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Why A Registration Fee?

 

The PICTFC has a fee to enroll in the club.  Some clubs, and individuals claim that fees are unaffordable for athletes and have attempted to attract athletes by advertising that they are "free" to join.  America is a place where people certainly have their freedom to do as they wish and we wish everyone well, however we often find that "free" isn't necessarily "free"

 

When an athlete joins the PICTFC part of their registration fee provides a membership in the USATF, a national track and field sports organization of which this club is proudly a member. Individual members receive the benefits of their USATF membership without interference from the PICTFC in any way. Secondly, membership in the USATF is necessary for participation in most USATF sponsored events and meets. So it is nearly impossible to not have a fee if the intent is aligning ones self for participation in events.  Even in a club that claims to have no "membership fees" the cost of a USATF membership is normally paid by "someone" as the USATF does not admit anyone for free. The same is true of AAU (Amatuer Athletic Union) leaugue and events as well. In addition, we want children and young people to participate in our programs and practices. When a payment is made, there is a better chance that the athlete will follow through. 

 

We've Done The Research


What we have found is that many clubs, that train athletes as we do, charge much more for a lot less.  

 

  • One popular club in Illinois charges in excess of $250.00 per year per athlete, plus additional expenses, uniform costs, and meet entry fees, for membership.

 

  • Another former Olympian's training camp has a $450.00 fee per person, for 5 days of training which is limited to training in 3 events with 3 sessions per day crammed into those 5 days. Although the camp is sponsored by a former world record holder, the former olympiad is NOT at every session and makes no promises to teach anything. Generally athletes are taught by persons with similar qualifications as those coaches associated with the PICTFC.

 

  • Another very well respected organization charges $199.00 for 4 weeks of training 2 days per week with sessions limited to 90 minutes per session.  That is 3 hours of training per week. Their training program covers the same or similar material as the everyday training sessions of the PICTFC which offers 6 hours of traing per week.

 

As compared to these other fine camps, the PICTFC is easily as comprehensive, offers many more total training hours (144 hours of training over 2 months, as compared to the nearest competitor of 30 hours over a 1 week period of time). We know that muscle fatigue leads to injury. Receiving 30 hours of training over 5 days is nearly a sure path to injury, especially if training for speed development is done at max velocity as it should be. For this reason our program, because it is spread out over time, reduces potential injury and allows an athlete to comptehensively train toward the developmental plan goals outlined by the program.  

 

The PICTFC Is The Best Value In Track & Field Athletics In Central Illinois


Not only does a membership fee open the door to the club's comprehensive and multiple event training, it also opens the door to the USATF, gives club members exposure through the "roster" feature on the website, allows and athlete to train on multiple events, and provides a club shirt so that the athlete can proudly display the PICTFC logo and let others know that they are involved in a program that is not only about training, but that is also about the community and community service. 

 

What makes club membership even more easy is that payment arrangements are available for the $75.00. There are various options by which fees can be paid and no one is ever prohibited from making an arrangement and paying the appropriate fees. 

 

Final Word

 

Ultimately, one can never go wrong investing in their child's future, and supporting something in which their child finds interest.  This is very important as well. Encouraging parents and families to support the vision of their kids is a foundational principle of this club and a pillar upon which it stands. 


The PICTFC is a great place to invest in not only an athletic future, but also a future where a young athlete's individual character can be developed. We would much rather explain the fee than "pretend" that such things are not important. There is cost associated with athletic training, development, and participation in any venture that adds value to ones future and potential.  There is a cost to obtain the knowledge, package it, and ultimately use it to benefit athletes. 

 

In the case of the PICTFC a little goes a long way to help provide for all of our athletes, families and our community. 

Coach Burnett ~ 2020 & Beyond

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