By Leonard COUTIN

Over the next two weekends, local youth athletes will be competing in track and field contests at Crescenta Valley High School sponsored by Los Angeles Falcons Track & Field Program.

The Los Angeles Falcons Track & Field Program is part of the Valley Youth Conference, comprised of an eastern and western league. There are 12 teams in the conference that compete at various high schools and colleges in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. Volunteers operate this program overseeing every activity on and off the field.

Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on March 24 and again on March 31, athletes from La Crescenta and Glendale will face off against other runners and jumpers from the San Fernando Valley. Foothills resident and coach Phil Sutphin is president of the Falcons and has been volunteering his time and skill to this program for 11 years.

“This is a wonderful program for the youth in our community,” said Sutphin. “We have a great group of both coaches and parent volunteers that make it all happen. I only wish I had a program like this available to me when I was their age.”

The Falcons have been competing for more than 18 years in the conference. On average the team is around 150 athletes strong ranging in age from 5 to 15 years old. Children from all backgrounds and all athletic abilities are eligible to be part of the program.

The season runs from the end of February to the end of May with track meets most weekends beginning the last weekend in March. When the season comes to a close, there are league finals for the east and the west. The top runners from those two meets come together for the grand finale, the I.E.C. Meet (Individual Event Championships). This year that meet will be held at Santa Barbara City College on May 19.

  Leonard Coutin