Ed's numbers do not tell the true story.
Among youth sports track is still among the top, and that has never changed.
The change comes post HS because of dollars, and American societal pressure
to pursue perceived success in the classroom. I say perceived because many
athletes succeed in their given sports, in various capacities(?). Which
would return us to a previous discussion about sports as a major.
It is rare to find a football player who has not run track during his HS
career including Jr Olympics, AAU, etc. Our junior program is well and
alive, the challenge is keeping the athletes in the sport and out of
football. But how do you fight a sport that drafts HS players, and keeps
them in their farm system for 10 years. How do you combat a sport that
physically depletes its athletes.
Track in the US is healthy, and I wish many would stop complaining about what
is not and start realizing, and using what is. We still dominate the
sprints, and we still need to improve our distance corps. The field events
need assistance, but I see it all as a cycle. The junior level may be a
vehicle that needs to be looked into, but it is not missed. The collegiate
season is irreplaceable.
DGS
The G.O.A.T.
