125 RPS Middle School Athletes Lace Up New Shoes and Learn New Skills at Fall Track Clinic

The RPS Middle School Track Clinic pairs hands-on coaching with free, properly fitted running shoes from Shood

RICHMOND, VA – One hundred twenty-five student-athletes from six Richmond Public Schools (RPS) middle schools came together on October 21 at the RPS Middle School Track Clinic, hosted by Sports Backers at John Marshall High School. Now in its second year, the clinic pairs hands-on instruction for students with training for their coaches, and every participant went home in a new pair of properly fitted running shoes, courtesy of local nonprofit Shood.

Middle school is where many students try a sport for the first time. RPS offers track and field at all seven of its traditional middle schools, as well as at Franklin Military Academy, which serves grades 6-12. In 2025, Dr. Stefanie Ramsey, Coordinator of Athletics and Activities with Richmond Public Schools, and Jacki Quinlan, Director of Youth Programs at Sports Backers, met to discuss expanding the long-standing partnership between the two organizations.

Dr. Ramsey wanted to build up the district’s middle school track programs and provide their athletes more effective training so they would be better prepared for the sport at the high school level. Quinlan, who leads the Kids On The Move and ALL Stars programs at Sports Backers and has coached middle school track and field, was all in. From that initial conversation, the RPS Middle School Track Clinic was born. Sports Backers hosted the first two clinics last school year, one in the fall and one in the spring, and their success brought the initiative back this year.

Students from the following schools attended the clinic: Albert Hill Middle, Dogwood Middle, Henderson Middle, Frankin Military Academy, Lucille Brown Middle, and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle. Accompanied by eleven of their coaches, the students arrived visibly excited, checking in and making name bibs that they wore just like an official race bib.

The clinic kicked off with a group warm-up of two laps around the track and a series of dynamic drills on the field. Students then headed to the two stations they had selected in advance from these options:

• Long jump: proper form and technique

• Relays: how to pass the baton during a relay race

• Shot put: safe and effective throwing technique

• Sprints and middle distance (100, 200, 400, and 800 meters): starting positions, acceleration, and pacing

While students rotated through their stations, the middle school coaches learned from a panel of experienced high school and masters track coaches. The clinic wrapped up with a group cool-down lap and stretching on the field.

The clinic comes together through a group of community partners. Sports Backers coordinated the event, with Quinlan handling planning and partner communication and leading the group warm-up and cool-down. Members of the Pony Express Track Club, an adult track and field club based here in Central Virginia, led the stations based on their areas of expertise. Shood, a local non-profit that provides shoes to those in need of proper footwear, brought a team of volunteers and a store’s worth of shoes, setting up an impressive operation to size each student-athlete. Every participant walked away with a new pair of shoes and a new pair of Bombas socks.

“Shood always loves being a part of this event – this is our third middle school track clinic with Sports Backers,” said Robin Telfian, founder and executive director of Shood. “So many kids came through with shoes that were way too big for them or way too small, so it was great to size and fit them to make sure they had the correct size. Most of them wanted to take off and train in their new shoes right away.”

“The middle school track clinic with Sports Backers is an event where our community partners truly come together to lift our coaches and athletes,” said Dr. Ramsey. “From one-on-one skill instruction to Shood making sure they are properly fitted with the right shoes, our middle school track program continues to grow stronger every year with the help of the running community, and the future looks so bright!”

The partners plan to continue the initiative, which has been a positive experience for students and volunteers alike. “The track and field clinic hosted by Sports Backers for RPS was an amazing experience,” said Joe Mack, co-founder and head coach of Pony Express. “Members of the Pony Express Track Club enjoyed being there to help the students and speak to their coaches as much as they enjoyed having us. I’d like to thank Sports Backers for making it possible for such a wonderful event to take place.”

“It’s all about providing a positive experience while developing the skills of the young athletes but also offering support and training to their coaches so that the benefits of the clinic last throughout the season,” said Quinlan. “Sports Backers’ mission is to inspire active living. Whether it’s their first time on the track or they are nearing their transition to high school, we want every student to walk away more confident in their skills and abilities, so they feel inspired to continue in the sport.”