Road to Junior Olympics

As she created a Track Diamond Track Club, Coach Alicia Ross asked a simple yet profound question: why do we run? After speaking with several youth, collegiate, amateur, elite, and master's level athletes, she found three answers common among each group. "Because it's fun." "Because I can." "Because running brings me joy." She also discovered that despite their love for running, their longevity in the sport is predicated on their experience.

Inspired, Coach Alicia ventured to, "put the fun back in running" by founding Track Diamond- a youth track and field organization committed to providing young athletes a fun and positive running experience by teaching, developing, and promoting the values of hard work, self-worth, sportsmanship, responsibility, and teamwork. Coach Alicia is accompanied by an experienced all-female coaching staff: Eve Walker, Katrina M. Smith, and Stacey Callis. Together, these dynamic women strive to lead a 12 boys, 2 girls, ages 6 to 15 toward their academic and athletic goals.

This is our first season. So far our young athletes have competed at Santa Monica High School, Cerritos College, Long Beach City College, Chino Hills, Culver City High School, and Cabrillo High School and are having the time of their lives successfully racing against other youth athletes, high schoolers, amateurs, and master's athletes. We now set our sights onto the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships in Greensboro, NC in July. To get there, we ask for your help.

We do hope that you share our belief in encouraging young athletes to strive equally for athletic, academic and moral excellence. Please donate to our cause and help our athletes to the JOs.