Competing unattached

[ACvault]

Ok, so right now I am a freshman in college and currently training on my own due to the fact that there is not a roster spot available on the men's track team because of lack of funding (and supposedly some Title IX issues). However, I am also receiving vault coaching once a week and I am planning on getting into some collegiate meets this indoor season. I have no idea how to go about entering said meets unattached. I have heard you need to be registered with USATF (which I am) and that there may be a small entry fee. I am located in Maryland and looking to possibly get into meets at the PG Sportsplex, George Mason University, University of Delaware and The Naval Academy. If anyone has been in this situation or has any knowledge of how to do this I would greatly appreciate any information.

[rainbowgirl28]

It's different for every school. Usually you can find the meet information on their track team home page, that usually has the scoop. If they don't have info posted, email the head coach, but make sure you really dig around to find the meet info first. They'll be annoyed if it's posted and you email them with questions they already answered.

Some schools allow unattached athletes, some don't, obviously it depends on what kind of meet it is (a dual meet would be less likely to, for example). If it is unclear from the meet info, email/call and ask.

[master]

Some college meets are listed on this site. They usually list whether they accept unattached athletes. You can search by various parameters.
http://www.directathletics.com/

- master

[ashcraftpv]

Best thing you can do is just pick a few meets and call up the track office to see what you need to do to get entered. I did that my redshirt year and pretty much had a meet to go to every week if I wanted to.

[bel142]

You have to look for meets that are deemed 'open'. Usually pay an entrance fee, because meets have caps on the field number, you have to have a standard to enter in. the USATF web site can help you can find open meets in your region, they ussually have website links to the meet page where standards/fees/info about USATF memberships are posted... Hipathletics in south NJ usually has open meets.

hope that helps...

[VaultPurple]

Almost all college meets that are not like confrence or dule meets will let you jump there. I know some high schoolers that jumped at a college meet just about every weekend and competed either as unattaced or with a club name. Its just about who you know.