WINTER TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAM (2021-2022)

The Waltham Track Club's upcoming Winter Program is still a work in progress, but we have secured some indoor and outdoor training sites that will allow us to run a Winter Program this year.

Currently, we have an alternative plan to provide some indoor program dates at Brandeis University in December and January, while filling in other dates at the outdoor track in Waltham and some at the running path at Cornelia Warren Field in Waltham. Any outdoor sessions will obviously be determined by weather and conditions week to week.

Brandeis is located at 415 South St in Waltham and Leary Field is at GPS 19 Athletic Field Rd in Waltham

PARENT COACHES NEEDED!!
The key to how many sessions we can offer and how many members we can accept, will be based on how many parents will able to assist with coaching - no experience is necessary - we will teach you everything you need to know. Please reply back ASAP if you are able to help with coaching and we will notify you as to when our coaching classes will be held. The actual dates and set up of practices will totally be dependent upon the number of coaches we have available.

The Club's Board of Director's recently decided that it would be more efficient to open a non-binding registration for our Winter Program to those who might be interested in the program. No fees would be collected at this time, but registration spots would be reserved for those who were registered. When we are able to actually design a program, registered members would be informed about the program specifics and would have the opportunity to officially opt in or opt out, depending upon whether the program and/or scheduling fit a member's needs. By opening registrations now, we would be able implement a program right a way, saving several weeks having to register members at a later date. Members would then pay their dues via cash or check once the program begins. Fees would mostly likely be $150 for a first family member and an additional $25 for each additional family sibling. Scholarship waivers will be available, but will need to be approved in advance.

Space will be limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged. Membership acceptance will be based on first come, first served, starting with older age groups and working down to younger ages. Age groups are 8-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18 for our high school division.

Here is our current plan.

- To offer some sessions at the outdoor track in Waltham in mid November through early December(weather and conditions permitting) . These sessions would be on Sunday afternoons or early evening; Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 (under the stadium lights).
- Sessions at Brandeis University will be held on the following dates 6:00-8:00 p.m:

Monday, December 20 Tuesday, December 21
Wednesday, December 22 Thursday, December 23 Monday, December 27 Thursday, December 29 Tuesday, January 4 Wednesday, January 5 Thursday, January 6
Sunday, January 9 - YOUTH TRACK MEET at Wheaton College
Monday, January 10 Tuesday, January 11 Wednesday, January 12 Thursday, January 13 Sunday, January 23 - TRACK MEET at Wheaton College

Additional dates at the outdoor track will be planned through the end of January and mid February, again on Sundays through Thursdays, assuming that we have coaches to fill the dates..

HOW TO REGISTER
If you are interested in registering for our Winter Program, please go to teamsnap and register at https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/292836 If you do not yet have a teamsnap account, create one and then register.

Once we have more specifics about how a program might be implemented, we will contact those who are registered with that info and they will then be able to officially opt in or out.

WALTHAM TC YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CROSS COUNTRY RACE

The Waltham Track Club invites you to participate in its cross country youth development race on Sunday, October 3, at 9:30 - Albemarle Park in Newton - Course walk at 8:45

IT’S FREE – NO ENTRY FEE – ALL ABILITIES WELCOME

The event is open to any boy or girl, age 14 and under.    AGE GROUPS (10 and under), (11-12), 13-14)

Two races will be offered - 1.1 AND 1.8 MILE RACES   

  For more info, call 781-893-3828 or jtranchita@verizon.net

Enter online    http://bit.ly/WTCAblemarle          

2021 FALL CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM

Registration for The Waltham Track Club's upcoming fall Cross Country Program is open for all girls, age 8-14 and boys, ages 11-14. Our 8-10 boy’s registration is closed - we have filled our quota for that component.

Registration will be done via teamsnap app. Use the link below to access the registration page. If you already have a teamsnap account, you will be able to access and complete the registration page directly. If you do not yet have a teamsnap account, you will need and be able to create one via this same link. Once your have a teamsnap account, you'll be able to access the registration page. Membership fee will be collected via credit card or via online checking.
TEAM SNAP REGISTRATION LINK https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/259323

Cross country involves training and competing at distances of 1.1 to 2.4 miles over grass fields and wooded trails. This is a competition program and members are expected to participate in the races listed on our schedule.
Parents of young members should be confident that their child (especially the younger 8 and 9 year olds) is emotionally and physically ready to handle the training and group interaction - sometimes it is better to wait a year to allow for such maturity - we want their first experience to be a positive one. You know your child best and we will trust your opinion, but we want you to give thought to such before registering.

PRACTICES
Pre-season conditioning practices will start on Sunday, August 8. Regular cross country training will start on Sunday, August 22.

Practices will be held every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Weekday practices will be at 6:00.
Sundays - members age 10 and younger will practice 4:00-5:15; 11-12 year olds from 5:15-6:30 13-14 year olds from 6:30-8:00. Mondays and Wednesdays will be added as needed.

We will limit the total number of members that we accept in each age group and gender. EARLY REGISTRATION IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED.

Most practices will be held at Leary Field on Bacon Street in Waltham (GPS 19 Athletic Field Road), but we will also train at other sites during the season.

COVID GUIDELINES
We are constantly reviewing the latest Covid guidelines and will continue to do so to ensure the safety of all involved in our programs. Guidelines may restrict the number of members we can accept, so early registration is strongly encouraged.

If restrictions do force us to limit numbers, we will do so by accepting all Waltham resident members first and then accept other members based on when they registered (first come, first served). But consideration will also be based on balancing our genders and our age groups. Dues will be returned to any registrants that we cannot accept.

This year's program will resume many of our pre-pandemic routines, but there will still be some Covid protocols that we will keep in place. Currently, outdoor sport activities are considered low risk and participants of outdoor activities, such as cross country, are not required to wear masks.
-we will encourage the wearing of masks, especially by those members who have not yet been vaccinated, but we will not require such at this time - but this may change if guidelines encourage or mandate such
-we will still assign members to specific cohorts and specific workout stations, as we did last year, maintaining a minimum spacing of 3 feet among members
-we will monitor all local and state updates and implement any protocols that they mandate or any that we believe are prudent to mandate or our sport
Parents are encouraged to reach out to us with any concerns or questions.

SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD / POLE VAULT PROGRAM

Registration is now open for our summer high school program. Anyone interested in the summer program should contact Club director, Joe Tranchita via this website. Specific info will then be sent to you.

Members choose which track and field events they wish to focus on and the Club will devise a program to help each member achieve their goals for those selected events.

Practices are currently being held three times per week - Sundays-Tuesdays and Thursdays. Practices will switch to five nights per week once the current high school season ends.

Members are currently training to compete in the USATF Mini Meets (May 22, 29, June 5) and the NE Invitational meet (June 12). The NE Youth Championship will be on June 19.