South Jersey Track & Field Club

***Our Fall Cross Country Program begins on Monday, August 18. While it is fine for kids to begin later, we suggest they begin practice no later than September 8. 

Basic Info (you can scroll down to the registration form at any time):

Ages: 1st grade and up

*Middle School Meet Only Option: If your child is currently participating on their middle school cross country team, they are welcome to join us at meets for a discounted program fee of $125. Depending on a middle schooler's motivation, and how often they practice with their school team, it also fine to join our regular program!

First Session: Monday, August 18, 6:00pm

Last Session: Sunday, November 2, (SJTFC Cross Country Festival)

Practice Days and Times:

• Mondays and Thursdays at 6:00pm (shifting to 5:30pm on 9/18, and then to 5:00pm on 10/9)

Practice Locations:

We practice at various locations depending on the session. A complete schedule will be provided. Locations include Pennypacker Park in Haddonfield, Challenge Grove Park in Cherry Hill, and Cooper River Park in Pennsauken.

*Please note that all dates, times and locations can change based on outside circumstances. 

Fall Cross Country Overview:

Following our general mission and philosophy, our cross country program is designed to teach kids about the sport, with a goal of helping as many kids as possible to embrace a sport they love. Beginners are enthusiastically welcomed, AND we will get right to work building a base of fitness and endurace that supports full enjoyment of the sport. We encourage all of the kids to attend at least some meets, as challenging oneself through age-appropriate competition is part of the sport. At the same time, there is no obligation to attend all practices or meets. We always conclude our season with our very fun Cross Country Festival, which allows kids of any age to choose a distance from as short as 100m and up to a 5K. Parents and other family members and friends are also welcome to particpate in the festival.

Competition Team:

New club members who wish to join our competitive team: We encourage kids to attend as many practices as possible during the first few weeks to help them prepare for the fun, developmental meets that we attend. Although the meets are desinged to be fun, cross country courses by nature are challenging (trails, grass, hills). Pushing kids to compete before they are personally ready can be devastating to their interest in the sport. Please speak to the Head Coach by Wednesday, September 6 if your child would like to join our competitive team. 

Fee: We employ a tiered fee structure in order make our club as accessible as possible. You are free to select any of the three fees listed. The standard fee is the average amount we need to collect to sustain the club and make this program a success. The supporter fee is offered as an option if you would like to help subsidize the reduced fee, as well as our no fee option for families in need. 

Reduced fee: $225, Standard fee: $250, Supporters fee: $275

Details:

Our Fall Cross Country Program is appropriate for all kids from 1st grade and up. We encourage all of the kids to participate in fun competitions, but we also support kids who simply want to be in good physical condition and run a few days per week. 

We begin the season with a few weeks of preparation for the fun meets we attend. On the first day, all of the kids practice together and begin getting to know each other (our experienced kids are asked to help us welcome new and less experienced kids). From there, we begin slowly, take breaks as needed, and gradually work toward extended running intervals. In a few short weeks, all of the kids are enjoying longer runs on the beatiful autumn trails!

During the first few weeks of training, we will talk to the kids about the meets and encourage them to participate. It is important to reassure the kids that speed is not important, and that the meets are really just a type of practice, especially when just starting out. 

Competition is approached as “learning to compete,” meaning that we participate in meets to learn about how to prepare for and engage in competition, practicing good sportsmanship, learning from success as well as failure, staying focused on the present, etc, as opposed to pushing for top times or places. As a club we celebrate all success, but it is not the focus of our programs.

Beginning in early September we participate in meets on most weekends (Saturdays or Sundays). Below is a tentative schedule for 2025.

• 9/6 Cherokee Challenge: This is the first competition of the season and is for middle and high school aged kids only*. In general, our new members and beginners are not ready to compete by this event. *Younger kids can compete, but there are only middle and high school divisions. If your child wants to compete, they need to be able to run 1.5 miles without stopping to take walk breaks.
• 9/13 Home Practice Meet, Pennypacker Park, Haddonfield: This is a practice session, but will be set up just like a real meet so the kids know what to expect.
• 9/20 SJTFC Race #1, Pennypacker Park, Haddonfield 
• 9/27 Six Flags Wild Safari Invitations: Another meet just for middle and high school kids, this one also allows for participants and their families to get discounted entry tickets to the amusement park.
• 10/11 SJTFC Race #2, Pennypacker Park, Haddonfield
• 10/18 SJTFC Race #3, Pennypacker Park, Haddonfield 
• 11/2 (Sunday) SJTFC Race #4, Cross Country Festival and Open 5K, Pennypacker Park, Haddonfield

Athlete Information

Parent/Guardian Information

Emergency Information

Informed Consent and Acknowledgement

I hereby give my approval for my child’s participation in any and all activities prepared by South Jersey Track & Field Club during the selected camp. In exchange for the acceptance of said child’s candidacy by South Jersey Track & Field Club., I assume all risk and hazards incidental to the conduct of the activities, and release, absolve and hold harmless South Jersey Track & Field Club. and all its respective officers, agents, and representatives from any and all liability for injuries to said child arising out of traveling to, participating in, or returning from selected camp sessions.

In case of injury to said child, I hereby waive all claims against South Jersey Track & Field Club. including all coaches and affiliates, all participants, sponsoring agencies, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used to conduct the event. There is a risk of being injured that is inherent in all sports activities, including basketball. Some of these injuries include, but are not limited to, the risk of fractures, paralysis, or death.

Medical Release and Authorization

As Parent and/or Guardian of the named athlete, I hereby authorize the diagnosis and treatment by a qualified and licensed medical professional, of the minor child, in the event of a medical emergency, which in the opinion of the attending medical professional, requires immediate attention to prevent further endangerment of the minor’s life, physical disfigurement, physical impairment, or other undue pain, suffering or discomfort, if delayed.

Permission is hereby granted to the attending physician to proceed with any medical or minor surgical treatment, x-ray examination and immunizations for the named athlete. In the event of an emergency arising out of serious illness, the need for major surgery, or significant accidental injury, I understand that every attempt will be made by the attending physician to contact me in the most expeditious way possible. This authorization is granted only after a reasonable effort has been made to reach me.

Permission is also granted to the South Jersey Track & Field Club. and its affiliates including Directors, Coaches, and Team Parents to provide the needed emergency treatment prior to the child’s admission to the medical facility.

Release authorized on the dates and/or duration of the registered season. For personal coaching the release is ongoing as long as services are provided.

This release is authorized and executed of my own free will, with the sole purpose of authorizing medical treatment under emergency circumstances, for the protection of life and limb of the named minor child, in my absence.

Medical Release and Authorization Confirmation

BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND SIGNING BELOW, I AM DELIVERING AN ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE THAT WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS AN ORIGINAL MANUAL PAPER SIGNATURE. THE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE WILL BE EQUALLY AS BINDING AS AN ORIGINAL MANUAL PAPER SIGNATURE.

Photo and Video Permission to Share

SOMETIMES WE CAPTURE GREAT MOMENTS OF THE KIDS PRACTICING, COMPETING, AND JUST HAVING A GREAT TIME TOGETHER, AND WE LOVE SHARING THESE PHOTOS VIA OUR SOCIAL NETWORKING PAGES, CLUB EMAILS, CLUB WEBSITE, ETC. IF YOU EVER SEE A PHOTO POSTED THAT INCLUDES YOUR CHILD AND YOU WOULD PREFER THAT IT BE REMOVED FROM ANY OF THE ABOVE LOCATIONS SIMPLY LET US KNOW. 

Refunds

IN GENERAL, PROGRAM FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. WE PLAN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AROUND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN REGISTERED, SO IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE REFUNDS, BUT WE WILL MAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THE POLICY WHEN POSSIBLE. IF AN ENTIRE PROGRAM IS CANCELED WE WILL REFUND THE PROGRAM FEE, MINUS THE BANK SERVICE CHARGE, AND ANY COSTS INCURRED BY THE CLUB (I.E. ACCESS FEES THAT HAVE BEEN PAID AND NOT REFUNDED).

Reduced Fee For Families That Qualify

In additon to our tiered program fees, we offer a reduced fee for families that qualify. Select the appropriate option here, upload a copy/screenshot of your free or reduced lunch confirmation, and submit this form by clicking on the button that reads "Submit registration and pay with cash or Venmo". (Do not click on any program options.) A club representative will contact you as soon as possible to discuss minimum program fees. If you do not have access to free and reduced lunch forms, please contact Craig Strimel through the club website. 

***We can only offer a limited number of reduced fee registrations, and the deadline to apply is July 15***

Uniform Orders:

We will host an online gear store the first week of practice where you can order uniforms, along with warmup jackets, pants, hoodies, etc. If you would like to pre-order a uniform, warmup jacket and/or knit hat so that they arrive by the first meet, you must do so below and pay now with a credit card. 

Competition Team

We encourage all of the kids to join us on our competitive team. Please see the the program description for details. 

All kids who plan to join our competitive team (new and returning) are required to attend practice on Thursday, September 4th at 6:00pm. After practice, at 7:00pm, we will host a required parent meeting to discuss the details. Please note we will need a copy of your child's birth certificate in order for them to compete. Even if you are not sure yet about joining the competitive team, you can upload a birth certificate below at this time. 

Venmo: Scan or click the image, or search @strimelconsulting 

South Jersey Track & Field Club is a New Jersey Benefit Corporation

www.southjerseytfc.com