MYTF Newsletter Spr 2018.pages
Spring 2018
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible.’” - Audrey Hepburn
MYTF: Bigger (and We Hope, Better!) Than Ever Welcome to MYTF’s Spring 2018 season! This is such a very exci@ng @me for MYTF, and we’re so glad you could be a part of our growing program. You may have heard about our recent expansion. AHer many seasons of frustra@ng waitlists and turning kids away because we simply didn’t have the capacity, we are finally able to accommodate all comers. Reaching a landmark 468 par@cipants this season, MYTF has experienced more than 130% growth in the last five years. That’s amazing - but also a liRle in@mida@ng! We are working hard behind the scenes to make sure that our growing pains are minimal, and that MYTF con@nues to offer
the same low-cost, quality family program it has always been. This season, we’re pilo@ng a two-Group system, which allows us to fit everyone in while keeping Meets and prac@ce sessions manageable. We appreciate your pa@ence as there will certainly be some hiccups, but we think this is the best model to allow our program to keep all of its best aRributes while allowing us to grow as much as we need. We are also always looking forward: What will the Fall season look like, when we incorporate Cross-Country? What will next year’s growth be? What are the facility constraints, coaching needs, and other considera@ons? It’s a big puzzle, and we working hard to put all the pieces together.
We need LOTS of help to make it work. We are so grateful for all of our past and current volunteers! There are s@ll many opportuni@es to contribute administra@vely and to our coaching staff, and always for helping keep our Meets and prac@ces going. We also wouldn’t be able to grow without the support of our sponsors and fundraising partners (see p. 4), and all of our individual donors, who together have helped us raise more than $3500 so far this season! Their support and yours helps keep program costs low without having to skimp on the good stuff for our kids. We look forward to mee@ng each family this season, and figuring out how we can posi@vely impact each other’s success!
MYTF is open to all* local children of eligible age - and we cheer for EVERYONE!
(*This term is exhaustively inclusive. We do mean ALL.)
🔑 Key Dates for Your Calendar 🔑
MYTF Fundraiser Nights Please consider patronizing the following businesses during these special MYTF events!
Fri, 4/7, 6-8 pm - RoadRunner Sports
Wed, 4/18, 6-10 pm - CAVA McLean
Fri, 4/27 - 4-8:30 pm - CHOPT McLean
Wed, 5/16 - 4-8 pm - Panera Pike 7 Plaza
MYTF Gives Back! ★ Sunday, April 22nd - All Meets— Bring a canned or boxed good to your Meet to donate to show our community support through “Fairfax Athletes Stand Together” (FAST).
MYTF News Relay
Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign…
MYTF prides itself on not only being a great program, but also a great (collective) citizen of the greater community. As a member sport of McLean Youth Athletics (MYA), we have a host of sister programs that we endorse and share resources with, and we also support numerous community efforts throughout Fairfax County. Find out more about MYTF’s involvement and how you can join in, give back, and be rewarded!
McLean Youth Athletics (MYA) In addition to Track & Field, MYA offers ten other youth sports! Check out www.myathletics.org for more information about or to register for the following programs: Basketball Fencing Field Hockey Flag Football
Football Lacrosse Rugby Squash
(Track & Field) Volleyball Wrestling
Fairfax County Champions of Character Each year, the County awards athletes, coaches, and parent volunteers who’ve had a positive impact on area sports programs. Last Fall, MYTF was proud to have three Dranesville District “Champions of Character” winners! The Male Athlete (Teddy Dehn), Coach (Adam Knudson), and Parent Volunteer (Claudia Peters) Champions have all been with MYTF for several seasons. They epitomize the values that the County (and MYTF!) want to see in their programs, including exceptional service while modeling character traits such as respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and citizenship.
You’ll see these signs on the edge of every Fairfax County school. We all know they are often ignored, but did you know that MYTF’s permit could be jeopardized if our program is found in violation? The County has Area Supervisors who patrol all properties during event times, and school officials also often check their own facilities. We know it’s tempting especially on nice days, but since
Nominations are taken over the summer for a Fall award season, so if you know of a Champion of Character, please take moment to submit their name (you can ask us how at [email protected]). The form is short and painless, and well worth the recognition for the winners!
MYTF Supports Fairfax Athletes Stand Together (F.A.S.T.)
ALL of our events are on school grounds, please respect this important rule and leave Fido & Fluffy at home when you come to both
Did you know that more than 8%* of the population of Fairfax County lives at or below the poverty line? It’s easy to forget, especially in a McLean-centered program, that real need exists right here in our area. Fairfax Athletes Stand Together (F.A.S.T.) is a County-run program that aids the area’s underserved populations by leveraging resources available in the youth and adult athletic community. Their focus is on securing quality of life essentials like food, toiletries, and clothing - and MYTF is ready to help. We are proud to participate in F.A.S.T.’s efforts to have a positive impact on communities in need right here at home. This season, we will be matched with a local food pantry, so for our April 22nd Meets, we ask each family to bring one item from a list of needed supplies. If all of our 320 families can bring a can or boxed item, we can have quite an impact in just one day! Watch for the list of needed items in an upcoming email. *Source: Fairfax County Economic, Demographic, and Statistical Research, 2017 data, and U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 five-year American Community Survey data; https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhoodcommunity-services/sites/neighborhood-community-services/files/assets/documents/athletics/ athletics%20council/presentations/f.a.s.t.%20presentation-1.17.pdf
Meets and practices!
Was that THUNDER?! MYTF uses RainedOut text alerts for ALL urgent updates. If inclement weather impacts a practice or Meet, we will notify everyone using RainedOut as soon as we make the decision. To sign up, text the word “TurboJav” to 84483 for only MYTF notifications.
* BLUE SCHEDULE * Practices: 4/3 - 4/5 - Cooper MS
4/10 - 4/12 - Churchill ES
4/17 - 4/19
- Cooper MS
4/24 - 4/26 - Churchill ES
5/1 - 5/3 - Cooper MS
5/8 - 5/10 - Churchill ES
5/15 - 5/17 - Cooper MS
Tues
Wed
Thurs
5-6 pm
5-8 yr olds
9-14 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
6-7 pm
9-14 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
April 8 - ORIENTATION MEET - 1:30 pm **ALL runners report at 1:30 pm** We will do “stations” to get familiar with Track meets.
May 6 - Track & Field Meet • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report
April 15 - Track & Field Meet • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
May 13 - MOTHERS’ DAY Track & Field Meet Bring your “moms” for special recognition from MYTF! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
April 22 - Track & Field Meet FAST Event - Remember Your Canned Goods! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 29 - TROPHY MILE MEET We will only do the 100M and Mile races this week. Come earn a trophy for completing the Mile race! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
*May 20 - FAMILY FUN MEET ALL family members are welcome to join their MYTF runners for a sprint, relay, or distance race. Everyone reports at 3:00 pm! We provide refreshments & thank our coaches and other volunteers. It’s a fun day, so please plan to join us to celebrate a successful season!
All Meets will take place at Falls Church High School. All Meets will take place at Falls Church High School. April 29 - TROPHY MILE MEET We will only do the 100M and Mile races this week. Come earn a trophy for completing the Mile race! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 22 - Track & Field Meet FAST Event - Remember Your Canned Goods! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 15 - Track & Field Meet • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 8 - ORIENTATION MEET - 9:00 am **ALL runners report at 9:00 am** We will do “stations” to get familiar with Track meets. Practices: 4/3 - 4/5 - Churchill ES
4/10 - 4/12 - Cooper MS
4/17 - 4/19 - Churchill ES
4/24 - 4/26 - Cooper MS
We provide refreshments & thank our coaches and other volunteers. It’s a fun day, so please plan to join us to celebrate a successful season! *May 20 - FAMILY FUN MEET ALL family members are welcome to join their MYTF runners for a sprint, relay, or distance race. Everyone reports at 12:00 noon! May 13 - MOTHERS’ DAY Track & Field Meet Bring your “moms” for special recognition from MYTF! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report May 6 - Track & Field Meet • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
5/1 - 5/3 - Churchill ES
5/8 - 5/10 - Cooper MS
5/15 - 5/17 - Churchill ES
* RED SCHEDULE *
Special thanks to our Spring 2018 Sponsors! Kids’ T-Shirts: Frankly Realty Island Children's Dentistry PolicyVox
Newsletter: Island Children’s Dentistry Coaches’ Shirts: CHOPT McLean Meet Banner: Congressional School
Shoutout too to our fundraising partners for helping us make every dollar count: CAVA McLean, CHOPT McLean, Panera Pike 7, & Roadrunner Sports
We Carry a Torch for the Junior Olympics! MYTF is a developmental program, which means we are all in-house and do not compete with other Track programs. However, we do offer affiliation as a USATF club for those athletes who would like to try their hand in the Junior Olympics. While JO is not a focus for our program, we do enable the process for our athletes who are interested. We also offer a handful of extra sessions for those who’d like a little extra practice prior to the first level of competition.
competition! In the Spring, we generally have more than two dozen athletes that will sign up for the first Meet, and usually have many who advance in at least one event. JO participation does require an individual USATF membership, which the participant must pay for; MYTF will pay all event registration fees, and provide a coaching presence where required.
In the Spring, the competition is all Track & Field (in the Fall, it’s all Cross-Country), and include all of the events we do at MYTF, plus a few.
If you think you(r child/ren) might be interested, please watch for announcements beginning mid-season, and be sure to go to USATF’s website at www.usatf.org to get the membership and submit a birth certificate well in advance of the JO competition.
Last Fall, we had 10 athletes sign up for JO, and three made it through to the National
Good luck to all of our future Junior Olympians!
3 Items to bring to EVERY Meet YOUR RACE BIB
WATER
AN ADULT
But don’t worry, we have extras if you forget.
Bring lots, ‘cause we don’t have any sources for more onsite!
Every child must have an adult WITH transportation onsite.
MYTF Leadership: Director: Mickey Skelton
Head Coaches: Adam Knudson
Mike Smith
Email Administrator: Morgan Holtman Board of Advisors: Nancy Bao, David Borsos, Liz McMahon-Bubel, Jim Dehn, and Katherine Quinn Email us at [email protected] or visit us on the web at www.mcleantrack.org.
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible.’” - Audrey Hepburn
MYTF: Bigger (and We Hope, Better!) Than Ever Welcome to MYTF’s Spring 2018 season! This is such a very exci@ng @me for MYTF, and we’re so glad you could be a part of our growing program. You may have heard about our recent expansion. AHer many seasons of frustra@ng waitlists and turning kids away because we simply didn’t have the capacity, we are finally able to accommodate all comers. Reaching a landmark 468 par@cipants this season, MYTF has experienced more than 130% growth in the last five years. That’s amazing - but also a liRle in@mida@ng! We are working hard behind the scenes to make sure that our growing pains are minimal, and that MYTF con@nues to offer
the same low-cost, quality family program it has always been. This season, we’re pilo@ng a two-Group system, which allows us to fit everyone in while keeping Meets and prac@ce sessions manageable. We appreciate your pa@ence as there will certainly be some hiccups, but we think this is the best model to allow our program to keep all of its best aRributes while allowing us to grow as much as we need. We are also always looking forward: What will the Fall season look like, when we incorporate Cross-Country? What will next year’s growth be? What are the facility constraints, coaching needs, and other considera@ons? It’s a big puzzle, and we working hard to put all the pieces together.
We need LOTS of help to make it work. We are so grateful for all of our past and current volunteers! There are s@ll many opportuni@es to contribute administra@vely and to our coaching staff, and always for helping keep our Meets and prac@ces going. We also wouldn’t be able to grow without the support of our sponsors and fundraising partners (see p. 4), and all of our individual donors, who together have helped us raise more than $3500 so far this season! Their support and yours helps keep program costs low without having to skimp on the good stuff for our kids. We look forward to mee@ng each family this season, and figuring out how we can posi@vely impact each other’s success!
MYTF is open to all* local children of eligible age - and we cheer for EVERYONE!
(*This term is exhaustively inclusive. We do mean ALL.)
🔑 Key Dates for Your Calendar 🔑
MYTF Fundraiser Nights Please consider patronizing the following businesses during these special MYTF events!
Fri, 4/7, 6-8 pm - RoadRunner Sports
Wed, 4/18, 6-10 pm - CAVA McLean
Fri, 4/27 - 4-8:30 pm - CHOPT McLean
Wed, 5/16 - 4-8 pm - Panera Pike 7 Plaza
MYTF Gives Back! ★ Sunday, April 22nd - All Meets— Bring a canned or boxed good to your Meet to donate to show our community support through “Fairfax Athletes Stand Together” (FAST).
MYTF News Relay
Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign…
MYTF prides itself on not only being a great program, but also a great (collective) citizen of the greater community. As a member sport of McLean Youth Athletics (MYA), we have a host of sister programs that we endorse and share resources with, and we also support numerous community efforts throughout Fairfax County. Find out more about MYTF’s involvement and how you can join in, give back, and be rewarded!
McLean Youth Athletics (MYA) In addition to Track & Field, MYA offers ten other youth sports! Check out www.myathletics.org for more information about or to register for the following programs: Basketball Fencing Field Hockey Flag Football
Football Lacrosse Rugby Squash
(Track & Field) Volleyball Wrestling
Fairfax County Champions of Character Each year, the County awards athletes, coaches, and parent volunteers who’ve had a positive impact on area sports programs. Last Fall, MYTF was proud to have three Dranesville District “Champions of Character” winners! The Male Athlete (Teddy Dehn), Coach (Adam Knudson), and Parent Volunteer (Claudia Peters) Champions have all been with MYTF for several seasons. They epitomize the values that the County (and MYTF!) want to see in their programs, including exceptional service while modeling character traits such as respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and citizenship.
You’ll see these signs on the edge of every Fairfax County school. We all know they are often ignored, but did you know that MYTF’s permit could be jeopardized if our program is found in violation? The County has Area Supervisors who patrol all properties during event times, and school officials also often check their own facilities. We know it’s tempting especially on nice days, but since
Nominations are taken over the summer for a Fall award season, so if you know of a Champion of Character, please take moment to submit their name (you can ask us how at [email protected]). The form is short and painless, and well worth the recognition for the winners!
MYTF Supports Fairfax Athletes Stand Together (F.A.S.T.)
ALL of our events are on school grounds, please respect this important rule and leave Fido & Fluffy at home when you come to both
Did you know that more than 8%* of the population of Fairfax County lives at or below the poverty line? It’s easy to forget, especially in a McLean-centered program, that real need exists right here in our area. Fairfax Athletes Stand Together (F.A.S.T.) is a County-run program that aids the area’s underserved populations by leveraging resources available in the youth and adult athletic community. Their focus is on securing quality of life essentials like food, toiletries, and clothing - and MYTF is ready to help. We are proud to participate in F.A.S.T.’s efforts to have a positive impact on communities in need right here at home. This season, we will be matched with a local food pantry, so for our April 22nd Meets, we ask each family to bring one item from a list of needed supplies. If all of our 320 families can bring a can or boxed item, we can have quite an impact in just one day! Watch for the list of needed items in an upcoming email. *Source: Fairfax County Economic, Demographic, and Statistical Research, 2017 data, and U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 five-year American Community Survey data; https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhoodcommunity-services/sites/neighborhood-community-services/files/assets/documents/athletics/ athletics%20council/presentations/f.a.s.t.%20presentation-1.17.pdf
Meets and practices!
Was that THUNDER?! MYTF uses RainedOut text alerts for ALL urgent updates. If inclement weather impacts a practice or Meet, we will notify everyone using RainedOut as soon as we make the decision. To sign up, text the word “TurboJav” to 84483 for only MYTF notifications.
* BLUE SCHEDULE * Practices: 4/3 - 4/5 - Cooper MS
4/10 - 4/12 - Churchill ES
4/17 - 4/19
- Cooper MS
4/24 - 4/26 - Churchill ES
5/1 - 5/3 - Cooper MS
5/8 - 5/10 - Churchill ES
5/15 - 5/17 - Cooper MS
Tues
Wed
Thurs
5-6 pm
5-8 yr olds
9-14 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
6-7 pm
9-14 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
5-8 yr olds
April 8 - ORIENTATION MEET - 1:30 pm **ALL runners report at 1:30 pm** We will do “stations” to get familiar with Track meets.
May 6 - Track & Field Meet • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report
April 15 - Track & Field Meet • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
May 13 - MOTHERS’ DAY Track & Field Meet Bring your “moms” for special recognition from MYTF! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
April 22 - Track & Field Meet FAST Event - Remember Your Canned Goods! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 29 - TROPHY MILE MEET We will only do the 100M and Mile races this week. Come earn a trophy for completing the Mile race! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
*May 20 - FAMILY FUN MEET ALL family members are welcome to join their MYTF runners for a sprint, relay, or distance race. Everyone reports at 3:00 pm! We provide refreshments & thank our coaches and other volunteers. It’s a fun day, so please plan to join us to celebrate a successful season!
All Meets will take place at Falls Church High School. All Meets will take place at Falls Church High School. April 29 - TROPHY MILE MEET We will only do the 100M and Mile races this week. Come earn a trophy for completing the Mile race! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 22 - Track & Field Meet FAST Event - Remember Your Canned Goods! • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 15 - Track & Field Meet • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report April 8 - ORIENTATION MEET - 9:00 am **ALL runners report at 9:00 am** We will do “stations” to get familiar with Track meets. Practices: 4/3 - 4/5 - Churchill ES
4/10 - 4/12 - Cooper MS
4/17 - 4/19 - Churchill ES
4/24 - 4/26 - Cooper MS
We provide refreshments & thank our coaches and other volunteers. It’s a fun day, so please plan to join us to celebrate a successful season! *May 20 - FAMILY FUN MEET ALL family members are welcome to join their MYTF runners for a sprint, relay, or distance race. Everyone reports at 12:00 noon! May 13 - MOTHERS’ DAY Track & Field Meet Bring your “moms” for special recognition from MYTF! • 1:30 pm - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 3:30 pm - 9- to 14-year-olds report May 6 - Track & Field Meet • 9:00 am - 5- to 8-year-olds report • 11:00 am - 9- to 14-year-olds report
5/1 - 5/3 - Churchill ES
5/8 - 5/10 - Cooper MS
5/15 - 5/17 - Churchill ES
* RED SCHEDULE *
Special thanks to our Spring 2018 Sponsors! Kids’ T-Shirts: Frankly Realty Island Children's Dentistry PolicyVox
Newsletter: Island Children’s Dentistry Coaches’ Shirts: CHOPT McLean Meet Banner: Congressional School
Shoutout too to our fundraising partners for helping us make every dollar count: CAVA McLean, CHOPT McLean, Panera Pike 7, & Roadrunner Sports
We Carry a Torch for the Junior Olympics! MYTF is a developmental program, which means we are all in-house and do not compete with other Track programs. However, we do offer affiliation as a USATF club for those athletes who would like to try their hand in the Junior Olympics. While JO is not a focus for our program, we do enable the process for our athletes who are interested. We also offer a handful of extra sessions for those who’d like a little extra practice prior to the first level of competition.
competition! In the Spring, we generally have more than two dozen athletes that will sign up for the first Meet, and usually have many who advance in at least one event. JO participation does require an individual USATF membership, which the participant must pay for; MYTF will pay all event registration fees, and provide a coaching presence where required.
In the Spring, the competition is all Track & Field (in the Fall, it’s all Cross-Country), and include all of the events we do at MYTF, plus a few.
If you think you(r child/ren) might be interested, please watch for announcements beginning mid-season, and be sure to go to USATF’s website at www.usatf.org to get the membership and submit a birth certificate well in advance of the JO competition.
Last Fall, we had 10 athletes sign up for JO, and three made it through to the National
Good luck to all of our future Junior Olympians!
3 Items to bring to EVERY Meet YOUR RACE BIB
WATER
AN ADULT
But don’t worry, we have extras if you forget.
Bring lots, ‘cause we don’t have any sources for more onsite!
Every child must have an adult WITH transportation onsite.
MYTF Leadership: Director: Mickey Skelton
Head Coaches: Adam Knudson
Mike Smith
Email Administrator: Morgan Holtman Board of Advisors: Nancy Bao, David Borsos, Liz McMahon-Bubel, Jim Dehn, and Katherine Quinn Email us at [email protected] or visit us on the web at www.mcleantrack.org.
