The short answer
USATF splits youth athletes into two-year divisions: 8 and under (sub-bantam), bantam (9-10), midget (11-12), youth (13-14), intermediate (15-16), and young (17-18). Your division is set by your age on December 31 of the competition year. Events and implement weights expand with each step up.
Key takeaways
- Divisions are two-year bands set by age on December 31 of the competition year
- Sub-bantam runs sprints, long jump and turbo javelin only
- Hurdles, discus and the steeplechase appear as athletes age up
- Shot put rises from 6 lb to 4 kg to 12 lb across the divisions
- Intermediate and young adult run the near-full senior event menu
How USATF youth divisions are set
USATF groups youth athletes into two-year age divisions, and the key rule catches a lot of families out: your division is decided by how old you are on December 31 of the competition year, not your age on meet day. So an athlete who is 10 at a June meet but turns 11 before the year ends competes as an 11-year-old (midget) all season. Figure out your December 31 age first, then everything else follows.
Six divisions, ages 8 to 18
USATF youth competition runs from the 8 and under sub-bantam division through the 17 to 18 young division, six two-year bands covering the full youth pathway to the senior ranks.
Source: USATF youth rules (verified 2026)
The divisions at a glance
USATF youth age divisions
The two-year bands and what each adds to the event menu. Division set by age on December 31.
| Division | Ages | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-bantam | 8 and under | Sprints to 400m, long jump, turbo javelin |
| Bantam | 9-10 | 800m, 1500m, high jump, shot put, relays |
| Midget | 11-12 | 3000m, 80m hurdles, discus, 4x800 |
| Youth | 13-14 | 100m/200m hurdles, javelin, heavier shot |
| Intermediate | 15-16 | Steeplechase, full hurdles, hammer, multi-events |
| Young | 17-18 | Near-full senior menu, 5000m for men |
The pattern is deliberate. The youngest athletes run short, jump, and throw a soft turbo javelin, nothing that punishes immature joints. Distance, hurdles, and the technical throws phase in as bodies are ready. By the intermediate and young divisions, an athlete is running essentially the senior program, including the steeplechase, the hammer, and the combined events.
Implement weights by division
The throwing weights climb division by division, and they split by sex once athletes reach the youth band. This is the table to bookmark if you are a parent buying practice implements.
USATF youth throwing implements by division
Shot put, discus and javelin weights per division. Verified 2026.
| Division | Shot put | Discus | Javelin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-bantam | n/a | n/a | turbo jav |
| Bantam | 6 lb | n/a | turbo jav |
| Midget | 6 lb | 1 kg | turbo jav |
| Youth boys | 4 kg | 1 kg | 600 g |
| Youth girls | 6 lb | 1 kg | 600 g |
| Intermediate boys | 12 lb | 1.6 kg | 800 g |
| Intermediate girls | 4 kg | 1 kg | 600 g |
| Young boys | 12 lb | 1.6 kg | 800 g |
| Young girls | 4 kg | 1 kg | 600 g |
For how these weights compare to high school, college, and masters implements, see the full track implement weights by age and level chart.
Which events each division runs
Here is the practical breakdown, youngest to oldest.
- Sub-bantam (8U): 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay, long jump, turbo javelin.
- Bantam (9-10): adds 800m, 1500m, 1500m racewalk, high jump, shot put, 4x400m, triathlon.
- Midget (11-12): adds 3000m, 80m hurdles, discus, 4x800m, pentathlon.
- Youth (13-14): adds 100m/200m hurdles, javelin, and the heavier boys' shot.
- Intermediate (15-16): adds 2000m steeplechase, full-height hurdles, hammer, heptathlon and decathlon.
- Young (17-18): the near-complete senior menu, with 5000m replacing 3000m for men.
Coach the basics, not the specialty
At sub-bantam and bantam age, the win is clean sprint mechanics and a coordinated jump, not early specialization. Those habits transfer to every event later.
Source: Track & Field AI coaching desk
From youth to high school and beyond
USATF youth competition runs alongside school sports, and the divisions line up roughly with school grades, but the implement weights are not identical to high school (NFHS) rules, so check both if your athlete competes in each. The pathway is clear: sub-bantam basics, then a steady expansion of events and weights until the young division mirrors the senior program. Athletes who arrive with sound mechanics, captured and corrected early, carry a real advantage into high school and college.
Quick answers
- What division is my 11-year-old? Midget, if they are 11 or 12 on December 31 of the competition year.
- When can my child throw discus? From the midget division (11-12), at 1 kg.
- When does the javelin start? The youth division (13-14), at 600 g.
- When do real hurdles begin? 80m hurdles at midget, full hurdle program by intermediate.