The 2013-14 Indoor Youth Track & Field Season starts Monday November 4. Practices are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 7-8:30 PM. This program is open to all kids ages 6-18, regardless of ability or skill level.

Practices will be held at the University of Michigan Indoor Track Building (1150 S. South State Ann Arbor, 48109).

There will be no practices on the following dates in 2013-14, due to the holidays: Thursday November 28, Wednesday December 25, and Wednesday January 1. In addition there will be no practices on the following dates in 2014, due to youth track meets that will take place on those weeknights at UM:

Thursday January 16, Thursday January 23, and Wednesday February 12.

HOW TO GET STARTED

1. Just show up with your kids during any night when practices are being held, and ask for Ron Beasley. Your kids should be dressed to run (running shoes, shorts, T-shirt, warm-ups/sweats), since we'll start them running on the first night. For the parents, there will be an orientation given while your kids are training. The cost will be $5/kid (cash or check) for each night you bring them.
2. There will be a table set up as you walk in, where you can pay the $5 and also pick up hand-outs. Among the hand-outs, there will be "Athlete Data Forms" for the new families and "AATC Membership Renewal Forms" for current families who need to renew their membership dues for 2014. New families are welcome to pick up the "AATC Membership Renewal Forms" as well, to look over them.
3. New families will receive a 2-week trial membership for each of your kids -- no annual dues are required. For the first 2 weeks, your cost will only be the $5/kid/night "track fee" for your kids to use the track. This "FREE TRIAL" period gives you the time and opportunity to decide if this program suits your kids' needs. You can pay your "AATC Membership Dues" later if you decide to join the club.
4. The 2014 AATC Membership dues won't be determined until the annual membershipship meeting on Sunday November 24. The dues can be paid either in person at track practice (cash or check), or they can be paid online with a credit card at: http://www.aatrackclub.org/join/. If you decide to pay in person at track practice, please be sure to turn in your "AATC Membership Renewal Form" as well, along with your payment. In order to simplify the processing of your membership, we encourage everyone to pay their AATC Membership dues online if possible. The "paper" AATC Membership forms will still be available for those who prefer to pay by cash or check, but they will be in limited supply
5. For those who want to pay their kids track fees by the month or for the entire season, the cost will be $30/kid/month or $120/kid for the whole indoor season.
6. New families who want to join the club after the two weeks can have their $5/kid/night applied to the monthly rate: In other words, after 6 "FREE TRAIL" practices you've paid the first month!! To make it easier to track payments made by families who wish to pay by the month or the season, an online payment system has been established with "PAYPAL". To make your monthly or season track fee payments go here:

Indoor Track Fees (subject to change without notice)

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Indoor Track Fees

1-Month $30.00 USD  2-Months $60.00 USD  3-Months $90.00 USD

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https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">

Indoor Track Fees

1-Month $30.00 USD 2-Months $60.00 USD 3-Months $90.00 USD

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New families who join the club (after their FREE TRIAL membership ends) can sign their kids up for either:

A: "Recreational/Development Squad"

B: "Travel/Competition Team"

The cost to sign up your kids for the "Recreational/Development Squad" will consist of the AATC membership dues ($15/kid or $35 for the entire family) and the indoor track fees ($5/night or $30/month per kid). The cost to sign up for the "Travel/Competition Team" will be same as for the "Recreational/Development Squad", plus the costs for your kids uniforms, track meet entry fees, AAU and USATF fees and travel expenses for any out of town meets your kids compete it. The "Parent Handbook" gives some examples on page #6 of what the costs could be for kids on the "Travel/Competition Team".

AATC Parent Handbook

The 2014 Indoor Track Meet Calendar is as follows:

For those who are new to the sport of youth track & field, or track & field in general, here is some terminology:

- AAU: Amateur Athletic Union. This is one of the governing bodies of youth amateur sports in the United States, including youth track & field. Track meets that are sanctioned by AAU generally have the athletes compete in age-divisions based on birth year, as follows: Age 8-U (kids born in 2006-later), Age 9-10 (2004-05), Age 11-12 (2003-03), Age 13-14 (2000-2001), Age 15-16 (1998-99), Age 17-18 (1996-97), In National Championship AAU meets, the Age 9-10, Age 11-12 and Age 13-14 age-divsions are sub-divided into Age 9 (kids born in 2005), Age-10 (2004), Age 11 (2003), Age 12 (2002), Age 13 (2001), Age 14 (2000).

- USATF: USA Track & Field. This is THE goverrning body for track & field in the United States, including adult as well as youth, and professional athletes as well as amateur. Many of the competition rules adopted by the AAU come from USATF. The age-divisions for youth meets that are sanctioned by USATF are generally the same as for AAU, with the following exception: USATF meets do not sub-divide the Age 9-10, Age 11-12 and Age 13-14 age-divisions -- those stay as 2-year age-divisions all the way through their National Championship meets.

- MITS: Michigan Indoor Track Series. This is an organization that hosts a series of indoor youth track meets during the winter months at several college venues, including UM, EMU, MSU, SVSU and Hillsdale. These meets are generally for high-school and junior-high age athletes, although gifted athletes as young as the fourth-grade are allowed to compete as well. The MITS State Championship meet is generally held the last Saturday in February, just before the high-school athletes have to report to their respective high-school track teams in March for spring practice. This year's MITS State Championship meet will be held Saturday February 23 at CMU. Athletes must meet qualifiying marks in at least one track, relay or field event in order to compete in that meet. The qualifying standards are posted at http://www.mitstrack.org/state-meet-info/qualifying-standards

We encourage parent involvement. Parents participate on the AATC Youth Committee and volunteer for club events and fundraising. The "Parent Handbook" proviides examples of how you can help.

Please direct any questions to AATC Youth Program Director This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call Ron at 734-330-7931.

Joseph (Codgie) Codrington – Head Youth Coach; USATF Certified Coach

 Joseph is a former athlete who had a successful career competing in the 800m for his native country of Barbados. Upon completion Codgie was recruited to run for Eastern Michigan University. At EMU he became an All American and graduated with a BA in International Trade. Joseph served as manager of the Barbados Amateur Athletic Association’s National team at the Central American and Caribbean Games. Currently Codgie serves as President and CEO of Codrington Enterprises, a sports marketing agency marketing and managing the careers of professional track and field athletes. He is a registered Authorized Athlete Representative with USATF. He began with AATC in the fall of 2006 as Assistant Youth Coach and now performs as Head Youth Coach. His goal for the AATC youth kids is to develop a sense of purpose and discipline, become physically fit, display good sportsmanship and prepare those who desire an opportunity for college track scholarships. Joseph lives in Ann Arbor and is married with four kids, one a former AATC youth and one currently a member of AATC.

Tim Glenn Harris – Assistant Youth Coach; USATF Certified Coach

Tim is a former track athlete and graduate of U of M Dearborn with a degree in Psychology. He is an employee and twenty five year veteran of the City of Detroit Fire Department. Tim has coached Pop Warner Youth Football for the past four years. For two of those years he unofficially coached AATC until recently he became an official assistant coach. Tim specializes in long jump, overall conditioning and ply metrics. His goal for the AATC kids is to train hard, have fun and when competing do so to the best that they are able. He lives in Belleville, Michigan; is married with four children, three of whom are members of the Track Club.

In addition, there are three (3) other Assistant coaches (their bios are pending)

Derrick Jackson  (Distance, Middle-Distance)

Stacey Jackson (Sprints, Hurdles)

Fabian Rollins (Sprints, Long-Jump)

The Ann Arbor Track Club (AATC) promotes fitness, friendship, and fun for all ages through running, walking, and track & field activities:

• Coaching and training

• Supportive environments

• Great events

• Community service

• Financial Support

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