OKEMOS – This Saturday, MITCA  presents its annual Student  Learn-By-Doing Clinic to be hosted at Okemos High School.

Olympians Jim Ryun and Suzy Favor-Hamilton will headline an all star cast of successful former athletes and coaches who will be talking to and working directly with the student athletes.

The student learn-by-doing clinic is open to any student athlete for a cost of $15 for the day.  A shirt, instruction and autograph sessions are included!  There are still many slots open in all event groups and registration information can be found at http://mitca.org
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Lansing will find nearly 900 of Michigan’s track and field coaches gathering at the Causeway Bay Hotel for the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA) 52nd Annual Coaches Educational Clinic. MITCA was established in 1959 by a small group of coaches interested in establishing an environment conducive for the sharing of ideas, techniques and general camaraderie.

Since 1959, the association’s clinic has grown to host such noteworthy speakers as the 2010 line-up of US Olympians Jan Johnson, Jim Ryun, Suzy Favor-Hamilton, Pat Manson and Sharon Couch.  Johnson was the bronze medalist in the 1972 Munich Games while Ryun is one of the top distance runners in US history being the first American to break 4:00 in the mile run and earning a silver medal in Mexico City in 1968.

Originally established with an educational mission, MITCA has developed other layers of opportunity for interested coaches.  For example, attending coaches can earn SB-CEU credits that can be used for re-certification purposes or even one college credit to be used as necessary.  Additionally, the clinic has been aligned with the United States Track & Field Association (USATF) so that interested coaches can receive Developmental Coach certification which can serve as their entry into the USATF educational process.

Details regarding the clinic, which begins today, including fees, schedule and other items can be found at the association website,  www.mitca.org.