How-to guides — USATF Oregon

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How-to guides · Five guides, start to finish

StartBecome a member Start a club Junior Olympics Become an official CoachingFinish

Pick what you want to do, then scroll to run it from the start line to the finish. Every guide ends with the right contact.

Start with membership Browse the FAQ

Guide 01 of 05 · 4 steps

Become a member

One membership covers you at every sanctioned meet in the country. Here’s how to get it, from picking a type to your first start list.

Questions? Membership & Clubs Chair Lynn Brown, membership@oregon.usatf.org

Become a member

4 steps to the finish

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Guide 02 of 05 · 5 steps

Start a club

Clubs give athletes coaching, support and teammates. Five steps take you from an idea to a club on the Oregon map.

Questions? Membership & Clubs Chair Lynn Brown, membership@oregon.usatf.org

Start a club

5 steps to the finish

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Guide 03 of 05 · 4 steps

Get ready for the Junior Olympics

From a first membership to the National Junior Olympics: what parents and athletes need, in order.

Questions? Youth Chair Doug Burnett, youth@oregon.usatf.org

Get ready for the Junior Olympics

4 steps to the finish

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Guide 04 of 05 · 4 steps

Become an official

Meets can’t run without officials, and Oregon needs more. Start any time; certified officials get training, mentoring and insurance.

Certification: Scott Phoenix, sandcphoenix@gmail.com · Paid meets: officials@oregon.usatf.org

Become an official

4 steps to the finish

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Guide 05 of 05 · 3 steps

Get coaching certified

USATF coaching education is hybrid: an online course at your own pace, then a seminar in person.

Questions? Coaching Co-Chairs Matt Lydum, mlydum@gmail.com, and Tom Millbrooke, tom_millbrooke@msn.com

Get coaching certified

3 steps to the finish

Related questions

Ready when you are.

Most guides start with a USATF membership. Join today and you’re covered through December 2027.

Join USATF Ask the directory

Pick a membership type
Fees depend on type and length. Compare the options on the USATF membership page. Every athlete needs their own membership.
Join or renew online
Sign up through USATF Connect. Your membership number and confirmation email arrive right away.
Choose a club, or race unattached
You can belong to more than one club but represent only one at a meet. No club? You can still enter championships unattached. Find a club.
Youth athlete? Verify age
Upload a birth certificate, passport, certified baptismal certificate or state ID in USATF Connect.

Set your focus and leaders
Decide on disciplines and divisions, and who will run the club day to day.
Apply for club membership
Apply through USATF club membership. Once USATF Oregon approves it, your club can compete.
Make your adults SafeSport compliant
Coaches, board members, chaperones and regular volunteers need a membership, an NCSI background check and the yearly SafeSport course.
Bring athletes onto your roster
Athletes transfer in from their own Connect account. Parents submit it for athletes under 18.
Renew every November
Club memberships end December 31. Renewals open November 1, or turn on auto-renewal.

Get a membership and verify age
Your athlete needs a current membership and a verified birth date in Connect before entering.
Find your 2026 age group
Set by age on December 31. 8 and under: born 2018–20. 9–10: 2016–17. 11–12: 2014–15. 13–14: 2012–13. 15–16: 2010–11. 17–18: 2008–09.
Race the Oregon championship
Hit the qualifying mark at the Association meet. Washington athletes can enter after an Association transfer request.
Advance to Region 13
Qualifiers move on to the Region 13 Championships. Exceptions can be requested ahead of time at youth@oregon.usatf.org.

Contact the Certification Chair
Scott Phoenix (sandcphoenix@gmail.com, 503-715-6685) will walk you through the steps. Everyone else is in the directory.
Complete SafeSport and the NCSI check
The SafeSport refresher is yearly; the NCSI background check renews every two years.
Get on RefTown for paid meets
Email officials@oregon.usatf.org to join RefTown, where schools, clubs and meet directors post paid assignments.
Apply for championships
Openings are announced in the National Officials Committee newsletter and filled through the NOC dashboard.

Take Level 1
Complete the online portion at your own pace, then a two-day in-person seminar.
Keep it current
Stay active with continuing education. If your certification lapsed, retake Level 1.
Move up to Level 2
Level 2 is hybrid too, with a two-and-a-half-day in-person seminar.

You’re on the start list
Memberships run January to December. Join on or after November 1 and you’re covered through all of next year.
Join USATF
Your club is on the map
Meet schedules, records applications and accident insurance live in club resources.
Register a club
Qualify for Nationals
Next up: Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Saturday November 14 at Ash Creek Preserve, Monmouth.
Race details
Welcome to the crew
Once certified you can add the race walk official or judge path too.
Officials program
You’re certified
Coaches working with minors must also be SafeSport compliant.
Find a course