About Our Team

Founded in 2008, the Team Accelerate Maryland Track Club is a diverse track and field club servicing Howard County Maryland, and surrounding areas. The team is based in Jessup, Maryland.

Team Accelerate Maryland offer youth ages 6-18 the opportunity to:
• Learn the fundamentals of Track and Field
• Improve Speed, Agility, Endurance and Strength
• Compete in Local, Regional and National Meets

Our Mission

Our mission is to teach the fundamentals of track and field, foster self-discipline, goal setting and goal attainment while developing self confidence of youth athletes.
Ultimately we hope to assist our youth in reaching higher athletic and academic achievements.

Who is Team Accelerate Maryland?

Team Accelerate Maryland Track Club is a non-profit organization established in 2008 to promote the sport of Track & Field in the Howard County area of Maryland through age group competition. Team Accelerate Maryland are members of USA Track & Field and Amateur Athletic Union, and compete in local, regional, and national meets. Members of Team Accelerate Maryland Track Club range in age from 6 to 18. The skill level of the team ranges from beginners to highly competitive athletes.

What is Age Group Track?

Team Accelerate Maryland Track Club members range in age from 6 to 18 years old. Age group track is just as the name implies: track & field competition based on an athlete’s age in the current calendar year. The age group divisions for competition in 2010 are as follows:

USATF TRACK & FIELD

AAU TRACK & FIELD
• Young Men/Women (YM/YW) – born in 1992 or 1993
• Intermediate Boys/Girls (IB/IG) – born in 1994 or 1995
• Youth Boys/Girls (YB/YG) – born in 1996
• Sub Youth Boys/Girls (SYB/SYG) – born in 1997
• Midget Boys/Girls (MB/MG) – born in 1998
• Sub Midget Boys/Girls (SMB/SMG) – born in 1999
• Bantam Boys/Girls (BB/BG) – born in 2000
• Sub Bantam Boys/Girls (SBB/SBG) – born in 2001
• Primary Boys/Girls (PB/PG) – born 2002 & After

The Typical Outdoor Track Season

Team Accelerate Maryland Track Club season runs from late March through the beginning of August (for national-level competitors). Practices are held throughout the season from approximately twice a week and one weekend day at a local high school (TBA).

Meets are typically held on Saturdays from May through mid August in various locations throughout Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Local qualifiers begin in June for both the USATF and AAU National Junior Olympics.

Athletes who qualify at the local level continue to move on to compete at association and regional qualifying meets, culminating in the USATF Junior Olympics in late July and the AAU Junior Olympics in early August.

The team will be working toward USATF Junior Olympics in 2010 as it will be held in Sacramento, CA while the AAU Junior Olympics will be in Norfolk, VA.

An athletes season can typically end late June to mid July depending on the current track scheduled.

Practice & Meets

The 2010 Team Accelerate Maryland track practice season begins March 30 and ends in late July. Practices will be held at a local High School (TBA).

Practice days and times during April and May will vary depending on the high school activities calendar. Most practices will start at 6:15 pm twice a week and 1:30 pm on the weekend. The starting time is the actual time our workouts begin. All athletes should arrive at the track 10 to 15 minutes early to warm up and stretch so that you’re ready to begin your workout.

Most practices will last about 60 to 75 minutes and may on occasion be followed by a mandatory team meeting, where the coaches will share important club news, such as information on upcoming meets and practices and to recognize athlete accomplishments. If the athlete needs to leave practice early for any reason, it is their responsibility to inform the head coach at the beginning of practice. Each athlete MUST have a responsible adult present at the field for the duration of the practice.

In the event of inclement weather each athlete’s parent would be contacted via e-mail, one-call or posted on the teams website.

Practice attire should consist of comfortable, weather appropriate, running clothes and running shoes. Individuals should always bring plenty of water to every practice.

Meets

An athlete wishing to compete in any of the local club track meets as Team Accelerate Maryland must first become a member of the club. The competition season starts in late April, with local meets held generally each weekend through the end of May, and then qualifying meets each weekend through the end of July.

As information on each of these meets becomes available to the club, it will be relayed to the parents and athletes during the team meeting that follows each practice and posted on the website.

At each meet, Young Men/Women, Intermediates, and Youths may compete in up to four (4) events, and Midgets, Sub Midgets, Bantams, Sub- Bantams and Primary may compete in up to three (3) events.

USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the national governing body of track & field. Before any athlete can compete in a USATF-sanctioned meet, whether as a member of Team Accelerate or not, he/she must first become a member of USATF. All local meets in April and May are USATF-sanctioned meets. This fee is included in the membership fee if Team Accelerate Maryland will be competing in USATF.

Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Athletes wishing to compete in AAU qualifiers leading to the AAU Junior Olympics will also need to become members of the AAU. Before any athlete can compete in a AAU sanctioned meet, whether as a member of Team Accelerate or not, he/she must first become a member of AAU. This fee is included in the membership fee if Team Accelerate Maryland will be competing in AAU.

Uniforms

Team Accelerate Maryland uniform consists of a meet uniform and a warm-up suit (jacket and pants). Uniforms will be issued to each athlete at the beginning of the season, once the membership fee has been paid in full. If a uniform or part of a uniform is lost it will be the financial responsibility of the parents/guardian to replace it. All members of the team must wear their warm-up suit and meet uniform to every meet.