Junior Olympic/AAU Track & Field Volunteer Efforts Pay Huge Dividends at High School Level

North’s Thomas Hodges Posts 10.52 100 Meter at Benson Invite

My goodness! Omaha North’s Thomas Hodges blazes to a 10.52 finish in the 100 meter at the Benson Invitational.  It’s been awhile since the Omaha metro area has seen the kind of 100 meter times that have been posted this season by the likes of Hodges and Boys Town’s Tim Thompson, who ran the fastest Nebraska high school 100 meter time (10.20) ever recorded.

I’ve watched Hodges develop since he was a Junior Olympian running for the Omaha Boys and Girls Jaguar Track Club. At the time he was not “the” fastest on the team but he was certainly among the top two or three. However, Thomas Hodges was definitely the hardest worker among the group. And now it looks as though his focus and strong work ethic are starting to pay off for him. That’s nice to see!

It’s also great to see how all the efforts made by the grassroot volunteer track and field coaches, who train these young boys and girls–well before they enter high school–are starting to pay dividends at the Nebraska high school track and field level.

Many of the top Nebraska high school track and field athletes that we see today:  Radell Nared, Thomas Hodges, Maia Reynolds, Xavier Thompson, LaQue Moen-Davis, Clara Nichols, Morgan Woitzel, and many others are products from Junior Olympic and AAU track and field programs like the Cornhusker Flyers, Midwest Striders, Omaha Boys and Girls Jaguar Track Club, Bellevue Breeze, Lincoln Youth Track Club and many others. The administrators, coaches and officials that work in these programs, for the most part, volunteer their time and services to help young athletes reach their potential.

It’s unfortunate that these dedicated and tireless volunteers do not get the credit that they deserve. The youth track and field volunteers spend a lot of long hot hours developing our youth during the summer, in addition to logging a lot of travel miles attending various meets around the region and across this country. Even when their pupils enter high school, they are still there to train them during the off season. Thanks to their efforts our young athletes have well laid foundations to excel at their crafts.

My hats off to all the volunteers–past and present—who work at the grassroots level.

Updated Nebraska High School Boys & Girls Track & Field Leaders: Click Here.