Nationals have been a staple in the high school track season for years. Every athlete dreams of qualifying and hopes to be able to compete on the national stage. Although there have always been many National competitions, such as Nike and Adidas, New Balance Nationals was most widely considered the most legitimate competition. It had a better venue, more participants, and, of course, the highly demanded backpacks. However, there is a lot of controversy this year, and many wonder if the event can live up to its previously set standards.
New Balance Nationals Indoor (NBNI) has had multiple homes in the past few years. It used to be hosted at The Armory in New York. This past year, in 2023, NBNI found a new venue at The Track at New Balance, a world-class facility recently built in Boston. Since this new track is now known as the fastest indoor track, along with the fact that it is owned by New Balance, track athletes and fans assumed that it would be where NBNI would be held for many years to come. In an unexpected twist, however, New Balance released a schedule showing that the Division 1 indoor championships are going to be held at The Track at New Balance the same weekend as NBNI. Due to this conflict, New Balance Nationals Indoor will be moving to the Reggie Lewis Center. NBNI lasts for four days, and the competition is to be held for three days at the Reggie Lewis Center, with the fourth day returning to its old home at The Track at New Balance. The move of the competition to Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center brings with it a blend of excitement and concern among the track community.
The Reggie Lewis Center, renowned for its state-of-the-art facilities, numerous records, and banked track, will undoubtedly provide a fresh backdrop for the famous competition. However, some track and field community members express concern about the relocation potentially resulting in a dip in attendance. The venue change may pose logistical challenges for participants and spectators alike as they adapt to the shift in geography and facilities.
The Reggie Lewis Center is much smaller than any other place NBNI has been held in the past. This will make it a lot more crammed in the venue, potentially causing stress for anyone in attendance. Additionally, the Armory and The Track at New Balance housed an indoor practice track where participants could warm up. The Reggie Lewis Center lacks this amenity, which could spark problems in finding a place where athletes can warm up. Distance runners can warm up outside, as they usually do at the other facilities. However, for sprinters and field athletes, the cool weather of early March could do more harm than good for them pre-race.
Adding to the buzz is the elimination of the Rising Star category. This category was used in the past to allow athletes who may have yet to reach the championship standards but who were still running speedy times to participate in the event. The hope was that members in the Rising Star category would eventually qualify for the Championship section later in their track career. By removing the Rising Star standards, the event organizers believe that it will foster, as seen on the NBNI website, “the highest caliber experience for all athletes, coaches, and spectators.” Removing the Rising Star category signals a commitment to enhancing the overall experience for participants. The decision aligns with the event’s mission to showcase the best of high school track and field. NBNI will now contain only the best of the best, irrespective of age or experience, making it much more prestigious than in the past.
That being said, many athletes are upset about this change. The Championship standards are quite hard to achieve, and it is causing athletes and coaches to have to re-evaluate their seasons. Athletes who may have been planning on attempting to qualify in the Rising Star division no longer have that option, and with Championship qualifying marks being very difficult, it leaves few options. It will be interesting to see if other Nationals such as Nike will continue to offer a Rising Star category, and how the number of people signing up for the different Nationals will change compared to previous years.
The track and field community eagerly anticipates how these changes will shape the future of the New Balance Nationals Indoor. As athletes, coaches, and fans prepare for the upcoming event in March, the consensus remains: while change may bring challenges, it also presents opportunities for growth and betterment in the world of high school track and field.
