek out and train athletes beginning at a very young age. I am not here to debate the merits of such a system(it obvious works given results but at what  human cost?) but to highlight that we all want to have the  highest achievment possible  for our youth athletes.How do we help our youth athletes achieve full potential?

The journey of all youth athletes is stacked with twists and turns  that include injury illness burn out,low performance,less than fair playing and competing among some.It is our job to regularly ask question that will help keep our youth athlete our child safe,healthy,and enhusisastic about the sport that captures so much time and attention of the entire family life experience.

I realize this article has more questions than answers ,that is for you do as you think long and hard The Cost Of An Elite Athlete 

Until Next Time

What is an Elite Youth Athlete?

 What is an Elite Youth Athlete?

The best definition I could find was the following :

According to Dr.Eric Smalls a sports pediatrician and author of “Kids and Sports”  states that “a child athlete between the ages of 7-17 that demonstrates above average performance and reaches a regional,national or international meet.These youths athletes train year round, and because of this training they need a sports physician,coach,Sports Psychologist, a personal trainer,and a physical therapist. He goes on to say that an “elite athlete has special issues to consider,such as injury prevention,rest recovery” to name a few.

That’s a lot to take in…..A whole lot.  For the track athlete that is an elite athlete and under high school age, I personally believe it is very important to  NOT specialize but incorporate many types of activites and other sports during the off season. Generally this is called “Cross Training” When I was a child this was simply called having fun, doing lots of stuff. Cross training never replaces the training of the sport but an enhancer that helps with coordination,muscle building,strength and agility.

I view it as a foundation for better performance. Cross training allows the athlete to take some much needed time away from the sport and focus (although it may not as intense in many instances) on other activites and sports play.

Pros Of Being a Elite Athlete

I am of the opinion that the athlete that rises to this level has a gift. A gift from God, and that should be nurtured in such a away  that develops it to the fullest. Whatever the parent feels that should be . A yearly assessment of the youth athletes desire and overall interest is an important piece of the nurturing process of the athlete.

There are many aspects that are postive  in the life of the elite youth athlete.These include but not limited to positive self esteem ,experiencing time mangagment real time,attaining a good body image and healthy lifestyle habits.

The Cons

I chose to look at these as Challenges and not cons. Learning how to handle expectations of  the many people around you that recognize your gift. Balancing extended family time, and loss of time with loved ones due to many weekends in the season competing, unexpected recognition in locations not related to where competion takes place. Potential injuries,and physical fatique when stamina is needed most.

The Parent Of An Elite Athlete

There are probably hundreds of important life tips  parent of  elite athletes can share. Here are 10 to get the dialog started.

 1) Teach humilty and gratefullness for ever experience win or not ( you can practice this too!)

2) Keep the lines of communication open about all things including track experiences 

3) Always be honest in a positive way  with assesment of their performances ,this way they won’t assume you always say postitve even when you may not have positive things to say about hte performance  .

4) Create normal childhood experiences when at all possible (which should be a lot)

5) Have some family time that doesn’t have to do with track & field

6) Listen closely to your childs physical complaints learn to decifer real from imagined or over blown

7) Schedule a break in training at proper times during the season (Lauren always runs faster after a short break in the action)

Learn about the sport so you can feel more apart of the on going process and understand the basics of competition 

9)Make sure your athlete Is having fun

10) Have some fun too…the journey is long with lots of twists and turns 

Until Next Time

Brittany Ellis 3 Time 2008 Sub-Midget AAU National Champion

For over 2 years ,I had heard about Brittny Ellis  and her great talent on the track.For the first time, I had the pleassure of watching Brittany Ellis run and run she did  at the 2008 AAU National Olympic Games.  The Sub-Midget from Ilinois took home 3 National Championship Titles 100m , 200m and the 400m new Nation Record of 57.21 Brittany has a lot to be proud of and now to top off a spectacular 2008 season she has been nominated   for the Sports Illustrated SportsKid  of the Year for her accomplishements on the track, in school, and in the community. 

 Brittany is a top ten finalist from a field of about 6,000! The top ten finalists photos and bios are on SI KIDS’ website www.sikids.com where you can cast your vote. The winner of SI Sportskid of the Year will be selected based on the number of votes cast online.  The winner will be featured on the cover of the December, 2008 issue. Winning the Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year would be a great honor, not only for Brittny, but Track & Field itself. We so often see other sports in the limelight but rarely see the same honors bestowed on track athletes.

Here is  a quick review of Brittny’s track resume thus far. Brittny became interested in track at age 5 or 6 through park district “fun run” events. More recently at ages 10 and11 she was the triple Champion of the sprints (100, 200, 400) at the 2007 & 2008 AAU National Junior Olympics, setting a National Record in the 400 with a time of 57.21, bettering the previous mark of 58.86 set in 2005 by Robin Reynolds. In addtion, swept the sprints at the 2008 AAU Club Championships, setting two National records (100 meters: 12.89, 400 meters: 58.16).   Swept the sprints at the 2008 AAU Indoor National Junior Olympics, setting  National records in all three events (55 meters: 7.87, 200 meters: 28.07, 400 meters: 103.46)  Swept the sprints at the 2007 USATF Outdoor Youth Championships and voted Top Performer. 

She holds seven world (international) records  

100m:   (10) 12.77

200m (8) 27.84  (9) 26.63 (10) 25.61 

Thank to the Ellis family for sharing this story .

You can cast your vote  at WWW.SIKIDS.COM and you are able to vote as many times as you wish.

Voting runs through noon, September 22nd.  It would be wonderful if the track community could rally

 behind Brittny and bring some attention to the sport with a cover story.

 Until Next Time

The 800/1500 Is This The Race For Your Youth Athlete

Here is another great article written by  guest contributor Alisa Harvey  especially for TrackMom.com. We as parents often gravitate to the race we like or have  participated in for ourselves for our kids. Alisa is going to share with us  food for thought as we help our youth athlete decide which race is his race .

The 800/1500 Is This The Race For Your Youth Athlete

 Alisa Harvey

For most youngsters racing two and four laps around a 400m track is a challenge.  Young legs can quickly run short distances multiple times as long as they are given adequate rest between runs, but asking a 8 to 12-year-old to race continuously for 800m or 1500m usually takes some amount of preparation.   Children between the ages of 8 - 12 should learn the value of pacing.  Pacing can be explained or practiced depending on the situation.  Many youngsters go into youth middle distance races without training; which is acceptable.  An untrained youth middle distance runner should be instructed to ease their way into their first longer races by backing off the pace and running comfortably.  Only when the untrained runner reaches the final straight-away should they accelerate into the finish.  If a young middle distance runner is training regularly with a coach, they should practice their own predicted race-pace as dictated by their coach.  Workouts should be run at predicted race-pace in order to acquaint the runner with their own pace.  At race time the young runner should automatically know just how fast to run each lap.

   A teen runner should follow the advice given for younger runners with regard to pacing, but they should not be afraid to challenge themselves.  The teen-age years are a good time to start structured endurance training.  If a teen 800m/1500m runner has expressed interest in the events then proper coaching should be given. 

Endurance or base training should be built slowly as to avoid injury.  The adolescent body has a good deal of growing to do so take it slow.  Start by attempting a short run.  If necessary, the youth should walk/jog the distance run.  Don’t increase the distance until you can run continuously for the determined distance.  Only once the teen runner has conquered the distance should they begin to increase the pace of their distance runs.  Regular endurance training combined with speed training will have a direct benefit to a teen’s 800m and 1500m racing.   Parents should pay close attention to providing proper footwear for youth middle distance runners.  Improper footwear can quickly lead to injuries in young growing bodies.  Avoid department store brand running shoes even for younger children.  Many of the technical running shoe brands sell children’s running shoes.  Teenagers should be professional fit in adult technical running shoes.  

 For other articles written by Alisa Harvey click here

 aharveyva@earthlink.net

Predicting Future Success Of A Youth Athlete

I was reading through some older threads on the TrackShark forum last night when I stumbled across this one. I couldn’t believe what I read. Read for yourself and let me know what you think.

“  WD, Oakland California, 6 years old (d.o.b Sep , 02)– pr 100 meters 17.23 (w:+1.6), also believed to be an age group world record, pending verification. He already has a local Gymboree endorsement, and hopes that a national deal will follow. Reputedly, his parents are withdrawing him from the second grade (which starts August 25) in order to devote full time to training, in hopes that “WD” can become the youngest Olympic Champion in history by 2020 (when he will be 17 years old). He reminds me alot of a young Char Foster, and we all remember how it turned out for her. ”

This is a really interesting post.These parents in my humble opinion need to do a little more research on the develpoment of the youth track athlete before they sign him up for something he may not even be willing or able to do…2020 Olympics??? 17.23 isn’t exceptionally fast for a 6 year old. ( I personally know more than a few 6 year olds that have run a 15.48 or better) where are they getting this information? How about work on the 2011 Junior Olympics for starters..that will be a big challenge in and of itself.

Some responses  to the thread were:

Wow…refer to the Victoria Jordan thread. School should be a priority. It’s almost impossible to determine future performance based on the physiological development of a six year old. Putting ones eggs all into one basket has more chances of doing more harm than good. Whether the child started track at age 6 or 12, the natural speed of the athlete will be the same. Starting any earlier opens up more avenues to injury and psychological burnout.”

Remember Todd Marinovich, who’s father trained him from birth and controled every thing he did from eating to sleeping, and he was pushed to the limit. And with All of Todds gifts and success, Todd rather throw it away because all he wanted to do was “Get High” and not on life, but on Drugs.”

 

 

 “When speaking of the “Best” upcoming Talent, it’s just hard for me to phantom talking about a 6, 7, 8 or 9 year older. These kids just got their coordination and motor skills @ a earlier stage. It doesn’t mean much as the kids venture into High School and above. Many kids are late bloomers due to many different reasons, and many times these late bloomers surpass the kids with early development.Size is the #1 hold back of late bloomers, they must catch up to their inward growth, which in many times deems them to be very uncoordinated when they are younger. But when they do, they mature @ such a rapid pace, it drawfs the early developed kid.

 

You can begin to see kids separate themselves as real deals @ about 12-13. And that’s when you can start predicting future success if these kids want to pursue the goal. And even then, it’s a looooong shot, because you have kids that develop even later than that, @ probaly 14-15.”

We as parents all want the absolute best for our youth  athletes but time(age and development) and desire(the child’s not the parents) rule supreme not a playground run or well meaning but  uninformed people promoting 2020 Olympics? What are they even basing his rocket to the2020 Olympics on his time of 17.23 He’s just turning 7 this month Hum….. FYI the current 100m  World Record for a 7 year old boy is  14.24  Steffin McCarter  2004  .

I think my point is clear we parents can’t put the cart before the horse. As I always say one year at a time builds the foundation to a great track career. Lots can happen between now and 2020.

Until Next Time

 

Written by trackmom · Filed Under Elite Youth, FYI, Parent Encouragement 

AAU Junior Olympic Games …. Why Would You Take Your Youth Athlete There?

September 3, 2008

In 2007 Lauren Rain was the #1 ranked Sub-bantam in the country for over 18 weeks straight. She became the Sub-bantam Champion (100,200 Long Jump) in Nevada, and the Northern California Sub-Bantam Championship meet as well.She was 7.She competed in the Regionals In Cerritos as a Bantam, ran a great time for a 7 year old  in the 100m 14.39 and 200m  finished 6th  and 7th over all for the meet and PR’ed.  Her competion was 8 1/2 to 10 years old.  She wasn’t able to qualify on to  USATF Nationals .

As I began to do my own research I discovered the AAU National JO Meet had a Sub-Bantam division (Primary) . Lauren was able to continue on  to a Championship meet in her age group and become the National Champion in the 100m 200m Silver medalist with a Pr of 29.82 and Long Jumped to a 4th place Copper medal.  She competed against the fastest Primary (Sub-bantams)  girls in the nation and had a great time. 

 On the first day she fell about 5 meters from the finish line ,got up in tears crossed the line and finished 2nd in the heat, because of  the 2 rounds she was able to qualify regroup and win the title of “  2007 AAU National Champion” All American. in the 100m 

This was the appropriate end to a season of hard work and dedication.  Gold then, taking siliver  to Daesha Rodgers was the highlight of the season. She ran against the fastest in the nation and it was a stand out race.The crowd was excited and anticipated a great race by the top 4 in the nation. They were not disappointed. Neither were we. The rankings supported that in the end.

That was a great Championship.   Year to year Henry and I make the descion for Lauren that will best create sucess and fun for her.That may be AAU it may be USATF each year we assess all options and see  what works best for our family , Lauren ,our budget and time limitations. Being on a team , this year we did both ,but had the most fun at AAU., In part of course because  of great success and performing near her top level and ultimately becoming the,AA U2008 100,200 National Champion. At USATF she was  7th place finisher in the100m. I think for us the reason USATF wasn’t as much fun for us was because we knew more families  from around the country at AAU,the general atmosphere was much more festive and inviting, The venue was great Eastern Michigan University, lots of places for cooling,good bathrooms (you know that’s important to the ladies) Accomodating  polite volunteers.

USATF wasn’t a horrible experience,they had polite volunteers,venue was a very nice High School track(much bigger than your average high school,much more like a community college, great youth athletes and performances.   I will be posting more on the Championship landscape as the months progress.

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This article was written by  guest contributor Coach Mike Cunliffe for TrackMom.com

 Coach Mike Cunliffe, Is the  Head Coach of the Seattle Speed Track Club  See his latest Interview Here . A USATF (former TAC) medalist - 5^thplace - in Nebraska 1982 (Inter. Boys LJ)  and dad of Hannah Cunliffe AAU Midiget Girl Double National Champion 100m and 200m.

 

 Fast Facts on Junior Olympic National Meets - AAU and USATF

 

 Size of Venue - Number of T&F athletes

• AAU - 8500 +/- (this year estimated 9,500)
• USATF - 4500 +/-(this year estimated 6,000)

Parental Consideration:The AAU is a much larger meet. In fact it is the largest T&F meet in the world having more T&F athletes than the Olympic Games themselves.

 

Age Groups

• AAU - Year of Birth only Competition
• USATF - 2 year age groups

The AAU starts age groups at age 8 (Primary) then go to 9 (Sub-Bantam) then 10 (Bantam) and on up. You compete against your year of birth only. The question as a parent is why train for a whole year (spending gas, time, meet fees, equipment, Saturday’s in stadiums, etc) and miss the finals only because you’re not big enough? This has nothing to do with speed at all, simply growth patterns, yet the kids are penalized.

 Being bigger - What does it have to do with being a better/faster athlete? Answer: nothing.  - Why lump the kids together every 2 birth years? Why not lump boys and girls together? Because there is a physical advantage by one group and the logic does not make sense. The AAU President has stated that the reason for single age groups was based on consultation between the AAU and various physicians on the matter; and they were told the advantages of age at this level of development are very substantial. For instance a midget boy who is age 10.5 at the time of the competition (with a Sept, Oct birthday) versus a 12.5 yr old boy (with a Jan, Feb birthday) - what does this have to do with skill or ability? Again - Answer: Nothing. Conclusion why train for a year, spend time and money only to place in the top 20 at nationals only because you need to grow; how is this fair to your child and the effort that he or she has put in all year?

 Parental Consideration: The parental question that has to be asked: If it’s about the kids why send them to a meet and spend over a $1000 to have them lose because they have not grown enough. Their opportunity at the AAU nationals to get a medal is much greater because they are running only against their year of birth, which is actually and this is the bottom line - a fair race.  

 Qualifying for Nationals

• AAU - Top  4 finishers qualify for nationals from the regional meet in each year of birth. More people go to nationals and the ones that go have a much better chance at medaling.  So for 9 yr old boys - 4 qualify and for 10 yr old bys 4 qualify   
• USATF - Top 3 finishers qualify for nationals and you have to compete against athlhetes that are sometimes nearly 2 years older than you. For 9 & 10 yr old boys 3 qualify

Parental Consideration: As a parent your child has a much higher percentage of qualifying for nationals at the AAU meet. Therefore National meet exposure

Say your child is very fast but within their age group there are 4 or 5 children that are faster. For instance in the(USATF) bantam boys age division; if your child is 9 and there are three 10 yr olds (within a 3-4 state area) that are faster and possibly one 9 yr old who is faster. At the USATF they place 5^thand go home. At the AAU meet they place 2^nd in the 9 yr old age division and get to compete in the largest (and fastest youth see information below) T&F meet on earth.  

 100M & 200M Qualifying for the Finals (more races for your money)

AAU - At the AAU they follow a world elite T&F format not a high school meet format. The AAU has a prelim, semi-final, final. The reason being they recognize you can have a bad race early and not get another opportunity. This allows (similar to the collegiate championship and professional championship levels) the athletes to make adjustments through the week in order to perform their best. At these short distances if a mistake is made it is very difficult to make it up in the race, this is why at the top levels of T&F multiple rounds are used. If someone who should make the finals is a bit off in the prelims they can recover in the semis and do what there supposed to do. Look at the Olympic Games, World Championships, any very important  elite meet.

USATF - 1 and done; same as HS state meets.

Parental Consideration: Kids are kids and professionalism is professionalism regardless of time and place. Being the Junior Olympic National Championships and the importance of the meet both on the national T&F level to following the world “big meet” formats of 3 rounds in the sprints (they actually have 4 rounds in some events such as the Olympic Games) makes sense. Also in the lives of the young athletes who come to compete they are given 1) greater opportunity 2) a more professional venue and meet format and 3) allowed to compete longer even if they don’t make the finals. For instance if they run the 100 and 200; why fly over a 1,000 miles to run 1 or 2 races when they could run 2-4 races allowing for better money spent and it also allows the child more depth and experience running on the big stage for future years to come. Like the old saying goes; nothing beats experience. Bottom line more for your money as a parent and more national experience for your child as a young developing athlete.     

 2008 Meet location

• AAU was in Detroit at Eastern Michigan University.
• USATF is in Omaha, Nebraska on a High School track.

Parental Consideration: A family who sends 1 parent and 1 child will spend over $1300 on airfare $400 in hotels and $300 in food T-Shirts, etc. Essentially $2000; do you want to go to Detroit and compete in a collegiate top line track facility or sit in a Nebraska high school stadium. Remember it is your money being spent not the coaches or team budgets.

Coaches & Athletes

• AAU - Coaches are allowed into the warm-up area, they provide water for coaches and athletes. In 2007 they received a coach’s gift pack (a $50 computer bag, stop watch, and a $20 event T-Shirt). Athletes got a spike bag, event T-Shirt and other items.
• USATF - No access allowed, no water, no ice. No gift pack. No athlete gift pack.

Parental Consideration: Simply more polish and a greater value for your money at AAU.  most important direct access to the athletes for coaches during the most important week of the year.

Speed Comparison

•  Due to formatting  problems I unable to  be post here. For an emailed copy of the spread sheet please email trackmom1@gmail.com and she will forward it to you promptly.

Parental Consideration: Go to where the fastest athletes overall are competing.

Conclusion - How Your Money is being spent:

Bottom line it is your money as a parent and you are simply looking to (and expecting) coaches to help you spend it on your child in the most wise and prudent manner. Here are some items for you to consider and would expect your child’s coach to consider before they help you spend your money. 

1. Fair competition (1 yr age groups)
2. Bigger and Better venue
3. Better coach access to athletes
4. Greater opportunity of qualifying for nationals
5. The ability to run more rounds (races) and get greater national experience even if you don’t make the finals
6. More of the fastest overall athletes

Coach mike has given me a excel spread sheet on 2007 Results Comparison if you want a copy simly e-mail me and I will forward it to you trackmom1@gmail.com

 

The above is not based on any opinion it is simply a list of facts for each family to think about when spending their money.

I hope this has been both informative and educational for you as a parent. I also hope this helps to better inform not only you but your child’s coach when they are considering where to suggest you send your child.

Final Note: We recommend that each family do this evaluation each year so that you select the best venue and opportunity for your child. This forces both the AAU and USATF to compete for hard earned dollars and provide the best product available. Not making emotional pleas for your participation but improving on and competing for your money in the open market place year after year. I welcome you comment on this form.

Coach Mike

Seattle Speed

Written by trackmom · Filed Under Elite Youth, FYI, Parent Encouragement 

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