NORTHAMPTON — The Sugarloaf Youth Track League held its orientation Tuesday night at Northampton high school, as it gears up for its 25th season.
The league began in 1994 when then-Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club president Fred Wellman and Clayton, in partnership with the Northampton Recreation Department, established a place in the community for youth track and field.
“It was meant to introduce kids to track and field,” Clayton said. “For probably the last 20 years we’ve had about 300 kids on Friday nights in June.”
The league, which features six teams, runs on five consecutive Fridays in June. About 300 participants compete in roughly 40 events from 100-meter dashes, to 800-meter runs and various relays. They also compete in long jump, high jump and javelin.
The first meet is Friday at 5:30 p.m. depending on weather. Registrations are still being accepted.
“It’s a very low-competitive, high-fun factor relay event,” Clayton said.
Athletes have options on what events they can compete in, and scoring is kept for fun.
“The kids are out here to have fun and get introduced to the sport,” Clayton said.
When the league started there were four teams and less than 100 participants. Within the first six years teams grew from four to six to eight. Each team has a sponsor. Northampton Cooperative Bank (23 years) and Whiting Energy Fuels (22 years) have been involved almost from the start.
The league has also moved from Smith College, to Amherst College, Williston Northampton and now Northampton High School.
“After 25 years, we are still getting kids out here,” Clayton said. “It’s a labor of love for me.”
The impact of the league can have a lasting effect, as 18 high school track & field athletes serve as volunteer team coaches for the season. Some were once in the program themselves.
“It’s an awesome feeder program for the track team,” Clayton said. “The kids that have participated in this have benefited greatly and it’s just an awesome community event.”
On the final night of competition, a team champion for the season receives a trophy, while all league participants receive medals and gifts, according to Clayton.
“I wouldn’t of had this opportunity in my life had somebody not given it to me in seventh grade, so now I’m able to give it back to these kids,” said Clayton, who was introduced to the sport as a youth and went on to compete at Duke.
The Sugarloaf Youth Track League started a second league in Amherst eight years ago. It runs in conjunction with Amherst Leisure Services.
The first meet was May 24 with meets scheduled for Thursday, June 7, 15, 22 and 29. Meets are held at Amherst Regional High School.