About Us
| 11 January 2010
What is it? Team Oregon, USA is a Track Club for youth between the ages of 6 and 18 who live in the Sandy area.
Who runs the club? Doug Bowman is the head coach of the club and handles most of the organizational issues and scheduling. I have been coaching Track and Field for 17 years. I have also certified as a Level 1 USATF track and field coach. My philosophy for track and field is to teach and expose all athletes to track and field. This includes teaching all the events to all athletes. The most important aspect to track and field is to have FUN and enjoy the experience.
Is it restricted to kids who will attend Sandy? The majority of the kids in the club attend Welches, Cedar Ridge, Sandy Grade, Kelso, Cotrell, Boring, Naas, Firwood and Bull Run; however we have kids from Damascus, Estacada, Corbett and Good Shepherd. Everyone is welcome.
When are practices? In general we practice Monday, Wed., & Friday at Sandy High School from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. There are exceptions to this, on days that the Sandy High School team has meets. When there is a scheduling conflict we will inform all athletes and parents of this. Occasionally a middle school meet is held on a Wednesday and we have practice that day will cancelled. Practices typically last about 90 minutes, depending on the weather. Early in the season, before daylight savings time begins, we tend to be finished earlier.
When does Track start? We will begin practice on the Monday after Spring Break.
Do you practice on rainy days? Usually. Dress appropriately. We try to stay out of the rain in the bleachers if there is a hard rainstorm, but unless it is a very stormy day, we practice.
How much does it cost? $85.00. This pays for club expenses such as club registration in the USATF, insurance for the Club, some equipment we purchase (Sandy is generous in sharing their equipment with us), uniforms, and each athlete’s individual registration as a USATF member.
Each developmental meet charges $5.00 per athlete regardless of the number of events entered. Championship meets (State Youth, and Junior Olympics) charge fees (usually $7.00) per event. Registration for these meets must be made over a week in advance with payment accompanying the entry fees to Coach Bowman, he will register all athletes.
The track club will collect all the entry forms and fees for these meets and compile lists and send in the entry money.
Where are the meets? USATF of Oregon sanctions a number of developmental meets in the spring. These meets are at a variety of sites including Salem, Eugene, and mostly in the Portland area. There is a meet schedule that shows locations and dates. In June there is a State Youth Championship meet as well as a State Junior Olympic Championship meet.
Kids who perform well at those meets may qualify for the Youth National Meet, or the Regional Junior Olympic Championship, held in late July.
Does an athlete need to be an experienced Track and Field athlete to join? NO! Each year we have new athletes join the club. Naturally, the longer an athlete stick with it, and the more he or she learns, the more accomplished they will become. We try to teach kids as many different events as possible. Especially for those at young ages, we like them to learn as many events as they can. They can specialize when they get older.
What should I wear to practice? Dress appropriately for the weather. Each athlete should have some sweats that they can wear during warm-ups. For children under 10 years old, we don’t recommend track spikes as they tend to cause foot problems and stride problems for kids that young.
Doug Bowman, Head Coach
