Fair Lawn All-Sports Junior Track Program 

Track and field is a sport comprising of various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The sport is unique because it enables an athlete to learn proper motor skills to maximize speed, agility and strength which may be applied to every sport.  Our team mission is to promote fitness, techniques, skill, sportsmanship and the encouragement for high athletic achievement. We build confidence, instill drive and give comfort to every child. Our goals are to encourage and help our athletes develop physically, technically, emotionally and socially through their involvement in track.  If the athlete works hard, attends practices and meets, there is no limit to their achievements not only with track and field but with every sport in which they participate.

Registration takes place in January and practice begins the end of March.  Practices are held at Sasso Field (Fair Lawn High School Track Field).  Our team is broken down into 5 separate age groups; 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15 and is based on year of birth.  There are 5 regular season competitions (meets) starting the second week of April to the first week of June taking place every Sunday (except holidays).  Meets begin at 1PM till approximately 4PM but attendees must report to the field by 12:15PM and no later than 12:30PM.  All meets are run by The New Jersey Striders Track Club a USATF Sanctioned club and records are kept of the best performances in specific events on personal, local and national levels qualifying the athlete for National Elite Youth Ranking System (All American Award). 

While we are a team, the athlete does compete as an individual within their age group.  There approximately 20 teams from the area which makes up approximately 1000 athletes from the age of 7 to 15 who attend the meets.  Regular season meets are held in BergenCounty. Athletes who compete challenge each other in their age group and ribbons are awarded for 1st through 6th place. Racing events are won by the athletes with the fastest time; jumping and throwing events are won by the athletes who haves achieved the greatest distance or height in the contest.  Running events are categorized as sprints, middle and long-distance events, relays, and hurdling .  Jumping events include long jump, triple jumphigh jump .  Throwing events are shot put, javelin and discus .  During the season there may also be a special meet of combined events, such as triathlon, heptathlon and decathlon, in which athletes compete in a number of the above events and receive points based on performance.  All events and number allowed to compete in are age and meet specific.

In addition to the regular season our elite athletes are also given the opportunity to qualify for the National Junior Olympics. Every athlete who chooses to compete in the series must become a USATF member and qualify in the specific meet in order to advance to the next competition.  There are three qualifying meets in the Junior Olympic circuit, Association Qualifier, State Championship, Regional Championship and National Championship.  The 2011 team completed this circuit and had 56 attend the Association Qualifier, 32 qualified and advanced to the State Championship, 17 who qualified and advanced to the Regional Championship and 11 who qualified for The Junior Olympic National Championship  which was held in Wichita Kansas.  

Fair Lawn has many talented athletes to be proud of and the 2011 season was no exception; winning a record 292 awards for placing 1st through 6th in the regular season, 3 athletes who achieved the All American 2011 Award ranking in the top 20 in the Nation; in addition to the most recent achievement by these athletes who are recipients of the USATFNJ Junior Olympic Youth Athlete of the Year award and received the honor at the USATF NJ Annual Banquet. 

Join us for the 2012 season; registration will take place in February 2012.

For our program to be successful, we need your help.
PLEASE VOLUNTEER!!!

   Coaches’ certification

(You need only to take one certification course per year for any number of sports).                            

See you at registration in January 2012!!!
Jo Sacchinelli

Director