Cross Country Youth Team
About Atlanta Track Club Cross Country Youth Team
Atlanta Track Club Cross Country Youth Team is open to kids in grades 4-8 of all ability and experience levels. Our Cross Country Youth Team members develop the endurance, strength, and speed needed to succeed in cross country and most other sports. Learning how to run with proper form, stretch correctly, set goals, and overcome the physical and mental hills and valleys of running are a few of the healthy habits that will support team members physically and mentally throughout life.
Parent/Guardian Zoom Meeting
Learn more about the Youth Team from the program's coaches and administrators on Sunday, August 11 from 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. via this Zoom Link.
Practice Information
Atlanta Track Club Cross Country Youth Team members can practice at one or both of the locations below during the 2024 season.
| Practice Location | Days | Time | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Run Park | Mondays & Wednesdays | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | 4770 N Peachtree Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338 |
| Piedmont Park | Tuesdays & Thursdays | 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | 1320 Monroe Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 |
Full 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, separate from the team's registration fee. To purchase a USATF Youth membership click here.
Full Season: August 12 - December 14
Postseason: October 7 - December 14
Registration prices:
We never want money to prevent kids from participating, so we offer need-based scholarships. For more information about need-based scholarships contact youthteam@atlantatrackclub.org.
| Season | Member Price* | Non-Member Price |
|---|---|---|
| Full Season | $313.20 | $360 |
| Post-season | $147.90 | $170 |
*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 party
2024 Tentative Cross Country Full Season Schedule
Atlanta's Finest Mile
August 17
HCA Fall XC invite- Cumming, Georgia
September
Alpha Crush XC Meet- Milton, Georgia
September
Wingfoot XC Invitational- Cartersville, Georgia
September 21/22
USATF Georgia Developmental XC Meet
October
Middle School State Championships
October
2024 Tentative Cross Country Post Season Schedule
Middle School Championships
October
USATF Development Meet
October
USATF Association Championship- Carrollton, Georgia
November
USATF Region Championships- Florida
November
USATF Junior National Olympics Cross Country Championships
December
Stephan Jayaraj- Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track 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.
Mike Brown - Head Track & Field and Speed Academy Coach, Assistant Cross Country 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. When he is not coaching he is working as the President of Dream Scouting Network which assists high school student-athletes through the recruiting process. 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.
