By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Learning lifelong athletic skills at no cost. That's one of the benefits of the Golden Belt Youth Running Project that returned to action earlier this week. Great Bend High School track and cross country coach Lyles Lashley said the program is a good opportunity for young athletes in grades K-6.
"We call it 'little kid track,'" he said. "It's basically from kindergarten to first grade all the way up to sixth grade. Anybody that can come out and follow directions can come out. Basically, we teach them how to run, and we also do field events. They can go to any track meets they want to go to."
Practices are held at the GBHS track Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. Mondays are typically built around running events, and Wednesdays focus more on field events like jumping and throwing. The goal is to improve athleticism across all sports.
"We teach them proper running mechanics and how to do sprint drills," Lashley said. "Every sport involves some sort of running. You want to be as efficient and fast as you can in all those sports."
Lashley, Dan Quillen, and Brandon Schroeter help coach alongside other GBHS coaches and athletes who volunteer their time. Practices are come and go as schedules dictate, though attending is encouraged. The only cost of the Project involves participating in any of the 8-10 meets offered through the group. Entering the meets is optional and typically costs around $10 per meet.
CLICK HERE to access the waiver that must be printed and completed prior to practicing. Follow the Project on Facebook for updates by CLICKING HERE.