DC Speed Track Club a youth Track and Field Club that trains and develops athletes throughout the DMV area. DC Speed is overseen by professional staff with the assistance of volunteers and parents. Track and Field is a great opportunity for youth to participate in an Olympic sport, regardless of previous experience or skill level. Track and Field also gives youth the chance to travel outside of the District and meet and compete with youth from across the country.
Track and Field in the District has a strong history of local success. The first local Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Youth Program began in 1967. District youth have been successful at major track and field meets around the country including the Penn Relays, the Olympic Trials, the Olympics, and we even an Olympic medalist. The goal of DC Speed is to reinvigorate the competitive spirit in our city around track and field and enhance the overall youth athlete.
DC Speed Track Club operates under the guidelines of USA Track and Field (USATF), the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF represents the world's oldest organized sport, the most-watched events of the Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. The regional association of USA Track and Field is the Potomac Valley Association.
DC Speed Track Club is a program for youth ages 6-18 years old. Athletes will learn the fundamentals including technique, form running, increased speed and strength, stamina, agility, balance, proper stretching, nutrition, breathing, etc. Track and Field teaches youth not only how to grow as an individual, but how to be a member of a team - building self esteem and creating experiences that can assist youth both on and off the track. DC Speed Track competes in a number of competitive track meets throughout the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons, leading up to either the AAU Junior Olympic Championship or the USATF National Junior Olympic Championship.
Some braggin’
Over the last 15+ years, DC Speed has been fortunate to help hundreds of kids become All-Americans (recognized as the top 8 in the country) in nearly every possible track and field event. Our athletes have set several national records. Each indoor season, the kids gather an average of 35 medals at indoor nationals and we typically send 30 kids to the ultra-competitive outdoor national track meet. Over 97% of our kids set multiple personal records during their time with DC Speed.
Age Requirements
DC Speed is for youth ages 6 to 18 years old. This will allow each athlete to develop individually and build for development to the next level of competition. Athletes must be at least 7 years of age by December 31 and can not turn 19 years of age before August 31 in order to advance to higher levels of competition.
Our seasons
- Strength and conditioning (Sept - Nov, 30-50 athletes):
We use this time to slowly get kids' bodies back in shape after the break from outdoor season. The focus is on overall conditioning with a mixture of exercises, slow jogging, short sprints and hills. The strength and conditioning season runs in parallel with the cross country season, with all practice outside.
- Cross country (when available based on participants, Sept - Nov, 10-25 athletes)
Our cross country season is in the fall with our training shifting towards those athletes who are interested in off-track, longer distances. There are typically four meets each season, all in Northern Virginia. For those who want to travel, there is a national cross country championships typically taking place in the South.
- Indoor (Nov - Mar, 50-70 athletes)
The indoor season has a necessary long training lead-in prior to the start of competitions in January. The kids learn sprint techniques, starts and some field events. There are six meets each season, all at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, culminating in the indoor national championship meet.
- Outdoor (Mar - July, 70 to 100 athletes)
The outdoor season is the largest and most competitive season, with up to nine meets depending on athletes abilities. Athletes compete in nearly every event in track and field at meets with 20 to 60 other teams from around the DMV. There are a series of qualifying meets, each more difficult and ending with the national championships hosted at a different location each year (west coast, central U.S., east coast).
