USATF National Junior Olympic Championships

Never understood why an organization that big would pick locations with crappy weather. People are spending thousands of dollars to attend the least they can do is get it right.

I'm not there but it sounds like a real mess from all the updates. I'm not sure those in charge really care about the athletes, families, or the results. They care about what's easiest for them and they chose this one very poorly.

I am not even talking about the $11 Popcorn or the $17 Cheeseburger. In Idaho, we don't have rain like this. People are pulling over to the side of the road because you can't see 10 feet in front of you.

You think they would have gotten it right after that cross country mess in Kentucky!

Hahaha. I spent 3 hours pushing cars out of the mud. After the 11-12 boys race the rain came down in sheets. Lots of races were cancelled.

Hey, it's back in Kentucky this year....3 out 4

I didn't take my team to College Station, I am also not taking them to Louisville.

If you know of good alternatives for meets to travel to for an end of the season championship let me know. Looking for something great for both Track and Cross Country. I'm about done with Junior Olympics.

I'm not having any of my kids go there. No way! Taking them to AAU cross country nationals instead.

What other options are there? AAU?

I mean how would you get your kids quality meets?

So many people are upset with USATF.

We opted for Nike Outdoor Nationals (Eugene) this year instead of JOs. Not sure where AAU is this year but I will look at that too.

Not willing to repeat College Station and Louisville just because it's easy for them (organizers).

Hi,

At least for xc we go to the youthcrosscountrycoaches championship. We love it. Great organization made by coaches for athletes. It's in Indiana this year.

I just added NON to our schedule next year. We were losing kids to other clubs who train specifically for this.

I need JO for all the athletes who are not good enough to compete at NON (which is most of them).

But I am a week in Texas for this and it's not fun. There is only so many times I can show the 1972 Dave Wottle race to my team in the VROB. They want to run.

I've been looking at that one as well as Footlocker Western Regional and just have them all run the "open" race at Mt. SAC.

There should never be JOs in the south in late July. What a joke. Hold it in a northern city that people may actually like to visit.

Yea the website is awful but the meet experience is top notch and for 14 and under there is great competition. Especially 12 and under.

Yes it's tough to get in. Also make sure as soon as they qualify that you enter them. You can have some that qualify and not get in because it sells out very early. It's not ideal because only the older kids are going to make time standards, nothing for young kids.

Personally I think it's nuts having junior TF midsummer in the US, period, though parts of the country work better than others. Though I assume that's a function of trying to avoid HS TF and XC/football. But the south and SW, in this climate change period, do people imagine there is ever going to be a sensible daytime version? There was a time it'd have been closer to 90F, but these days it's going to be either 100F every day OR stormy every day if it's not hot. People want to say stupid things like "it's always been hot" or the like, but that 5-10 extra degrees is everything.

Only mainstream trap door out is you run morning and night sessions. That gets you in morning or night temps, out of the sun, and away from afternoon storm patterns.

A creative way out is you hold prelims at area HS/colleges. In soccer, tournaments are sometimes run at multiple sites and you may have to win your way to the lead setup for the semis and final. Until then you're playing at some far-flung park setup or on Field 35 in the hinterlands. Only if you advance to you see the showcase setup. OK, so you run prelims at some area HS (or smaller college) and if you advance to the final then you go to TAMU's college track.

How is the competition there and how do kids qualify? I'm interested.

Good advice but for many you have to wait until after MS track season.

Do they take 1500 meter conversion times? I have a few kids who hit that standard this year.