Frequently Asked Questions
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When does the season start, and how long is the season?
Our outdoor season begins at the start of April and concludes towards the end of July. If your child qualifies for the Jr. Olympics, then the season extends into August.
What all does the track season registration fee cover?
The $125 outdoor season registration fees allow you to practice with us, pays for an AAU membership, a team tee shirt and all sanctioned meets. The more meets you attend, the better deal you are receiving. It is our investment into your child as we actually "lose" money on many athletes that go to all meets.
My child participates on a middle, junior or high school track team, but wants to join Blue Thunder also. How does that work?
If your athlete is part of a school track team, then he/she must complete their season with school before beginning to practice with us. Attempting to practice with us or participating in meets outside of the school schedule could lead to losing eligibility with your school team. You can still register ahead of time at our registration day or prior to the school's season ending though.
How often does your club practice?
We practice 3 days a week. Currently our outdoor practice schedule is Tuesday/Thursday from 6:00-7:30pm and Saturdays from 10:00-11:30am. Often for specialty practices (Hurdles, Jumps, etc) we work around the schedule of coaches. Those practices can fall on other days of the week based on their availability. We will be the first to tell you that 3 days a week will not be enough for your child to be his / her best. Runs and work on non-practice days will help build upon what we offer at our structured practice. We like to say "We'll take care of the hard practices, you take care of the easy ones on your own".
Where are practices held?
Unfortunately since Columbia is so busy and full of other activities, we cannot claim a "home" track. The early season begins with conditioning drills at Stephen's Lake Park. From there, we try our best to have all practices at Hickman High School. But, we will work out at Rock Bridge and Battle High Schools from time to time.
What ages do you allow in your club?
Our club is for athletes age 6-18. If your 5 year old will be turning 6 at some point this year (by 12/31), then we will allow him/her to be a member.
Against what other age children will my young athlete compete?
Informal/non-sanctioned meets have different requirements. You will have to take the time to look at the information for those meets. The sanctioned meets use the child's age by December 31 as a standard. In other words, it goes strictly by the year born, so there will be times in which a child is "older" on paper. The AAU meets use 1 year age divisions, and USATF meets use 2 year age divisions.
Is my child required to wear track spikes?
No, not at all. But, it is an advantage to wear them. If you know how to use spikes properly, they certainly can shave some time off of your performance.
How do I know what kind of spikes to buy?
Unless you already know what kind of runner your young athlete is, then I'd suggest not worrying about spikes in the early season. Just a decent pair of running shoes will do. The coaches will determine which events your child your child will compete after a few weeks; and then you will know which spikes to purchase. The "safe" pick on spikes are middle distance.
What about uniforms?
Uniforms are not included with the registration fee. If you do not plan for your child to compete at meets, then there is no need to order one. We try to keep uniform options at an affordable price, while still having the look that we want. You will have the opportunity to order them through the team store site after registration day.
Does my child have to make the team? How competitive is this club?
Although the foundation of our club is recreational (no try-outs, we find a spot for everyone), we train the athletes very hard. We compete in the AAU & USATF, and each organization has a National Championship. When anything about a championship is mentioned, then that means competitive. A child will have to "make" a relay team though by being the one of the 4 fastest in that correlating event.
Is there travel involved? How far, and how often?
If you want there to be travel, then yes. Much like the work in practice, you will get out of this club what you want to get out of it. If you choose to take advantage of the meets out of town, then by all means please do. They are included with your package. Most meets are in the KC and/or STL area. The further you advance, the further the meets are. The National Qualifiers are most often within the state or a bordering state. The National Championships rotate from state to state. We've been to Tennessee, Michigan, Iowa, and it gets further than that. I say you will get what you want from the club because there are local meets as well that do not require travel. They are just not sanctioned. CTC Summer Series & Show-Me State Games are examples.
Will my child be told by the coach which event(s) he/she will be compete in during meets? Or, will we choose them on our own?
We will certainly make suggestions, and place members in training groups we fill fit them best; but ultimately, the parents/athletes will choose events. BUT KEEP IN MIND that we are training your young athlete for certain events. So, when choosing events... remember that. Some of the meets award points for top 8 finishes, and we LOVE the feeling of knowing we are champions. So, we want our athletes in events in which we feel they can score points for Blue Thunder. We are training the athletes for events in which we feel they can score points.
What about Cross Country Season?
Yes, Blue Thunder does have a Cross Country (XC) season. This takes place in the fall (Late August-Mid November), and it is a separate registration from the outdoor season. Practices are on Tuesdays, Thursdays at 6pm and Saturday at 10am in a variety of Columbia City Parks.
This is a great way to keep competing if your child really loves to run. Some athletes may only want to take part in XC or do it as well as the outdoor track season, this is fine. The meets are held in Central Missouri towns, but there is out of state travel for those interested in regionals and nationals. XC is also an awesome way to get yourself in shape for other sports. The $60 registration fee covers a team tee shirt, league / governing body dues, and all regular season meets (not regionals or nationals).
