Learn about the Michigan Mustangs Mission, History and Accolades.
ABOUT
The Michigan Mustangs have been a centerpiece in the Detroit track and field community since its founding nearly 25 years ago. The Mustangs are a non-profit organization, and each new season our coaches donate their time for the love of the sport, the athletes, and their communities. Our coaches have deep experience in all aspects of track & field, from sprinting and mid-distance to field events like high jump, long jump and shot put.
While the Mustangs are a non-profit, we do require each athlete to pay a reasonable fee for each new season. These fees go towards renting facilities, uniforms and equipment, and all the other requirements the club needs to excel. Much of the club's excellence, however, can be attributed to the support of our parents and community. So many of our families contribute during practices and on meet weekends to make sure our kids are ready to compete!
The Mustangs are sanctioned by both AAU and USATF.
MISSION
The mission of our organization is to positively impact the lives of the youth in Southeast Michigan. We seek to assist our young athletes (ages 6-18) in preparing for their futures by exposing them to positive role models, credible learning experiences, team work and travel, while fostering the development of responsibility, self-discipline and self-esteem.
Our team philosophy is to promote physical, psychological and social development through track and field competition and fitness preparedness. By also incorporating a fun environment, we help our athletes set and achieve outcome goals (times & distances) and performance goals (medals, ribbons and personal best). Our ultimate goal is to continuously help our athletes gain college Track & Field scholarships!
The Mustangs welcome athletes of all abilities from ages 6-18, and often train in three groups: Youth, Middle School & High School. For our practice locations and times, please see our practice schedule here.
AWARDS
The club has had countless regional and nationally awarded athletes over the years, and is well represented in national meets every year like the Nike Nationals and AAU Junior Olympics. Our athletes also excel beyond their time with the Mustangs, with many going to college to continue their track careers. We are committed to mentoring and supporting all our athletes that want to pursue their collegiate careers in track & field, and have experience and expertise in the college recruitment process.
HISTORY
The Michigan Mustangs Track Club began as the Detroit Stingers in 1999 representing a hornet, which has denoted our distinctive colors of black and yellow. In 2000, the team joined Southfield Parks & Recreation and the name was changed to the Southfield Mustangs Track Club. In 2003, a group of committed parents took over the responsibilities of coaching the athletes, and in 2013 we changed our name to Michigan Mustangs Track Club to broaden our reach in the community and become a 501(c)3 - Level 3 Club under the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) umbrella.