Fast Feet Sets U.S. Records and Sets Calhoun County Kids up for Success

September 7, 2021
Lee Evancho

Fast Feet is a non-profit travel track team in

Calhoun County. The Calhoun County Journal had the chance to speak with Coach Green. He wanted to stress this is not just a track program. The program is teaching kids about adversity and family.  This program succeeds or fails based on the families involved. Because this is a travel team, it is necessary to work together to make sure all the kids involved can achieve their potential. The team competes here in Alabama, but also in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Virginia, and Tennessee.  Not every child in the program comes from a two parent household, so supporting the group as a whole is very important to Coach Green and the families involved. The goal is to find a way to succeed no matter what adversities are thrown in the way.  These life lessons will hopefully carry forward into every aspect of the kids’ lives and the lives they touch.

Coach Green is often approached by people who say, “My kids run around the house all the time so they will be great at this.” He tries to explain that this is a disciplined running program. It isn’t just about running. It is about learning a skill and working to improve upon it. Participants learn the mechanics of running and the techniques. They learn about chin, knee, and hip placement.  The program is designed for a range of ages, but often the younger children pickup the techniques faster. The four -six year olds dominate in track. Four girls set championship records. The five and six years olds won accolades at the Depot Fondation 5k and the Woodstock 5k. The team also had a MVP named at the Alabama State meet. There were multiple All Americans named as well. These kids are making names for themselves and they are working hard to do it.

This team is truly a county

team. They practice at the Ft McClellan track, at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park, and at JSU’s track. They will work in many locations that are available. The biggest issue is finding a place to practice the long-jump and hurdles. These two sports are difficult to do without specific tools. They are currently planning on speaking at an upcoming Oxford City Council meeting to ask for time to use the facilities at Choccolocco Park.

Another aspect of this program is giving back. Coach Green says, “He does not want to be one of those organizations that always have their hands out, but never help  others.” Currently they are planning a Breast Cancer 5k for October 9th. This event will be held from 8 am – 10 am on Saturday and will raise money for a selected person who is facing or has faced a cancer diagnosis. Last year the recipient was seven year old London Tally and this year’s recipient just finished chemo. This 5k has been hosted by Fast Feet since 2006. In addition, the program gives out two scholarships of $500 each to local high school graduates attending college. These scholarships are also sponsored by Jeremy Sims, a local business owner. The goal is to be able to do more for the program and the community because they are not mutually exclusive from each other.

Fast Feet currently is supported 100% through donations, fundraising events, and family support. They receive no city or county funding. If you would like to learn more about the program, please reach out to Coach Green. If you would like to support them, all donations are tax deductible. You can contribute through their CashApp at $FastFeet43 or through PayPal at [email protected].