50th Anniversary!

The Newbury Park Track Club (NPTC) was founded in 1968, making it one of the oldest youth sports organizations in the Conejo Valley. The 2018 track season was the 50th anniversary of the club!

In 1979, the Club split its membership by forming the Thousand Oaks Flyers. NPTC retained a membership of about 80 members and established a dual association with the Ventura County YMCA as well as the NPAA. In 1990, the nine clubs which formed the conference elected to form an independent, non-profit California Corporation, the Ventura County Youth Track Conference (VCYTC). Subsequently, fees were reduced by over 30% while increasing the amount of benefits like secondary medical insurance. NPTC membership stabilized at approximately 135 athletes.

By 2004, the club grew in size to over 160 athletes, then jumped to 200 to 235 from 2005 to 2008, making it the largest club in the conference. By 2009, club membership expanded to the league limit of 275 and subsequently to the increased limit of 300 in 2012-2013. Today NPTC operates at a size of approximately 250 participants.

NPTC athletes have set two individual and relay national youth records, and have had several individual national champions. One of our former members ran on the championship national cross country team. NPTC athletes have competed in various national youth championships at the Junior Olympics.

The league has continually evolved. The original Bantam Age group was the same as our current Midget Age group. The Bantams were originally called “Mighty Mights.” In 1981 the age groups were re-named to match up with the National age group track and field governing body, TAC (The Athletics Congress). In 1996 and 97 we had a “Tadpole” age group with boys and girls age five and younger (age group below the Gremlins.) Tadpoles were discontinued in 1998. In 1983 all yard races were changed to metric distances. This was not a significant change for all distances except for the change between 100 yards and 100 meters. That was a 10% change in distance. Triple jump was added for the older girls in 1983; however, in 1990 all triple jump events were eliminated. Also in 1990 we began measuring all field events in metric. This was changed back to feet and inches in 2004. Hurdles have changed in distance, height, and spacing several times. Hurdles for Midgets were added in 1995. Spacing for all age groups was changed again in 2004 to match USATF (USA Track & Field – the national age group track and field governing body that replaced TAC.) Over the years, high schools in the county began to put in all-weather tracks. The first was at Rio Mesa H.S. and the league held all of its varsity finals meets at that facility for several years in the 1990s. All-weather tracks are now in place at most high schools.

In 1990, the league incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization and left the YMCA. At that time we also formed the Ventura County Condors as a separate team for all league athletes to compete in national and international competition under USATF. All members of the governing boards of the league and member clubs are volunteers, putting in thousands of hours over the years. Hundreds of men and women have served in this organization and quality personnel are continually rotating through as their children join, age, and go on to high school. This league has been a valuable asset to the area.

During our history, we have had several athletes win national championships and set national records in individual and team competitions. Many of our athletes compete for the area high schools and gone on to college competition in Track and Field and in other sports. We have had two alumni athletes who have competed in the Olympics.