These are some heady times for the Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department, town councilor David Watson, and the community in general.

Watson, a longtime track and field official, is partnering with the Brunswick Rec. to showcase Maine tracksters from Youth all the way up to Masters.

For the first time in a while, the Brunswick Rec. will be hosting a weekly USATF-Maine Youth Developmental Series Meet on July 25.

Prior to that , the town will play host to a USATF- Maine Association Open and Masters Outdoor Championship meet on July 21.

Both meets will take place at Brunswick High School.

This is also being played out with an eye to next year’s Eastern Regional Masters Championship, which Watson hopes Brunswick and Bowdoin College can play host.

The Eastern Regional Masters Championship is being held in Rochester, N.Y., July 6-7 this year and is for Master athletes ages 30 years old and up.

There is some background to all this, said Watson.

“Let’s fall back a few years when we ran the Region l Junior Olympics in Brunswick back in 2010,” said Watson. “Originally, we were told the site would not facilitate a meet at that level. But, we got the bid at any rate, because we offered the package and a philosophy and that this was a community effort, as opposed to an isolated effort.

“What happened with the meet was that we had some failures … and we learned from that meet. We had anticipated that people would be staying and they didn’t. They came and they went home.”

“But, what that does is tell us that we are creditable … we can put on a program. We had some failures, but we learned an incredible amount.”

“And, the youth meet we’re doing is because of our own team,” said Tom Farrell, Brunswick Recreation Director. “We have 65 children who participate on our track team every year. We are choosing to host one of the weekly meets … it just happens that the timing of this Masters and Open meet for the state of Maine is going to be within that same week. So, we will gear up to host two meets in one week.”

The Brunswick Rec. youth team is in Group B with Auburn, Oxford, Panthers, Lisbon, Woolwich, Team Nowhere and Topsham.

“And next summer we would like to offer in a regional format that Open Masters category … so, we would be dealing with much larger numbers from all the Region I clubs,” said Watson.

“You have to understand that Region I constitutes probably half the Eastern seaboard,” explained Watson. “What we will also offer, and what they offer in the U.S. Master Championships, is that we will be sending applications to Canada and all over the United States. I’ve officiated at national championships in which I’ve seen athletes from Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, England. In my opinion, and, at this time, it doesn’t forbade us from opening it to those folks as well.

“So, if we are successful, and Bowdoin College can work with us, and we’re able to put a package together, Maine USA is anxious for us to take it because of what we did and how we did it with the Regional meet. It was a big feather in this department’s hat.”

Next year obviously is a long ways away, but Watson, Farrell and assistant director Troy Smith are laying the groundwork.

“We haven’t really done a lot of informing people about next year,” said Farrell. “We’re trying to get these two meets under our belts and then focus on discussions with Bowdoin. That venue is hugely important. With the Region 1 meet, I had a six-month period of time ahead where we all met in earnest, twicemonthly. We were involving other communities within the region to house officials, to house athletes. Get the local Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Association to support this event in terms of welcoming athletes, like literature for them about what to do when they come to the community.

“It was more of an effort then just running a track meet.”

Three years ago, the town came up with a website for the sole purpose of directing those incoming Region I athletes, to help with all the myriad questions.

“Teams could go to this website and find out, not only information about the meet, but schedule of events, the venues,” said Farrell. “But, they also could get all kinds of information with respect to this region … places to see, things to do while they’re here.”

For Farrell, it all comes back to the children and running programs, fall and spring.

“In the past five years our numbers are as strong as we’ve ever seen them,” said Farrell. “Our summer track and field program numbers are equally strong … I’ve seen a resurgence in youth and in families around track an field.”

“A great story, I believe, with the youth meet is the growth of interest and enthusiasm around both cross country and track in Brunswick,” allowed Farrell.

“That’s one of more popular programs,” chimed in Smith. “And, we want to get the word out that we are hosting this youth meet. This would certainly benefit our program.”

“Our coach is Heather Green. She has served as the varsity track and field coach at Lewiston High School and has been the director of the Lewiston Recreation Department’s Youth Summer Track and Field Program,” continued Smith.

“Our paid staff includes Jamie Ross, Alexis Dickinson and Farren Welzel as well as a handful of Brunswick High School track and field volunteers.

“In 2012 we had 65 participants and in 2013 we have 66 participants, which is great since the Topsham Rec. restarted a program this summer and some Topsham residents went to that in-town program.”

“We also have had a large growth in our cross country running program,” added Smith, “which has grown from 42 participants in fall 2010, to 55 fall runners in 2011, up to 60 runners in fall 2012. We also expanded with a Spring Running Club in 2012, with 67 participants, and we had 73 this past spring.

“We have some accomplished group of athletes that take running and track and field very seriously, and we have a bunch of kids that enjoy the benefits to health and fitness that track and field provide while having a great time.”

“This is an excellent opportunity — on July 25 — for those people to see, literally hundreds of kids competing at their own age level,” said Watson of the weekly USATF youth meets. “And, on July 21, you’ll have some incredible Masters athletes, 30 years and up. They’re wonderful athletes and they’re fun to watch. The athletes, the athleticism, the sportsmanship, the camaraderie is unparalleled.”

“The one thing that I noticed when we ran the Region 1 meet in 2010 is there were some superb athletes,” said Farrell. “If you knew anything about track and watched some of the kids, I mean there were some exceptional athletes at that meet.

“And, I suspect if we we’re selected to host the Region meet next year, you’ll see similar caliber athletes in those older age levels.”

“If it works out to host an Eastern regional, we could have upwards to 200 Masters,” said Watson. “But, if we advertise it right and promote the area right, I would anticipate that we’re looking at more numbers.”

Volunteers needed

With any high-level track and field meets, volunteers are needed.

“So, we want to get it our there that we would like people who have track and field backgrounds and might be interested in volunteering,” said Smith. “They can get in touch with us beforehand.”

“And, we’re also looking for people who want to learn, who might be interested in becoming an official,” added Watson. “We’re going to need officials.

“Needless to say, I’m certified as a Master Track and Field official. I’m more than willing to help, if there’s a group of people who are interested in learning how to officiate. I can offer them a clinic, explain the different levels of officiating and they can choose what level that’d want. And, this could be another avenue for people to help their community.”

For more information, contact Smith at the Brunswick Rec. at 725.6656, ext. 302, or Watson at 443- 6171 or email wdwatson1@comcast.net