New York Youth Jamboree

New York Road Runners Hosts Youth Jamboree For Young Athletes

January 13, 2008

The New Balance Track and Field Center served as the stage for hundreds of future track stars competing in the New York Road Runners Foundation Youth Jamboree Sunday. NY1's Ty Chandler filed the following report.

The New Balance Track has seen some of the sport's fiercest competitors – and an event held Sunday was no exception.

“I'm really, really fast… faster than you think,” said a runner.

More than a thousand kids competed in the New York Road Runners' Foundation youth jamboree. Many of them have never competed in such an event before.

“Given that we don't have a track field in our school, this is awesome because they are getting an opportunity to go outside of their neighborhood and to actually compete on a professional track,” said a parent.

The team from Roberto Clemente Elementary School in East New York is brand new – and most of its members are first timers.

“It feels like I'm actually on a track team, and I'm running like I'm older,” said fifth grader Angeliz Collaza.

But the feeling of going head to head with hundreds of other kids gave some of the young contenders cold feet.

“I feel a little nervous,” said Pharoah Thomas.

The size of the event even had one dad a bit overwhelmed.

”It's a lot of kids here,” said Michael Hollis. “It's a major event right now – a lot of children.”

And that's because the organizers wanted it to feel like the real thing.

“The video cameras are on. The music is on. The noise is deafening, and there's such great spirit between the kids and the parents who come out and support,” said Cliff Sperber of the New York Road Runners Foundation.

And the parents can be quite competitive.

“He really can't find any competition,” said one dad. “He's beating kids in the 100 meters by forty yards, so I knew he could come to New York and find some competition.”

With some of the kids running the 55 meter dash in under seven seconds, it looks like he will get it. Though everyone can't get a medal, the Foundation hopes everyone walked away with something.

“We're trying to teach these kids life lessons about health, personal development, and physical fitness,” said Sperber.

That's why so many teachers brought their classes out.

“If you don't start them at a young age, they won't know what they want to get into when they get older,” said one teacher.

And maybe someday they will participate in the New York Road Runners biggest event – the New York City Marathon.

“It’s all about getting kids involved in running in general,” said Sperber. “Certainly we hope a number of these kids will grow up to pursue distance running more seriously, even up to the marathon.”

- Ty Chandler