Track & Field Youth Team
About Atlanta Track Club Track & Field Youth Team
Atlanta Track Club Track & Field Youth Team is open to kids in grades 4-8 of all ability and experience levels. Team members primarily train and compete in either sprinting or distance running, and are encouraged to try a variety of events including the throws, hurdles, and jumps. Through pushing themselves to progress in these events, our athletes learn the values of self-reliance, hard work, and persistence all while working toward common goals with their teammates.
Virtual Preseason Team Meeting
Learn more about the Youth Team from the program's coaches and administrators before the season via this Zoom link on February 9, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Practice Information
Atlanta Track Club Track & Field Youth Team members can practice at one or both of the locations below during the 2025 season.
For athletes interested in throwing, we are offering throws at one location given our access to a throwing ring. Throwing practice will take place at Cheney Stadium on Tuesdays.
| Location | Days | Time | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norcross High School |
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays | 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. |
5300 Spalding DR Norcross, GA 30092 |
| Cheney Stadium | Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays | 5:30 p.m.- 7p.m. *Will start at 6pm when daylight savings starts in March |
741 Connally St SE Atlanta, GA 30315 |
Regular Season & Postseason
Kids can join the team for the regular season and/or postseason. The team's regular season competitions include exhibition meets throughout the Atlanta area. Postseason competitions include USATF club meets and championship meets near and outside the Atlanta area, including USATF Youth Championships. The Georgia Middle School State Championships are a part of the regular and postseason schedules. Postseason participants must be current USATF Youth members. The USATF Youth Membership fee is $30 and is separate from the team's registration fee. To purchase a USATF Youth membership click here.
Full Season: February 10 - June 29
Postseason: April 15 - June 29
Competitions
The team's regular season competition schedule will be listed below by mid-January and its post-season schedule by mid-April. The team will compete in 6-8 meets during the regular season and an additional 6-8 meets during the postseason.
Team will also have the opportunity to compete in USTAF Youth National Championships and the Adidas Track Nationals. Dates TBA.
Registration prices:
We never want money to prevent any kid from participating, so we offer need-based scholarships. For more information about need-based scholarships contact youthteam@atlantatrackclub.org.
| Season | Member Pricing* | Non-member Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Full Season | $326.25 | $375 |
| Post-season | $156.60 | $180 |
*The child must be a member at the time of registration, not just the parent
Registration Includes:
- Team Uniform
T-shirt
Meet entries
End-of-season celebration
Coaches Bios
Mike Brown - Program Manager-Youth Running and Operations, Head Track & Field and Speed Academy Coach
Coach Brown is a graduate of Villanova University, where he was an All-American and National Champion in the DMR (400) and captain of the track team while specializing in the 400-meter hurdles. He moved to Atlanta in 2005 to train at Georgia Tech and continue his post-collegiate career. Coach Brown has made several appearances at the USATF National Championships with a few U.S. top 15 rankings in the 400 hurdles. On top of Coach Brown's many personal accomplishments, he has 20+ years of track & field coaching at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. Outside of the running world, he is married and has four kids. He can be found on a track coaching or on a soccer field cheering for his kids.
Antonio Abney - Assistant Speed Academy and Track & Field Coach
Antonio Abney is a Graduate of Saint Augustine University. At Saint Augustine's University, he accumulated 17 All-American accolades, 6 Nationals Championships, and a Division-II National Record in the 4x400. Coach Abney now resides in Georgia with his wife and three children. When he is not coaching, he works as an operations supervisor, personal trainer, and wellness coach. Overall, Coach Abney enjoys helping others through fitness and emotional intelligence. He strives to find the correct balance between mind, body, and spirit, as he believes it is an essential step in functional fitness.
Stephen Jayaraj- Head Cross Country and Assistant Track & Field Coach
Coach Jayaraj comes to the Atlanta Track Club from Holy Innocents' Episcopal, where he was the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country for the past 13 years. His teams have won two State Championships (Girls XC) and (Boys TF) as well as eight Region Championships in TF and XC. His student-athletes have broken countless distance records previously held at HIE. He has instilled in all his student-athletes a love and passion for running. In his prime, Coach Jayaraj ran 31:19 for 10,000 meters, a 4:18 road Mile along with personal bests of 1:10:28 and 2:26:52 for the half and full marathon, respectively.
Will Henderson-Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach
Coach Will ran for Appalachian State University as a member of both their cross country and track & field teams, specializing primarily in middle-distance events. After a decade of competitive training experience, Coach Will began his coaching journey in the Fall of 2023 with the Atlanta Track Club. He aims to not only instill a competitive spirit in his athletes, but also a passion for running that lasts lifelong. Coach Will also ran 4:14 in high school, which is still the school record at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA.
Gabrielle Wilkinson- Assistant Track & Field Coach
Gabrielle Wilkinson, a graduate of the University of Florida, holds a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and a Master's degree in Health Education Behavior. During her time at the University of Florida, Gabrielle earned the title of six-time All-American. Her remarkable achievements include being named a 2021 NCAA First-Team All-American in both the 800m and Distance Medley Relay (DMR), as well as securing a spot on the 2021 All-SEC Indoor Second Team (800m - silver medalist; DMR - silver medalist). Notably, Gabrielle clinched the 2021 SEC Outdoor Championship in the 1500m event.
Tom Fraker- Throws Coach
Tom Fraker graduated in 1980 from Berry College where he competed in Track and Field for four years, was 2x All-Conference and MVP. More recently he has been a masters athlete for several years capturing 15 age group National Championships and 4 international championships in throwing events. He has also collected significant coaching experience. He is USATF level 2 certified in coaching throws and has coached at McIntosh High School, Berry College, Throw 1 Deep Club, and The Atlanta Track Club both youth and masters. At the youthful age of 65 Tom still throws and has no thoughts of stopping anytime soon.
