Atlanta Track Club Youth Team
About Atlanta Track Club Youth Team
Founded in 2017, Atlanta Track Club Youth Team represents the competitive arm of the Club's youth running programs. Kids in grades 4-8 of all ability and experience levels from the Atlanta area are welcome to join the team during the spring Track & field, winter Speed Academy, and fall Cross Country seasons. The team's coaching philosophy focuses on long term development and incremental growth while creating an environment that encourages athletes to display sportsmanship, set goals, develop an enthusiasm for the sport, and learn health and wellness knowledge that can aid them throughout life.High school athletes in grades 9-12 who are home-schooled or lack access to a local high school program are also welcome to join the youth team for the full season. High school athletes who compete for their local high school are eligible to join the team only for the postseason, after their high school seasons have ended. High school athletes will compete outside of high school associations in club and open competitions.
Atlanta Track Club Youth Team Options
| Youth Team | Full Season Dates | Postseason Dates | Practice Locations | More Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country | August 10 -December 12, 2026 | October 6-December 5, 2026 | Brook Run Park (Dunwoody) & Piedmont Park Meadow (Midtown) | Click here |
| Speed Academy: Fall Training |
October 5 - November 28, 2026 | N/A | Brook Run Park (Dunwoody) & Piedmont Park (Midtown) | Click here |
| Speed Academy: Athletic Performance & Indoor Track |
November 30, 2026 - February 6, 2027 | N/A | Marist School & Norcross High School | Click here |
| Track & Field | February 15- June 30, 2027 | April 5 - June 30, 2027 | Norcross High School & Cheney Stadium (Summerhill) | Click here |
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.
Will Henderson-Head Cross Country and Assistant Track & Field Coach
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.
Leah Banks-Assistant Track & Field, Cross Country, and Speed Academy Coach
Leah Banks is an Assistant Track and Field Coach at Maynard Jackson High School, where she served during the 2024 and 2025 spring seasons. She specializes in developing vertical and horizontal jumps training for student-athletes in grades 9-12. Her coaching includes event-specific instruction in long jump, triple jump, and high jump, as well as broader developmental support in speed training, running technique, and competition safety. Leah focuses on helping athletes grow through personalized training that matches their skills, interests, and potential.
Leah holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Morehouse School of Medicine (2023) and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a minor in Environmental Science from Loyola University New Orleans (2019). At Loyola University New Orleans, Leah earned All-American honors in the outdoor heptathlon. Throughout her career from 2015 to 2019, she owns school bests among women in seven events: 100-meter hurdles (15.07 seconds), long jump (5.64 meters), outdoor heptathlon (4,534 points), indoor 55-meter sprint (7.65 seconds), indoor 55-meter hurdles (9.13 seconds), indoor 60-meter hurdles (9.37 seconds) and indoor pentathlon (3,187 points). Banks also had a part in the school's fastest women's 4x400-meter relay. After a fantastic career, she was inducted into the Loyola New Orleans Hall of Fame in 2025.
AnaLee Bradach-Assistant Cross Country Coach
A native of Auburn, Georgia, Analee Bradach is a former standout distance runner and accomplished scholar-athlete who graduated from Apalachee High School. She continued her academic and athletic career while majoring in Exercise Science at Piedmont University, earning numerous honors for both her performances on the track and in the classroom. Her collegiate accolades include CoSIDA Academic All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-District recognition as well as multiple All-Conference honors. A four-time Academic All-Conference selection, she exemplified the balance of excellence in athletics and academics throughout her collegiate career.
Today, she continues to compete at a high level as a member of Atlanta Track Club's Masters Track & Field Team. Over the last two seasons she has captured 5 individual Masters National Championship titles in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m. With silver medals in the steeple chase and 400h.
Rebecca Entrekin-Assistant Cross Country Coach
From Tucker, Georgia, Rebecca Entrekin competed in cross country and track & field for four years at St. Pius X Catholic School, where she was a key contributor to teams that won Region Championships in 2011 and 2013 and captured the 2012 GHSA Class 3A State Championship. She was also a member of the school-record-holding 4×1600-meter relay team. Following a successful high school career, Rebecca continued her running journey at Georgia Tech.
Since graduating, Rebecca has remained deeply involved in the sport, serving as both a teacher and coach of high school runners, including at her alma mater, St. Pius X. Today, Rebecca competes as a member of Atlanta Track Club Masters Team, continuing to pursue excellence at the highest levels of masters competition. In 2025, she was crowned Masters National Champion in both the 2,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000 meters, further adding to an impressive lifelong running career
Ali Heintz-Assistant Track & Field and Cross Country Coach
Coach Ali is an experienced coach and passionate runner with a strong background in both athletics and education. A graduate of Bates College and Emory University she has been a recreational runner since 2003 and is a Boston Marathon qualifier.
With over 20 years of coaching experience, Coach Ali has been guiding youth runners since 2004 in different capacities including Kilometer Kids site leader and Youth Team assistant cross country coach. Dedicated to helping young athletes achieve their best, she combines a love for running with a commitment to fostering growth and development in the sport.
Harley Martz-Assistant Cross Coach
Harley attended Druid Hills high school in Atlanta, GA. During her high school career she won multiple County and Regional titles across the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m races. Harley is a 6x GHSA State medal winner across those same events. Harley ran cross country and track as a freshman at Kennesaw State University. She is now a junior at Georgia Tech as an engineering major and continues to compete in several road races and Hyrox events.
Marc Silverman- Assistant Track & Field Coach -Jumps
Coach Marc Silverman is currently coaching long jump, triple jump, and hurdles at Chamblee Middle School. He began his coaching career in 2016 when his daughter competed at Chamblee. Coach Marc competed in hurdles and jumps in high school in the Philadelphia, PA area and is a graduate of Penn State University.
After college, his career in TV sports production with Turner Sports brought him to Atlanta. Over the past 20 years, being a dad to both an athletic son and daughter allowed him the opportunity to coach youth baseball, football, soccer, basketball, and track.
Now in his second season with the Atlanta Track Club, Coach Marc had a successful Spring/Summer 2024 with the youth team and is excited to continue developing young athletes.
Gabby Wilkinson
A member of our Atlanta Track Club Elite team, Gabby rejoins the Youth Team coaching staff. With a grandfather who was a quarter-miler, a mother and sister who competed for Cornell University and a father who was a hurdler, Gabby has been running for as long as she can remember, even though soccer was her first love. ("I wasn't that good, but I was fast; I would get the ball and that was that.") She was only 8 years old when she joined her first track team, United Stars Track Club in Philadelphia, and 11 when she set a still-standing 800-meter record for her age group at the Colgate Women's Games of 2:18.80. Running for Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, Gabby set nine individual school records, earned eight state titles and won the 2018 Millrose Games Junior Mile. She also broke AAU Junior Olympics records at 800 and 1,500 meters before heading for the University of Florida, where she became a six-time All-American.
Additional Information
Parent's Information Guide
To learn more about what to expect during the cross country season and how to prepare for practice and competitions, please review the team parent's guide click here
Team Code of Conduct
Each team member as well as one of their parents/guardians must sign and submit the code of conduct form to the team's coach click here
Youth Team Accomplishments
Since 2017 Atlanta Track Club Youth Team members have recorded
Cross country
- 3 USATF Georgia Association Individual Champions
- 6 USATF Georgia Association Team Champions
- 5 USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Individual Champions
- 3 USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Team Champions
- 30 Top 3 Team Finishes at USATF Georgia Association and Regional Championships
- 152 USATF National Junior Olympic Qualifiers
- 2024 XC - 6 National qualifying teams
Track and Field
- 6 USATF Georgia Association Individual Champions
- 3 USATF Georgia Association Relay Champions
- 4 USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Individual Champions
- 1 USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic Relay Champions
- 35 USATF National Qualifiers
- 2024 - 21 USATF National Qualifiers
- 5x All-Americans
Frequently Asked Questions
What will athletes do during a typical practice?
What should athletes wear to practice?
During warm days, athletes should wear shorts and a t-shirt/singlet to practice. During cold days, athletes should wear layers. Bring warm athletic attire to wear during warmups with shorts and a t-shirt underneath to wear during the workouts.
Who can join Atlanta Track Club Youth Team?
Atlanta Track Club Youth Team is open to all kids in grades 4-8 who have an interest in being part of a competitive cross country and/or track & field team. The team includes a wide variety of ability levels, from beginner runners to state championship title contenders. Team members train with those who are close to their ability level to encourage a positive, competitive practice experience for all. Please note, some events restrict students in grades 4 and 5 from competing.
What are the competition age divisions?
Postseason youth competitions typically take place in two-year age divisions. These age divisions provide young athletes the opportunity to compete with other athletes of similar ability. The USA Track & Field age divisions are 9-10 (3K), 11-12 (3K), 13-14 (4K), 15-16 (5K), and 17-18 (5K). Regular season competitions are typically not divided by age.
Will Atlanta Track Club provide travel to and from practice and competitions for athletes?
Travel for practices and competitions must be provided by the parent or guardian.
How can parents/guardians stay informed?
During the season, team members' parents/guardians will receive weekly emails from their child's coach including information on upcoming workouts and competitions. Parents/guardians will also have access to the team's Facebook group page, which will include team photos and information on a range of topics including nutrition and recovery best practices.
How can parents/guardians support the team?
Parents/guardians are encouraged to support the youth team by cheering on athletes during practice and competitions. Team volunteer opportunities will be included in the weekly team emails.
What kind of shoes should team members wear to practice and competitions?
Team members should wear running shoes during practice and competition warmups. Spikes are recommended during certain practice workouts and competitions, which will be indicated by the team's coach. Most running shoes are fine for sprinters and distance runners to wear, as long as they fit comfortably, but sprinters should wear sprint spikes and distance runners should wear distance spikes. We recommend visiting your local specialty running store and speaking with an employee to learn more about what running shoes and spikes would be best for your child. During competitions, team members should wear their team uniforms and team t-shirt.
What are the qualifying standards for the regular and postseason cross country meets?
There are no qualifying standards for regular season meets including the Georgia Middle School State Championships. The top 30 athletes and top five teams from the Georgia Middle School State Championships qualify for USATF Georgia Association Junior Olympic XC Championships. The top 30 athletes and top five teams from USATF Georgia Association Junior Olympic XC Championships qualify for USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic XC Championships. The top 30 athletes and top four teams from USATF Region 4 Junior Olympic XC Championships qualify for USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships.
What's your refund policy?
Atlanta Track Club does not offer refunds for Youth Team once the season begins. The policy is in place to cover staff resourcing and planning for the season. An exception to this no refund policy exists if it is requested two weeks or more prior to the start date. In this event, a partial refund (not including processing fees) will be issued. Inquiries regarding this policy can be directed to [email protected].
Do you offer financial assistance?
We never want money to prevent kids from participating, so we offer need-based financial assistance. For more information about financial assistance contact youthteam@atlantatrackclub.org.