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Ahead of upcoming USATF Championships, members are reminded to verify their standing on the USATF Coaches Registry List. All requirements must be completed to be eligible for a coach credential at USATF Championships. If your name no longer appears on the public list, login to your membership profile on USATF Connectto update the lapsed requirement(s) [Learn More]

Welcome to the latest happenings, upcoming events, and exclusive sneak peeks from USATF Coaching Education.

NEW: USATF COACHING EDUCATION SUMMER SCHEDULE DROP

USATF Level 2 School | Emory University (Atlanta, GA)

• Dates: July 7–9, 2026
• Registration Deadline: June 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET
• Disciplines Offered: Sprints, Hurdles, Relays, Endurance, and Jumps. (Note: Throws and Combined Events are anticipated to be offered in December 2026.)
• Can't make it this summer? Get a head start on the brand-new Level 2 Sport Science course—a prerequisite for all first-time Level 2 attendees (requires a current Level 1 certificate).

Upcoming Level 1 Event-Specific Schools
Seats are strictly limited to 100 coaches per session, so don't wait to lock in your spot. Must be enrolled in the USATF Level 1 Program to register.

• June 19–20 (Pacific Time)
• July 10–12 (Eastern Time)
• July 22–24 (Central Time)
• Aug 15–16 (Pacific Time)

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): USATF Club Coaches now qualify for a 15% discount on the Level 1 Program! Contact your club administrator to ensure the club coach role is added to your profile before registering. Qualifying club coaches must seek out the separate “USATF Level 1 – CLUB COACH RATE” registration to take advantage of the special rate.

USATF Cross Country Specialist Course

Experience our brand-new blended learning format. Get immediate access to self-paced digital materials upon registration, followed by a live, two-day virtual workshop to practice building training plans alongside lead instructors Scott Christensen and Thom Hunt.

• Session 1: June 19–20, 2026
• Session 2: July 24–25, 2026

REMINDERS: ACT NOW

• Emerging Female Grants: A limited number of grants are still available for upcoming Level 1 Schools. Applications for Level 2 grants will reopen alongside registration for the December Level 2 School.
• Coaching Education Awards: Help us recognize outstanding contributions and service to our coaching community. Submit your peer nominations by September 30th.
• Missed the 2025 Late Level 1 Recertification Period? Don't let your credentials lapse. Level 1 certificate holders must accrue a minimum of 8 USATF continuing education hours per period. Email coachingedu@usatf.org  immediately to discuss your options.
• Need a coach credential at an upcoming USATF Championship? Make sure you are listed on the USATF Coaches Registry to be eligible.

COMING SOON: AN EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK

New CEU Course: Applying the Scientific Method to Coaching Track & Field
When an athlete's performance plateaus, it's easy to rely on instinct—adding more cues, heavier drills, or higher intensity, hoping something sticks. This course teaches you to replace guesswork with precision by using the scientific method as your daily coaching playbook.
You will learn how to:

• Accurately diagnose performance limiters.
• Formulate and test training hypotheses.
• Communicate your decisions clearly to athletes, staff, or fellow coaches.
• Bridge the gap between sports research and practical, track-side application.

Watch for the new course to officially launch in late June.

USATF Marathon Specialist Course Update

Keep an eye out for upcoming summer and fall dates. The Marathon Specialist course is currently getting an upgrade to match the popular, highly interactive blended format of the Cross Country Specialist course!

USATF Professional Toolkit Courses Loading

At USATF, we know that excellence isn't limited to the track, field, or road. Success in the sports industry requires a robust professional toolkit. Whether you are looking to increase club participation, secure major sponsorships, or lead a volunteer committee with precision, our new professional development courses provide the strategic edge you need. Each learning track contains multiple self-paced, expert-led topic courses and a certificate of completion.
Available Learning Tracks:

• Business Development & Sales Excellence
• Digital Marketing & Brand Strategy
• Organizational Leadership & Management
• Workplace Communication
• Personal Leadership & Resilience

Master the Skills to Grow Your Club, Your Brand, and Your Career
These courses are specifically curated to meet the diverse needs of our community:

• Club and Registered Coaches: Master marketing and leadership to grow participation, effectively market your services to new clients, and build a championship culture.
• Race & Road Running Organizations: Drive registration and maximize sponsorship revenue through advanced sales and digital strategies.
• Athletes: Take control of your career by learning to build your personal brand and navigate professional networking.
• Volunteers & Professionals: Sharpen the communication and project management skills that make you an asset in the workplace and the community.

Verified USATF Association Leadership Roles will have complimentary and early access to all Professional Toolkit courses. Beginning July 1, 2026, current adult USATF members will be able to enroll in the toolkit courses at a special rate.

USATF Connect System Update to Coach Certifications Functionality

• USATF members can now add certain Coach Certifications to their profile without the pre-requisite of being USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant. The change enables a member to have a historical completion or career accomplishment validated on their USATF Connect profile that is required for a coaching education course registration or the USATF Coaches Registry Education Standard requirement while other requirements may be pending or incomplete. New courses completed on the USATF Campus platform will automatically push to Coach Certifications and no submission is required. The coaching education department is continuing to update historical completions and certificates on the membership platform, USATF Connect, and new USATF Campus platform. Please note this is a functionality change only and requirements for the USATF Coaches Registry and USATF 3-Step Safe Sport Compliant remain unchanged.

The National Youth Track Coaches Association through the USATF Coaches Advisory Committee submitted a proposal to change the USATF Youth Championships Coaches Credentialing Program Policy.

The partnership of National Youth Track Coaches Association, USATF Coaches Advisory Committee, USATF Youth Department and Coaching Education Department worked together to devise a policy that not only benefits our USATF youth coaching constituency, but also further promotes the USATF Coaching Education program. I hope that the new policy will result in more youth coaches understanding the benefit of utilizing the coaching education resources provided by USATF.

The USATF Youth Department announces revisions to the USATF Youth Championships Coaches Credentialing Program Policy.  This revision is immediately effective.  The USATF Youth Department in conjunction with the USATF Coaching Education Departmentencourages all coaches to take advantage of the benefits the USATF Coaches Registry Program offers.  Please familiarize yourself with coaching education programs and registry requirements at www.usatf.org/programs/coaches and/or contact Matt.Rohlf@usatf.org.  

(revised 2-2021)  

Youth Championships Coaching Credentials shall be issued based upon the following criteria:  

• USATF Coaches Registry Member  
  • Current USATF (adult) Membership  
  • Pass the USATF Background Screening  
  • SafeSport Compliant  
  • Fulfill Education Standard and submit verification application through USATF       Connect
• Listed as “Coach” on the USATF Club Profile  
• Must have an athlete or club entered into the current Championship  
• Coaches for Unattached athletes are required to adhere to the Coaching Credential requirements for the issuance of a coaching credential .  
• There will be no credential allocation limits.  Credentials will be issued only upon verification of all listed criteria/mandates.  There will be no exceptions.  
• Pole Vault access credentials will be provided upon verification of athlete entry and date/time of the event.  Date/time will be clearly      noted on the credential and access expires immediately upon completion of  that event.  

(revised 4-2021) USATF National Championships require that event registrants shall be date-of-birth verified. Members are required to upload/submit their birthdate verification documents while completing their membership profile on the USATF Connect system. There may be other competitions that require birthdate verification. Check event eligibility requirements carefully when registering for an event.  

DOCUMENT SUBMISSION DEADLINE Documents submitted for birthdate verification will be processed within five (5) business days of submission (excluding holidays). It is the responsibility of the registrant to assure submission in a timely manner to meet entry deadlines.  

HOW TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS Birthdate verification documents must be uploaded through USATF Connect. If you are experiencing trouble uploading these documents, please contact the USATF National Office for assistance. Be advised that birthdate verification documents will not be accepted or uploaded by the National Office. Procedures for uploading these documents in the USATF Connect system must be adhered to and there will be no exceptions. Documents sent to the National Office will be returned and the verification will not be processed.   If a document is illegible it will be invalidated and will not be processed. Invalidated documents will not result in an extension of the submission deadline. No extension will be granted for invalidated documents that require re-submission. The processing period will remain in effect. Birthdate verification documents will remain a permanent part of the member profile and will not require re-submission.

DATA PROTECTION Documents/data provided to USATF will be hosted on a secure platform in the USATF Connect system. Association Officers/Employees that are permitted to view membership information within the system are required to submit the mandated USATF Data Protection Policy Agreement or will be denied access.  

ACCEPTED DOCUMENTS Accepted verification documents include copy of Birth Certificate, Passport, Certified Baptismal Record, Driver's License, or U.S. Government Issued Identification.