The Case for Youth
Track and Field
Last year, we set out to conduct research on the state of youth track, and in response we created a report that serves as a benchmark for where youth track and field in America currently stands. Below is a summary of our findings, how we’re addressing the needs in the running community and a link to the full report.
REPORT PREPARED BY RUSSELL DINKINS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLUMIDE OLAMIGOKE
DATA VISUALIZATION BY BEN THROSBY
Purpose of the Research
Our goal in conducting this research was simple: to gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing youth track and field so that the Tracksmith Foundation can better support and help grow the sport. We wanted to ensure that we were building out programs and resources that respond to what the actual needs are for youth track – not what we imagined them to be.
To achieve this, we polled 146 coaches, parents, volunteers and administrators across 37 states using an online survey and a series of focus groups. Nearly 73% of respondents were school track coaches, with about 57% currently serving as high school coaches. We feel that our data, in large part, reflect the experiences of coaches throughout this nation. Additionally, 84% of the respondents indicated that they were involved in school track in some capacity. This methodical approach not only helps us to better target our efforts but also ensures that we are engaging in work that will be valuable to the running community we seek to serve.
Core Findings
The results show an overwhelming demand for quality coaching, and a lack of support for field events. This is a nuanced problem, as many respondents noted their programs had quality coaching in some disciplines but not others. The coexistence of all disciplines is what makes competing on a track and field team such a profound and unique experience. However, inconsistent coaching quality among the events is a distinct threat to this experience.
“My personal opinion is that we need more truly qualified and knowledgeable coaches, not just parents who run or volunteer as coaches, or have a USATF level 1 certification. Also a more open relationship and collaborative environment between the schools and clubs/private coaches. These exist for football, basketball, and baseball, but are very rare and oftentimes turbulent with track.”
Youth club coach and parent from Texas
“The ability to get into the field events at a young age gives kids an opportunity to grow a passion for something new and to realize you don’t have to be a runner in track and field... you can jump or throw. Field events can also open new avenues of possibilities. For me personally, I was able to grow an interest that soon became a passion of mine for the javelin. I’ve been able to travel the world doing something I love to do. Without youth opportunities, I would not have had an introduction to javelin; I would have only known the running side of track and field.”
Curtis Thompson, US Olympian in the javelin and Tracksmith ASP Athlete
As a track and field community, we have to do our best to ensure that young people have opportunities to participate in this great sport, whether that be on the track, on the field, or both. When the field events are overlooked, important pathways for inclusion are closed, and opportunities for young people to experience the sport and grow from it are narrowed.
Actionable Steps Forward
Based on our survey’s findings, we developed the following programs to address the community’s needs:
Shoe Donation Program
Addressing the need for personal gear support
The shoe donation program is an initiative where the Tracksmith Foundation sources unused shoes and spikes from colleges looking to offload their inventories and provides them to high school students and school districts. Even though equipment needs span the gamut, we felt that footwear was a need that we could confidently service.
Piloted in summer of 2022, we sourced leftover, unused shoes from colleges and handed them out to high school students in Philadelphia, PA. This summer, we will be expanding the pilot into Boston for summer 2023 and look to expand further in the future.
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Coach Support Program
Addressing the need for event expertise
The Coach Support Program (CSP) will be supported by Tracksmith’s elite athlete program, the Amateur Support Program (ASP). The CSP will be an initiative through the Tracksmith Foundation that connects youth coaches to Tracksmith’s ASP athletes for mentorship and guidance. The idea behind the CSP is to support youth coaches throughout the country by providing them with the opportunity to tap into the expertise of Tracksmith’s ASP athletes, many of whom are not coaches themselves but possess a high degree of knowledge that they can in turn impact youth coaches.
The CSP will also provide essential support for technical events by leveraging the strong field event and technical event athletes who are a part of the ASP. Past and current ASP members include US stars Kara Winger, Rudy Winkler, and Aaron Mallet. The technical event disciplines such as the jumps and throws are often undersupported at the youth level so the CSP will serve as an important role in serving that need.
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Final Takeaways
Track and field – the largest sport in high school and the cheapest sport for youth overall – is a fantastically accessible sport along socioeconomic lines. It enjoys great racial diversity, body-type diversity, and creates opportunities for people of a range of shapes and sizes to not only compete, but excel.
Beneath the surface, track and field has a number of specific challenges that limit opportunity. Our goal through this research was to identify those challenges so that our organization can design ways to address them. By committing to support the coaching and personal gear needs of youth athletes, we have taken an important step to addressing some of the major challenges that still impact the sport, despite what the sport does well in terms of accessibility.
The running community wins when youth programs focus on the long game, aiming to impart life-long lessons about health and wellness, being a good teammate, and maximizing one’s personal potential. Long after scholastic athletics end and trophies and medals are boxed away, those lessons remain and are most important.