Athlete info

Can we attend practice before we decide to register?

We encourage athletes to participate in group runs before team tryouts to become accustomed to the team's pace and intensity.

To make our best attempt to ensure the safety of our athletes, we reserve the right to limit the size of the team.  

What are the next steps?

Learn more about our parent and athlete expectations.

Contact us if you have additional questions.

Youth competitions typically take place in two-year age divisions. These age divisions provide young athletes the opportunity to compete with other athletes of similar ability. The age divisions for competition year 2023 are as follows:

Age Division Year of Birth

8 & Under 2015+*

9 - 10 2013-2014

11 - 12 2011-2012

13 - 14 2009-2010

15 - 16 2007-2008

17 - 18 2005-2006**

* Per USATF Rule 300.1 (c) “Athletes must be at least seven (7) years of age on December 31 of the current year to compete at the Youth Athletics or Junior Olympic National Championships.”

** Athletes who are still 18 through the final day of the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships are eligible to compete in the 17-18 age division through that meet. This extended eligibility does not apply to cross country events.

USATF Website - Youth Age Divisions 

Track and Field - Spring (March - July)

XC - Fall (August-December)

We also provide opportunities for athletes to participate in Group Runs during the off season.

What happens at practice?

Athletes warm up together.

The team breaks into groups to focus on specific training.  This could be based on desired event, athlete ability, or other factors.

Athletes cool down, stretch, and practice concludes.

Practice durations:

60-90 minutes

Practice times:

Tuesday evening, 6:00 PM

Wednesday or Thursday evening, 6:00 PM

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM

XC practices will occur at various locations throughout the season, for example:

Walnut Creek Lake

Lake Zorinsky

Chalco Hills Recreation Area / Wehrspann Lake

Prairie Queen Lake

MOPAC Trail

*Please ensure that your athlete has a headlamp for late-season XC practices when we have limited daylight.

Track practice locations:

Primary:  Millard West High School

Alternate:   Russell Middle School

Practice times and locations are included on the team calendar.

The required uniform consists of a tank and shorts.  Any other items are optional.

The team does have a limited number of previously used uniforms.

The 402 Team Store is open twice per year to order gear for the season.

What is USATF?

Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the number one high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

Registration

Current USATF registration is required prior to the first team practice.  USATF registration 

If your child is joining 402 XC & Track and Field from another youth organization, please contact Nebraska USATF to update your child's team information.  Nebraska Association USATF 

Session registration dates:

March - Track and Field season

August - XC season

Registration Fees:

First child:       $85

Second child:  $75

Third child:      $65

Fourth child:    free

Track season:  Athletes are able to register for up to three events per meet at a cost of $7 per event.  The club collects a base fee during registration that will cover two events per meet over the eight regular season meets ($114 per athlete, non-refundable).  If the athlete consistently participates in three events per meet, the additional event fees may be requested at the end of the season. Event fees for non-regular season meets will be collected when registering for those meets.

A $50 refundable volunteer fee is also collected at the time of registration (one per family).

Payments:

Currently accepted through the Venmo app which is available via the Apple App Store or Google Play.  Payments are made to @Mike-Bickley402xcandtrack.

Developmental and Junior Olympic (JO) Meets

Developmental meets are open to all USATF-member athletes.  Any USATF-member athlete may register for and compete at any Developmental meet.  All meets on the USATF sanctioned meet schedule are Developmental meets except those that include the phrase "Junior Olympic".

Junior Olympic (JO) meets are based on a stair-stepping program of qualifying meets, leading to the National Junior Olympic meet.  The advancement procedure looks like this:

• Nebraska (Association) Junior Olympic Championships – The top eight (8) in each individual and combined event and top four (4) in each relay event from the Association JO meet qualify for the Regional JO meet.

• Regional JO meet – The top five (5) in each individual and relay event and the top two (2) in each combined event from the Regional JO meet qualify for the National JO Meet.  The location of the Regional and National meets vary from year to year.  Nebraska is a member of Region 8.

Events

Sprints (100m, 200m)

Hurdles (80m, 100m, 110m, 200m, 400m)

Middle Distance (400m, 800m)

Distance (1500m, 3000m)

Relays (4x100m, 4x400m, 4x800m)

Throws (discus, shot put)

Jumps (high, long, triple)

Please note the availability of events varies by age group.

Meet Schedule

Track & Field 

How to Enter

Coaches will discuss meet information at team practices.  Registration links for each meet will be provided on the team website.  Confirmation of your child's participation in a weekend meet is submitted by 10pm on the Monday evening preceding the weekend of the meet.

What to Expect

First meet:  Athletes are able to choose the events that they would like to participate in.

Additional meets:  Coaches choose the events for the athlete.

Events:

8 & Under - 2000 meters (1.25 miles)

9 & 10 year olds - 3000 meters (1.86 miles)

11 & 12 year olds - 3000 meters (1.86 miles)

13 & 14 year olds - 4000 meters (2.5 miles)

15 & 16 year olds - 5000 meters (3.1 miles)

17 & 18 year olds - 5000 meters (3.1 miles)

Note: athletes participate in the age group determined by their age as of December 31 of the current year.

Local meets occur from late-September to early November.  The national meet occurs in December and is outside of the Omaha area.

The team also participates in fun road races throughout the year.  These are listed on the XC and Track pages and will be posted on the team calendar.

In order to keep club fees low, give our coaches maximum time to focus on our athletes, and to help parents support their athlete's track season, the team requests that every family volunteer during the season.  A volunteer coordinator will send information and sign-ups as opportunities arise.

A $50 volunteer deposit per family will be collected during registration.  A deposit refund will occur at the end of the season for those families who have fulfilled volunteering roles.  Only approved volunteer activities (via volunteer sign-ups) will count toward fulfillment of the requirement. 

An additional fundraising opportunity occurs during the summer (after track season) at the Cornhusker State Games (CSG).  The team collects entry fees for the hockey tournament at the local Omaha ice rinks.  A portion of the entry fees come back to 402 XC and Track & Field.  This does not fulfill the track season volunteering deposit, but all families are highly encouraged to participate for a few hours to support the team and to keep registration fees low.

Thanks for all you do to make 402 XC and Track & Field a great team!