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United Age Group Track Coaches Association

2025 UAGTCA Year in Review

An Outstanding Year of Youth Development, Competition, and Community

The 2025 seasons were nothing short of extraordinary for UAGTCA track & field. From indoor season to outdoor championships to our annual summer flagship youth invitational, the UAGTCA delivered premier competition, community impact, and athlete development that stretched far beyond the track and field. Teams from Philadelphia, suburban PA, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Georgia, Florida and even Canada traveled to compete at UAGTCA meets which goes to show proof that the UAGTCA has built one of the region’s most respected, community-based youth track and field programs.
So here’s the year’s ‘run’down (or ‘throw’down; or ‘jump’down)…you get it???

Indoor Season

2025 UAGTCA Indoor Season kicked off at The Ott Center for Track and Field at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania.

This was literally a groundbreaking opportunity and honor because the UAGTCA was the only youth community-based program invited to host meets at The Ott Center for Track and Field’s brand-new, state-of-the-art indoor track and field facility. This facility is equipped with a banked track and innovative digital technology which gave youth athletes the chance to compete in an elite, university facility environment right in their own backyard, without the burden of long-distance travel. While hosting 3 indoor meets, the athletes experienced fierce competition and were recognized with brand new 1st place trophies and 2nd through 6th place ribbons. The partnership with the Ott Center for Track and Field and the University of Penn not only aligned with the UAGTCA’s mission of community and athlete development but also created lasting exposure for the athletes and their families. The staff for the UAGTCA, Ott Center for Track and Field and the University of Penn, including Coach Aaron, Coach Sean and Coach Joe, Coach Lex and Coach Mike, worked seamlessly to ensure efficient, well-run, and truly memorable meets.

Outdoor Season

The 2025 UAGTCA outdoor Developmental Series moved to a new home at Lincoln University! After the UAGTCA Outdoor Developmental Meet #1 was kicked off at the School District Philadelphia, Lincoln University welcomed the UAGTCA with open arms for 4 straight Saturdays in May for Meets #2-4! Each week, almost 1,100 athletes left it all on the track and field with incredible performances!

The developmental series was also elevated by community partnerships that made a real impact:
• USATF Foundation introduced the UAGTCA to Bras for Girls, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides FREE sports bras for girls in need, who generously distributed 500+ brand-new, FREE sports bras to all female athletes, coaches, parents, and officials at the UAGTCA’s 2025 Outdoor Championship meet. This initiative promoted self-esteem, confidence, and proper competition gear for these female athletes.
• We also awarded brand new ‘Outstanding Athlete’ trophies to top scorers across the outdoor season.
• The UAGTCA also collaborated with Grand Slam Track who sponsored the UAGTCA’s 100 meter dash finals. Grand Slam provided the top finishers in each division (and their families) tickets to attend the last day of competition and expose the athletes to professionals in this sport of track and field.

The energy, competition, and support from Coach Whiting and the Lincoln University staff set a new standard for outdoor youth track meets.

Ron Jackson Youth Invitation (RJYI) Annual Summer Event

This was not just another RJYI event, it was the 20th Annual Ron Jackson Youth Invitational! Truly a milestone celebration.
The 20th Annual RJYI, once again hosted at our home, Widener University in Chester, PA in 95+ degree heat, but that didn’t stop the athletes, coaches, and families who showed up and showed out across a full weekend of unforgettable competition!

This 20th annual milestone year featured:
• The awarding of not just 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 separate $1,000 Madeline R. Willette Scholarships to 4 deserving student-athletes, continuing to further pursue their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education at Lehigh University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, William and Mary, and University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Continuing the UAGTCA’s tradition of giving back.
• Once again, the UAGTCA stepped up our game by expanding athlete recognition with new 20th Annual RJYI specific Outstanding Athlete awards, trophies, and UAGTCA track bags for our champions.
• Finally, it won’t be a RJYI without flipping the script and turning the track over to the coaches and parents by hosting our annual Parents and Coaches Relays!
Words can’t possibly express the excitement and vibe throughout Widener!

Special thanks to Coach Vince Touey and the entire Widener staff for ensuring an efficient, well-run, and truly memorable meets.

UAGTCA is not just on the track & field, but also in the Community

In late June 2025, several track and field families attended the UAGTCA’s groundbreaking partnership with TD Bank, via coordination with Thomas Berner and Helmut McIntosh, where we launched the first of a series of Financial Literacy programs at TD Bank’s workshop location on the University of Penn’s campus. 
One can not believe (or at least I couldn’t believe) the overwhelmingly positive response from attendees about the value this workshop brought.

All This is Only Possible by Being ‘Powered by Generosity’

The UAGTCA’s success in 2025 would not have been possible without the generous donations from the University of Pennsylvania, TD Bank, and private supporters. Every contribution went directly back into the program to the athletes, their families, and the community. These resources allowed the UAGTCA to provide enhanced awards, create more scholarship opportunities, and cover critical expenses such as facility use. More importantly, they also lay the foundation for even greater impact as the UAGTCA prepares for the 2026 season.

A Season of Gratitude and Growth

NONE OF THIS would have been possible without the dedication of the UAGTCA’s Officials and Volunteer Staff, who consistently delivered efficient, youth athlete-centered track and field events.

BIG SHOUTOUT TO ALL THE UAGTCA OFFICIALS, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS!! Also, another big shout out to one of our Officials who traveled all the way from Connecticut just to be part of our 2-day RJYI meet and to support the youth!! A special thanks to our partners, The Ott Center for Track and Field, University of Penn, Lincoln University, Widener University, the School District of Philadelphia, USATF Foundation, Bras for Girls, Grand Slam Track, TD Bank, our private donors, coaches, families, and most importantly, the ATHLETES.

In summary, I would say that 2025 was a season of growth, competition, and community impact that raised the bar for what youth track and field is all about. The UAGTCA’s mission continues to provide young athletes with opportunities not just to compete, but to develop, to shine, and to thrive as student-athletes and more importantly as individuals. So all that said…Here’s to an outstanding 2025 and looking forward to the 2026 season!

Finally, be sure to check out UAGTCA’s photo gallery here on the website and our Instagram (@therealUAGTCA) to see the pics captured throughout the year. Oh, special thanks to J.K. Skye Photography, our UAGTCA Media Coordinator and last but certainly not least, my mom, Diane Jackson (UAGTCA Age Verifier who single handedly processes THOUSANDS of age verification documents as necessary to ensure the integrity of our meets) for their contributions to website pics and Instagram content, to see the years success!

We’re so excited to look ahead to 2026, so be sure to add the UAGTCA meets on your team’s schedule. Check out the Meet Schedule page for our 2026 meets.

See you next year!

Robin Stovall
UAGTCA President
uagtca@uagtca.org