The East Kootenay Track and Field Club is looking for a new head coach, or they will be shutting down.
Current head coach Jennifer Doll will be stepping down at the annual general meeting, and the club needs to fill the position, or it will be gone.
“We will have to begin the process of applying to close the non-profit part of the club,” said Doll if no one steps up.
If the club has to close down Doll said there will be a void in the community. The amount of kids who take part in the club varies from 12 to 26, but as of now there are 12 students and each of them will be affected if there is no one to take over.
“The kids that are interested in track need to have a place to go. When you go to elementary school it’s very involved in track … as you get up to the higher grades there’s not as much track. If you are interested in doing more of it that club will help you with that,” she said.
The club has been looking for another coach to take the reins for a while but has been unsuccessful.
“There aren’t a lot of people who have trained and have an NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) certificate or are interested in coaching track that we have come across. So, we put the word out, every year we ask people if they would like to co-coach with us,” said Doll.
The decision to step down as head coach wasn’t taken lightly for Doll, but she wanted to pursue other interests. Currently, she is a teacher at Gordon Terrace Elementary School and is working on her masters.
“I love track. I love that any child, any person, any body type can participate and it doesn’t cost a lot,” she said, but she wants to follow her passions.
Even though she is stepping down, Doll said she would still mentor and help the next head coach.
The club was formed nearly eight years ago and has grown ever since. Doll started to co-coach because of her background in long distance running.
The club covers most of the events that are comprised in track and field, but not pole vault or hammer throw.
“Every other event the kids have tried, and I encourage them to try everything. We do a stations approach where we set everything up at the beginning. We also do a run-throw-jump theme training,” explained Doll.
Ages vary throughout the club, but it incorporates kids from six years old all the way up to high school.
The decision will be made at the Dec. 5 AGM held at Gordon Terrace Elementary School library at 6:30 p.m.
For more information about the club or if people are interested in volunteering as head coach they can find the club on Facebook under Ektfc Track Field Club, or they can attend the AGM.