THE TRACKSMITH FOUNDATION
Our Programs
Coach Support
The Coach Support Program is a collaborative initiative between the Tracksmith Foundation and Tracksmith’s elite athlete program, the Amateur Support Program, that connects youth coaches with the brand’s ASP athletes for event-specific mentorship pairings and learning opportunities. The program is designed to support youth coaches who need support on how to coach/train a specific event. Diversity is track and field's greatest strong point, but it also throws up many of the sport's challenges: high jump, shot put and distance running all require unique coaching skillsets. The CSP will provide support in all event areas, from sprints to distance as well as technical events such as specific jump and throw disciplines.
The program has two prongs: one on one mentorship and group sessions.
The one-on-one mentorship component pairs ASP athletes with coach mentees for guidance on how to coach/train for a particular event. Meetings will occur virtually.
The group sessions are a series of monthly events that feature a rotating cast of ASP athletes providing virtual education sessions about a specific event/discipline. The sessions will be small in nature, around 10 participants per session, and will be discussion based.
Coaches from resource-limited schools will be prioritized for this program.
Shoe Donation
The shoe donation program is an initiative where the Tracksmith Foundation sources unused shoes and spikes from colleges looking to offload their inventories and provides them to high school students and school districts. This program was created based upon a preliminary analysis of the survey data which showed that equipment, and specifically, personal gear such as running shoes, represented a large area of need. The program was piloted in the summer of 2022, sourcing unused items from a university in New Jersey and distributing them to schools in New Jersey and Philly. In 2023, the program will be expanding into Boston and other cities. Please contact us at foundation@tracksmith.com for more information.
The
Tracksmith
Foundation
The goal of the Tracksmith Foundation is simple yet ambitious: to give more people the opportunity to participate in track and field.
We believe the lessons learned from being part of a track and field team are the lessons that help create a more inclusive society. Track and field is perhaps the most diverse sport in the world. A typical meet has 40 events – including sprints, jumps, throws and distance races – and it encourages athletes of different abilities, backgrounds, religions, races, gender and socioeconomic status to build meaningful relationships in pursuit of a common goal. The combination of representation and camaraderie instills a commitment to acceptance, openness and empathy.