General Information -
The Albuquerque Track Club is a nonprofit organization and member of the United States Track and Field Association (USATF). We exist to provide track and field and cross country opportunities for youth ages 6-18.
At ATC, our objective is to get our athletes to believe in themselves, so each athlete is provided the opportunity to achieve success at their own level. There are no tryouts and all athletic abilities are welcome. Our emphasis is on setting personal goals and achieving those goals. This approach fosters motivation and self-confidence.
Our goals are more developmentally oriented than outcome oriented. In other words; in striving to get our athletes to believe in themselves, we want to teach our athletes how to overcome adversity, take risks and not be afraid of failure, and develop the positive mindset and outlook that turns ordinary competitors into winners. They learn how to focus their commitment, overcome obstacles and achieve personal goals.
Club Values -
Integrity
Respect
Good Sportsmanship
Positive Environment
Encouragement
Individual Development
Personal Growth
Leadership and Coaching Staff -
President - Allan Swanson
Cross Country Head Coachs -
Cross Country Assistant Coaches - TBD
Track and Field Head Coach - Laurinda Swanson
Track and Field Assistant Head Coach - TBD
Distance Coaches -
Sprint Coaches -
Mid Distance -
Jumps -
Throws -
Registration:
Initial registration dates will be posted on the home page several months in advance. We will also send out email and phone reminders to all regular ATC athletes. Specific registration information and forms will be posted on either the track and field or cross country page. Generally, as long as the club stays a manageable size, we will continue to accept registration for the first couple weeks and late registration throughout the year, to accommodate late comers. We gladly accept late registration from high school athletes who have finished their season and are interested in late season USATF competition.
We invite new and prospective athletes to come and practice with the team for a week or two and try us out before signing up. We want our athletes and parents to enjoy the experience and feel comfortable with our coaching style before they commit.
Costs -
ATC is non-profit and all of our coaching and leadership staff are volunteers. All funds collected go towards supporting the team with equipment or other operational costs. A breakdown of costs is found on the registration welcoming flier in the XC and T&F pages. Club financial reports reviewed monthly at board meetings - in the interest of transparency, club members are welcome to attend board meetings.
Child Safety -
We recognize that you're trusting us with your child and we take that obligation very seriously. For your child's safety and that of the volunteer coaches, we enforce a "two person rule" with our kids, that is - two coaches must be present with our athletes at all times. If somebody other than a listed guardian will be picking up your child, it is your responsibility to let the coaches know so that we ensure you child is only sent home with someone you've authorized. We ask that you please come to the track and pick up your athlete at the end of practice, even after we get to know all the parents. It is difficult to ensure all our athletes are safely with their designated pickup, if we allow them to run to the parking lot for pickup.
Parent/Guardian Responsibility -
In order to keep our commitment to our athlete's safety and to maintain a positive environment, we will address any behavioral issues with the athlete or guest first. Violent, disruptive or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated and parents or guardians will be asked to correct the behavior, or remove the child from the field.
Parent/Coach Conduct -
As mentioned in our vision and core values, we want the atmosphere to be positive for our athletes and your children. As such, we insist that parents refrain from the use of profanity and negative feedback. Additionally, we ask that concerns or criticism be directed to the president or head coach and not athletes or other parents. We recognize that you pay for your athlete's participation and therefore you should have a venue to discuss issues and concerns. However, to maintain a positive environment, we ask that you bring any concerns to us. Your satisfaction is important to us and we will work to resolve any conflicts.
Practice:
Clothing - Please ensure your athlete brings sweats and some kind of waterproof layer to practice every day. Albuquerque weather changes rapidly, especially in late spring.
Water - We train hard and your athletes need to stay hydrated. Please ensure they bring a bottle of water to every practice, this is critical during the late season when temperatures reach the high 90s during meets.
Coaching - We ask that you let us coach your athlete during practices and meets. Parental coaching is not always positive or encouraging and can conflict with our coaching, making it difficult to meet our collective goals. Again, we want this to be fun, rewarding experience for your athlete.
Drop off and pick up - We encourage parents to take the opportunity while at the track, to run or exercise themselves. It serves as a positive reinforcement of a healthy lifestyle. However, parents are welcome to drop athletes off and pick up at the end of practice. We ask that parents arrive promptly for pick up to ensure our volunteer staff can meet their evening family obligations.
Practice Location -
La Cueva High School Track
7801 Wilshire Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87122
Practice Times -
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 5:30 - 7:00pm (or sunset)
Times adjusted for daylight savings, etc. Practice changes will communicated at practice and posted on home page.
(Weather cancellations will be post on the home page and email, with enough notice - feel free to call either of us if you don't have immediate access to your computer)
Contact Us -
CLUB PRESIDENT
Allan Swanson
Email - CoachAllan@ABQTrack.com
Phone - 505.980.3901
CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH
TRACK AND FIELD HEAD COACH
Laurinda Swanson
Email - lzswanson@msn.com
Phone - 505.980.3902
