Frequently Asked Questions

What ages can participate?

We accept kids from grade 1 to high school.  Our practices are broken out by age groups and ability.  Most of our High School athletes participate with us during the Indoor Season and rejoin after their High School season concludes.

What are the age groups for track meets:

For most non-national meets, the following age groups are available:

Boy and Girls run separately at the meets.  The athlete’s age group is based on their age on 12/31/2023.

What meets will the team participate in?

At this time the list of meets are not available.  They are typically not available until December for the Indoor Season and April for the Outdoor Season.  The schedule will be posted on our website as soon as the meet selection has occurred.

For the Indoor season, we anticipate that the Club Team will participate in 2-3 meets.  The majority of the meets are expected to be in Arlington at Thomas Jefferson and/or Winchester.  The Elite & High School Teams is expected to participate in 3-4 meets and National meets.  We have participated in meets in V The New York Armory, Oceanbreeze, Liberty University, the TRACK in Boston, Univ of South Carolina and Virginia Beach, VA.

For the Outdoor season, the Club Team will participate in about 3- 4 meets located in Northern Virginia, such as Fairfax, Falls Church & Loudoun County.  The Elite Team will participate in 4-5 meets during the regular season with 2-3 in Northern Virginia/Maryland and 2-3 meets in Richmond or Hampton.  The team will also participate in at least 1 National Meet.

What equipment do I need?

Running shoes are needed for practice.  No high-top shoes or skater shoes should be worn to practice.  For sprinters, running spikes are recommended for Outdoor meets.  Running spikes can be found at Roadrunner in Potomac Falls, Potomac Running in Ashburn & Leesburg and on the internet.  The coaches can assist you with the proper type of shoes to purchase.

An optional warm up and team bag can be purchased.

What events can an athlete participate in?

For the Indoor Season, we participate in the following:

For the Outdoor Season, we participate in the following:

Please note that not all events are offered in some meets. 

Who chooses the events for the athletes?

The coaches select the events they fell each athlete will be most successful in.  With that being said, if an athlete would like to try a specific event, they should discuss it with their coach a few weeks before a meet.  In most cases, we are required to submit our event list for each athlete to the meet organizers a week or two in advance and cannot make meet day adjustments.

What if I am not able to attend one of the meets?

We realize the importance of family and understand that an athlete may miss a meet.  We only ask that you let your coach know, preferably at least 2 weeks in advance.  Many times we are required to submit and pay for events our athletes will be participating to the meet organizers a week or two before the meet.  Since athletes can only participate in 3 or 4 events, if you child is on a relay team and cancels at the last minute, 3 other kids lose an opportunity to participate in an event.

What if I am not able to attend some of the practices?

We understand that you may not be able to attend every practice. If you will be missing a full week of practice, you need to let the coaches know or you will not be able to participate in the next meet

What is the difference between the Elite and Club Team?

The Elite team is for experienced athletes and those that are competing at a higher level.  The Elite team will travel for some meets and will participate in National meets. 

When are tryouts for the Elite Team?

There will be an evaluation at the beginning of the season to help place members by their skill level.  Coaches will continuously evaluate athletes throughout the season and may add athletes at any time during the season.

What are the requirements for the Elite Team?

        Be chosen by a coach or qualified for Junior Olympics in an event with a minimum of 2 heats (16 participants)

        Willing to go to National Meets – Junior Olympics and/or National Championship

        Higher level commitment for practice & training

        Flexible with practice schedule as practice location & times may change due to the availability of a high school track.

What happens if my child is selected for the Elite Team and we are not able to make the commitment for the Elite Team?

We understand that not all athletes are able to make the commitment for the Elite Team.  If your child is selected for the Elite Team, you will be given the opportunity to accept or decline the invitation.  You may decline the invitation and continue to participate on the Club Team.