Track & Field

Membership $346

The GNE Fitness Track Club provides a fun, safe, and affordable environment for boys and girls, ages 5-18, to master the basics of track and field, to develop good sportsmanship, and to cultivate a healthy self-image. We accept youth athletes at all ability levels, exposing them to sprinting, distance running, hurdles, and field events such as long jump and high jump.

The program isn’t just about fun and fitness, but also the development of leadership skills. We provide out athletes with educational resources and access to great coaches and mentors. These services are offered to make our athletes more competitive and marketable for scholarship opportunities in the future.

Age Divisions

Lil Track Stars

Ages 2-4

 

Cubs

Ages 4-6

Sub-Bantam

Ages 7-8

 

Bantam

Ages 9-10

Sub-Youth

Ages 11-12

 

Youth

Ages 13-14

 

Intermediate

Ages 15-16

 

Young

Ages 17-18

Registration

There are two types of registration: Regular Season (March until Mid-May) and Extended Season registration (March until July/August). Athletes ages 7-18 may register and compete for the extended season. This registration option entails participation in very competitive AAU meets, USATF meets, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Junior Olympics.  There will be travel involved with being a part of this team; families will be responsible for their own travel arrangements and lodging. Members are responsible for paying all AAU and USAT&F registration fees at track meets. 

The membership fee for the 2021-2022 season is about $346.

These fees are not refundable or transferable. Additionally, note that fundraising is mandatory for all athletes $266 (returning athlete). The team will distribute a comprehensive fundraising plan that will clearly outline fundraising obligations. Parents will have the option to “opt-out” of fundraising by paying the designated amount.

Regular Season

March – May

Ages 7-18

Extended Season

March – July/August

Ages 7-18

Membership

Operating Expenses, which include facility use fees, insurance, team equipment costs; Field usage permits, legal fees, and other miscellaneous team expenses related to management of the team. 

Membership costs about

$346

Club Fee $90.00
USATF Membership Fees $20-40
AAU Membership Fees $14-16
Meet Entry Fees $77.00
Uniform $65.00
Track Warm Ups $80.00

What you’ll need for membership at GNE Fitness

  • Copy of Birth Certificate
  • Initialed and signed copy of the Parent Code of Conduct
  • Signed copy of the Athlete Code of Conduct
  • Registration Form filled out completely
  • Photo Release Form
  • Uniform Order Form
  • Athlete Bio
  • Parent Information Sheet

Additionally, there is a $15 sibling discount (2 sibling max).

All deposits due no later than February 3rd 2021/2022.

All fees must be paid by the deadlines above. If payments are not received by the agreed upon deadlines, athletes cannot participate in any practices or meets unless fees are paid in full.
(Please address any additional payment arrangements directly to the Board Treasurer, which must be approved by the Board President, Alexandra Ward & Gabriel Priar).
We accept cashier’s checks, money orders or credit card payment only; no cash or personal checks for fee payments. All money paid is considered non—refundable. Make all checks payable to GNE FITNESS LLC.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

 All membership registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable. All funds collected are used for athlete USATF and AAU registration, operation costs, uniforms, warm-ups, and weekly events fees. Before joining the team, please be certain that you and your child want to participate. Because the uniforms and warm-ups are custom made, we cannot exchange or refund these items. Athletes will not be allowed to participate with the team until all fees have been collected, or at the discretion of the Head Coach or President. No athlete will be allowed to practice, compete or travel if there is an unpaid balance after the deadline.

 

We reserve the right to cancel events at our discretion or when out of our control. Athletes dismissed from the program for conduct will not be refunded.

Track & Field FAQs

When does the season start?

“In most states (except California), indoor track runs run late November until early March, if you go to the National Meet. Outdoor track lasts from March to June. If you want to run Cross Country, it is from late August to November.”

Our season starts in March. During the month of January there will be posted registration dates, if you fail to register during January you will have to register online and play a $20 late fee registration fee after January 31st. Final registration is February 3rd

What does the registration include?

A percentage of our registration goes to our administrative fee. The other part is broken down to cover uniforms, the purchase of equipment and meet fees. The rest of the budget for our season is raised through sponsors, fundraising and spirit nights that assist with banquets and other expenses. It also pays for our FAT timing system we pay use during our meets and other meet expenses.

Does my child need to have any prior skill to run?

There is no prior skill needed to run track. We have had youth as young as 5 years old run with us and have a good time.

What is the inclement weather policy for practice and meets?

As always, the athletes Parental / Guardian’s judgment is the overriding decision for attending practice or a track meet during inclement weather.

We will practice and run in the rain. Please make sure everyone dresses for the weather. In case of snow or a thunder storm, we will send out mass emails no later than 1 hour before practice. Also, we will update our Facebook groups page. ​Because we use School facilities, we are unable to practice if the county of the school we are practicing in cancels school.

Interested in a coaching position?

We do have openings for coaches for the upcoming season. We will be looking for a dedicated head coach and assistant coaches for the season. All inquiries please contact Coach Ward & the team at track-gnefitness@gmail.com To Coach you will be required to purchase an AAU Coaches membership & go through Ohio Department of Education and OHSAA Coach Certification

How long does a Track and Field Meet last and does the athlete have to stay until the meet is over?

Meets during the week can last up to 4 hours or more. Meets on the weekend can last for several hours. The athlete is not required to stay until the end of the meet, unless it’s a home meet. During the week the athlete may leave when they have finished competing in all of their events. However, they must check in with a coach before leaving. The athlete is not allowed to leave the AWAY meet with a friend and must leave with a parent or relative. When we are hosting a home meet the athlete is requires to stay until the conclusion of the meet, unless special circumstances have been arranged by Coach Ward There will always a bus to take the athletes to the meet and bring them back to the GNE Fitness Facility Training Center.

How many events is an athlete allowed to compete in each meet?

An athlete can compete in up to four events per meet. Some athletes may only compete in one event, but many compete in four that may include a sprints, relay(s) and field event or may include all distance events or all field events.

As always, the athletes Parental/Guardian’s judgement is the overriding decision for attending practice or a track meet during inclement weather.

We will practice and run in the rain. Please make sure everyone dresses for the weather. In case of snow or a thunder storm, we will send out mass emails no later than 1 hour before practice. Also, we will update our Facebook groups page. ​Because we use School facilities, we are unable to practice if the county of the school we are practicing in cancels school.

Medical alert or Medical/Religious Medals

Rules now permit the wearing of both medical and religious medals. These medals no longer need to be taped to the body of the competitor and may be of a soft or hard substance.

Conduct

  • All coaches/administrators must be respected at all times.
  • All athletes must be respected at all times.
  • Good sportsmanship must be displayed in and out of competition to teammates and other teams.
  • Profanity, fighting, or taunting will not be tolerated.
  • No illegal substance uses.

Track & Field Resources

Looking for more information like what to eat before an event or what should you bring?

Helpful Track and Field Links

National Federation of State High School Associations

www.nfhs.org

United States Track Coaches Association

www.ustrackcoaches.org

Ohio Association of Track and Cross-Country Coaches

www.oatccc.com

USA Track and Field

www.usatf.org

American Sports Builders Association (ASBA)

www.sportsbuilders.org

National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA)

www.nata.org