Youth track and field is coming to Shelley

SHELLEY — Two friends are starting a youth track club to help young athletes prepare for the future.

Cassie Huntsman and Chelsi Webb have set out to realize their goal of creating a youth summer track club in Shelley. Kids ages three to 11 will get to train and compete in track and field events with their first track meet tentatively planned for the first week of June.

“We both have wanted to start one of these in Shelley for a couple of years,” Huntsman said.

She explained that Rexburg, Rigby, Idaho Falls and Pocatello all have similar programs and compete against each other at track meets.

“We’ll do our meets at (Shelley) High School and then if there’s enough interest and we feel comfortable with it, we’ll go to a couple of these other meets these other towns do,” Huntsman said.

Huntsman and Webb have experience in track in field after competing in high school. They plan on teaching kids the basics of sprinting, distance running and jumping. They also plan on purchasing a small shot put and javelin for the kids to learn how to throw.

“Kids need more opportunities to learn and grow. Because these other schools that have these programs in place, their athletes, when they’re getting into high school are excelling and getting scholarships and all these things. So we feel like our kids, even if their just trying it out, it gives them an opporutnity develop and to learn and to grow,” Webb said.

Registration will begin as soon as the website is finished which, Huntsman said, should be in just a few days. Those who are interested in signing up should ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ the Shelley Summer Track Club on Facebook to be notified when registration is available.

Registration costs $60 for one child. The cost drops down to $55 per child if parents sign up two of their children. It drops down to $50 per child when parents sign up three or more children.

The fee includes the cost of jerseys that can be used in future seasons which will lower the registration fee for returning participants.

“We’re excited and happy to teach kids,” Huntsman said.