USATF National Office Happenings – March 2026

USATF National Office Happenings – March 2026 This monthly update highlights key initiatives, upcoming events & meetings, deadlines, and areas of focus to keep our associations informed and aligned. Our goal is to provide an overview of the important items on the horizon so you can stay prepared and connected to what’s ahead. Upcoming Events 2026 USATF Youth National Indoor Championships (March 20-22, 2026)  Location: Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex – Staten Island, NY  All eligible high school, youth athletes and club teams are welcome!  Visit the event website for information about booking your hotel, the race schedule and more! Please note: On-time registration closes March 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET. No on-site entries will be accepted. Youth Programs 2026 USATF Youth Championship Season announced: USA Track & Field announced its 2026 Youth Championship calendar, featuring four national championship events across indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country.  The season opens March 20–22 with the National Youth Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY, and continues with the National Youth Outdoor Championships from June 24–27 in Huntsville, AL. The Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships will follow July 27–August 2 at Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA, before the season closes with the Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships on December 12 in Lafayette, LA.  The following youth events will be live-streamed on USATF.tv to provide broader access and visibility.  2026 USATF National Youth Indoor Championships 2026 USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships 2026 USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships 2026 Youth Indoor Championships Prep. Update: National Office Staff and LOC continue to ramp up plans for the upcoming championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Center in Staten Island. Athlete registration is currently well ahead of last year’s pace with two weeks remaining, which is a strong indicator of the big numbers we expect to have at the meet. Communication with the LOC is ongoing and everything is tracking according to plan. Safe Sport This month’s ASVC Meeting is March 10, 7 PM EST  LINK TO REGISTER  Safe Sport All-Star Submissions: Submit standout individuals who exemplify Safe Sport principles to the Safe Sport email today! Selected All-Stars will be featured in upcoming Safe Sport newsletters.  CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A SAFE SPORT ALL STAR  March Training Update: The US Center for SafeSport’s trainings will be updated on Wednesday, March 25 to align with the updated 2026 Code. Any courses started but not completed before the update will reset, so members are encouraged to finish all in-progress training prior to that date.  Introducing the Safe Sport Google Drive: If you haven’t checked it out yet, USATF has a centralized Safe Sport Google Drive that houses all current event materials and resources. This folder will be updated regularly as new tools and documents are developed to support our associations. Clubs  NEW Club Portal: We are putting the finishing touches on our new centralized Club Portal. This is an all-in-one destination for club information, resources, and streamlined communication. This platform will be accessible to all individuals with a designated Club Role, including our Association Club Chairs. The portal is scheduled to launch on March 16, and we’re excited to share it with everyone soon.  This month’s Club Chair Meeting is March 31, 7 PM EST : Our monthly Club Chair Meetings are intended to strengthen communication, share updates, and provide a consistent space for collaboration. The March meeting will take place on March 31, 2026, at 7 PM.  LINK TO REGISTER  USATF Youth Indoors Personalized Club Graphic: With the USATF National Youth Indoor Championships just two weeks away, we’ve created a customizable Canva template your association can share with qualified clubs to help them celebrate their athletes. The template allows users to add a club logo, list qualifying athletes, update colors and photos, and share on social media or print.  LINK TO THE CUSTOMIZABLE CANVA GRAPHIC  TUTORIAL VIDEO  Sanctions NEW Sport:80 Update: Sport:80 has updated the USATF Connect "Events" calendar for approved sanctioned events that improves both the event organizers calendar listing as well as the member athletes' access to meets and races near them and across the U.S.  Event organizers can now upload a specific event image or brand in their sanction request that will show on their calendar listing once approved and help the event stand out.  For those seeking our events to complete in, they can now bookmark and save events that are of interest to them in their "My Events" section to create a custom list that they can come back to in their profile.  Please explore these new features as well as the upgraded filtering and sorting options in the "Events" tab in your USATF Connect account.  Coaches Coach Credentialing: Please verify that your USATF Coaches Registry status is current for the indoor season. To be eligible for coach credentials at the 2026 Youth Indoor Championships, you must have a current membership, a cleared background screening, completed SafeSport training, and meet the Education Standard. The next Level 1 Event Specific School is March 7-8, 2026 (Eastern Standard Time). Members must be enrolled in the Level 1 Program and complete the Sport Science online modules to enroll into the Zoom school. This is the last opportunity prior to the Youth Indoor Championships to become exam eligible. 2026 Emerging Female Grant application is now open! Applicants must complete BOTH parts of the application to be considered. Registration for the qualifying program must be open at time of grant application. Read more about coach enhancement grants here. Para 2026 National Classification Opportunities: The 2026 National Classification schedule for Para Track & Field has been announced. You can find more information about Classification and the National Classification Opportunities here.  WPA Approved Competitions: Events can be submitted for World Para Athletics Approval using the WPA event approval form, which can be found here, along with information on the approval process. The WPA Approval process is separate from both the World Athletics and USATF processes.   Events only need to be submitted for WPA Approval if a licensed para-athlete will be competing.   2026 IPC License: IPC licensing is open for Para athletes for the 2026 season. You can find information here. Merchandise Youth Indoors Pop-Up Store: Don’t miss the official USATF Team Store at Youth Indoors March 20-22! Event merchandise and exclusive gear will be available throughout the Championships. USA Track & Field 342 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 400, Indianapolis, IN 46204 Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe