HS coaches/fans, can you explain to me how you choose between US juniors and New Balance Nationals Outdoor?

Ima jus go whichever does not involve the San Fran airport.

The NSAF offered to host and administer the USATF Jrs on Tuesday/ Wednesday to avoid some athletes having to choose between the two events.....to no avail.....NSAF still has financially sponsored quite a few HS athletes to the juniors, the competing meet. It’s still about the kids .The NSAF wants those HS kids with a legit shot to make the US team to compete at the Jrs and not at their own meet. One of the reasons for the establishing of NSAF was to help kids get to the Jrs. It is still one of their missions.

I would always choose US Juniors over NBNO. It usually harder to qualify for most events and teaches kids to go through rounds helping them to get to the next stage in development. NBNO is for kids that just want to run time trials or relay races US Juniors is for kids who want to compete and believe they can compete on the next stage .

This is just one of those odd years where it happens.

Nsaf always runs this weekend after all the state meets are done. USATF wanted to avoid the ncaa weekend and has an IAAF deadline so can't be mixed in with the Sr meet. Conflict really just involves a few kids who have a shat at making the team so not a bug deal

You can't have everything in life so simply make a choice

Where is Soren Knudsen going to be? Easy choice, man.

New Balance is closer to home for our kids (live in VA).

Look at most the entries from New Balance. Most of them are all east coast kids. Yes, a few from Cali, but to them what is the difference between NC or IN?

A part of me would love to see a regional type event that would then qualify them to a "national meet." Similar to NXN or Footlocker.

Why doesn't the US just have an undisputed national championship for cross country and track like every other country in the world?

Honestly, most talent has either wrapped it up for the season or, if not, already peaked weeks ago. Post season meets among the distance crowd, tend to get stronger entries at Brooks, Festival of Miles, NBN way more than at US Juniors.

Middle to end of June is ridiculous for most high schoolers, MN and NY, excepted, and is 5 weeks in to summer training for most xc hsers.

Sprinters/hurdles, jumpers, throwers may still peak, but they too have mostly wrapped.

US Juniors is not a strong meet.

nationals has always been a bigger deal than junior nats.

The NBON meet is really an east coast championship meet, not many if any of the Texas sprinters show up, same goes for texas.

It does not look very strong in the distance races either except for a few top kids, the meet is mediocre.

Both meets are equal travel time for us and none of the kids know or care about USATF Juniors. I would have a revolt on my hands if I took them there instead of getting their backpacks at NBN. Also, while the top tier kids can get into Juniors, the mid level kids can't but can get into the emerging elite races or the slow seeded sections. So, the top tier kids want to be with their friends anyways. Juniors isn't an option.

Pretty sad that it is all about a backpack. Emerging elite, what the heck is that? The not good enough for real Nats? (for the same price)

honestly, it has been about the backpack for almost 20 years now.

nobody cares about junior nats, the cream of the crop go to NBON, bottom line.

former hs coach clearly has never been to nationals. emerging elite event is a great event especially for juniors who are up and coming. look at Kyle Merber winning back in the day.

former hs coach wrote:

Pretty sad that it is all about a backpack. Emerging elite, what the heck is that? The not good enough for real Nats? (for the same price)

Yes, hard to believe that the less talented kids would go to nationals to race in lesser races, enjoy the environment, learn from their betters, hang out with their faster friends, enjoy the sport, and get a backpack that they would literally cherish for years.

Thank you for being a former hs coach.

Schools Out for Summer wrote:

Honestly, most talent has either wrapped it up for the season or, if not, already peaked weeks ago. Post season meets among the distance crowd, tend to get stronger entries at Brooks, Festival of Miles, NBN way more than at US Juniors.

Middle to end of June is ridiculous for most high schoolers, MN and NY, excepted, and is 5 weeks in to summer training for most xc hsers.

Sprinters/hurdles, jumpers, throwers may still peak, but they too have mostly wrapped.

US Juniors is not a strong meet.

PA, MD, MO wrapped up recently too.

Totally Evil Private Coach wrote:

former hs coach wrote:

Pretty sad that it is all about a backpack. Emerging elite, what the heck is that? The not good enough for real Nats? (for the same price)

Yes, hard to believe that the less talented kids would go to nationals to race in lesser races, enjoy the environment, learn from their betters, hang out with their faster friends, enjoy the sport, and get a backpack that they would literally cherish for years.

Thank you for being a former hs coach.

Well, it is expensive first of all, our state did not allow schools or booster clubs to help, so it was on the parents. I was not comfortable telling them they had to fork out six hundred or more dollars to get a back pack to run mediocre times. So, never took a kid or relay to emerging elite events. There are other meets that are pretty competitive like Penn Relays that the school can pay for where they get the environment and exposure, minus the backpack.

For the record, have been to Nationals many times, even had an individual Champ, a couple of individual runner-ups, a relay champ and 10 other all-american relay teams. Just wouldn't ask the parents to fork up the money unless they were capable of placing. If i lived within driving distance I would feel differently.

One of the big differences between the two meets is that NBNO is high-school only whereas US jrs is based on age. So there are kids who just finished freshman year of college but are very young for their grade level competing at US jrs. If I'm upper elite (ex. Cooper Teare, Brodey Hastey, etc.) I'm going to US juniors to compete, if not I'd go to NBNO for the more "fun" experience.

you would't take them to nationals to run mediocre times? but you will take them to a dumpy meet in your town in the middle of bumblefuck usa? with better competition? lol