Minnesota Youth Track & Field Club • Sprints • Distance • Hurdles • Jumps
Built in the storm.
Proven on the track.
Lightning Performance Track Club is a Minnesota youth track and field club serving families across the Twin Cities area. Develop skills in sprints, distance, hurdles, jumps and relays during our spring and summer season.
Federally Recognized 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
USATF Level 1 Certified Head Coach
Amanda O’Connor
Founder & Head Coach | USATF Level 1 Certified Coach | World Champion | World Record Holder | National Champion
World Champion
World Record Holder
National Champion
Amanda O’Connor is the Founder and Head Coach of Lightning Performance Track Club and an elite masters sprinter competing at the national and international level.
Amanda is a World Champion and member of two world record setting 4x200 relay teams, including the W35 women’s 4x200 and the X40 mixed 4x200. In 2026, she captured the USATF Masters Indoor National Championship in the 60 meters, running a personal best of 7.76 seconds.
As an active competitive sprinter, Amanda brings the same principles she uses at the championship level directly into her coaching. Her philosophy is simple:
Speed is a skill. It can be taught, developed, and refined.
At Lightning Performance, Amanda focuses on sprint mechanics, acceleration, maximum velocity, strength, confidence, and disciplined preparation while developing athletes who are faster, stronger, and better prepared for success on and beyond the track.
Jumps & Hurdles Coach
Jason James
Elite Masters Athlete | Track & Field Coach | Vice President, USATF Minnesota
Jumps & Hurdles
USATF Minnesota Leadership
Masters Competitor
Jason James brings competitive experience, technical expertise, and leadership to Lightning Performance Track Club as the club’s Jumps & Hurdles Coach. An accomplished USATF Masters athlete, Jason competes in the long jump, triple jump, and hurdles and has represented Minnesota in high-level masters competition.
Jason also serves as Vice President of USATF Minnesota and has experience supporting and directing championship-level track & field events. His coaching emphasizes sound mechanics, explosive power, confidence, and progressive skill development.
At Lightning Performance, Jason will lead jumps and hurdles development, helping athletes build the technical foundation and competitive mindset needed to grow safely and perform with confidence.
Mid-Distance • Distance • Jumps Coach
Anna-Marie Allen
20 Years Coaching Experience | Former Division I Student-Athlete | Long-Term Athlete Development
Mid-Distance & Distance
Jumps
20 Years Coaching
Coach Anna-Marie Allen brings two decades of coaching experience to Lightning Performance Track Club, working with athletes across youth, AAU, USATF, international, middle school, high school, and club track & field programs. A proud Saint Paul Public Schools alumna, former three-sport athlete, Dave Winfield Scholarship recipient, and former Division I student-athlete at the University of Minnesota, Anna-Marie understands the discipline required to balance athletics, academics, and life beyond sport.
At Lightning Performance, Anna-Marie leads mid-distance, distance, and jumps development with an emphasis on strong fundamentals, efficient mechanics, strength, endurance, speed, event-specific skills, race strategy, confidence, and recovery.
Her coaching philosophy centers on purposeful progression and sustainable development—helping athletes become stronger competitors while protecting long-term health and longevity in the sport. She believes every athlete matters and every athlete can grow.
Build the athlete. Develop the competitor. Protect the longevity.
Training Philosophy
Train for your event. Build the athlete.
Lightning Performance develops complete track athletes through sprint mechanics, speed, competitive distance training, endurance, hurdles, jumps, strength, race strategy, confidence, and consistency.
Minnesota Youth Track & Field Club
Youth Track & Field Programs in Minnesota
Find your event. Build your strengths.
Looking for a youth track club in Minnesota? Lightning Performance Track Club welcomes developing and competitive athletes from Roseville, Little Canada, Arden Hills, White Bear Lake and the Twin Cities area. Find your event through purposeful training in sprints, distance running, hurdles, jumps and relays.
Sprint TrainingAcceleration, max velocity, mechanics, relays, and race execution.Explore sprint training →
Distance TrainingCompetitive youth distance development, endurance, pacing, mechanics, and race strategy.Explore distance training →
Hurdles & JumpsTechnical development for hurdles, long jump, triple jump, and explosive movement.Explore hurdles & jumps →
Youth Track ClubLearn how our full competitive team program works for athletes and families.Explore the club →
What We Build
Stronger. Smarter. Ready to compete.
Lightning Performance is designed for athletes who want more than workouts. The club develops speed, endurance, skill, discipline, confidence, and the habits that carry into school, competition, leadership, and life.
Athletes
Technical coaching, purposeful training, and clear standards for progress.
Character
Accountability, resilience, consistency, and effort that shows up every day.
Community
A team environment where athletes are pushed, supported, and seen.
A Brighter Tomorrow
Preparation that helps young athletes become better competitors and better people.
Spring & Summer Track Club
Join Our Minnesota Youth Track Club
A place to learn, compete, and grow.
Lightning Performance Track Club welcomes youth athletes of all experience levels for our spring and summer season. No previous track & field experience is required. Whether an athlete is brand new to the sport or ready to sharpen their skills, our coaches will help them learn, develop, and discover the events that fit them best.
Practice locations and final schedules will be shared with registered families as facility arrangements are finalized.
Learn more about our Minnesota youth track club program, coaches and registration.
Serving youth athletes across the northeast Twin Cities and surrounding Minnesota communities, including Roseville, Little Canada, Arden Hills, White Bear Lake, Stillwater, and nearby areas.
Join Lightning Performance
Join Our Minnesota Youth Track Club
Registration interest is open for our spring and summer season. A parent or guardian can complete the athlete form below to get started.
No previous track experience is required, and athletes do not need to know their events yet. Sprint, distance, hurdles, and jumps opportunities are available within the club program.
Spring & Summer Registration
$550 per athlete
The $550 registration includes coaching and scheduled practices, one competition uniform (top and bottoms), full warm-ups (jacket and pants), one team T-shirt, club equipment, and state meet entry fees plus designated local meet entry fees.
AAU and USATF athlete memberships are NOT included in the $550 fee and must be purchased separately by each family. Regional, National, and Junior Olympic meet entry fees and related travel expenses are also paid separately by families unless LPTC provides specific assistance.
Start Athlete RegistrationLightning Team Store
Gear up, Lightning. ⚡
Need an extra backpack, water bottle, team gear for your athlete, or something for the whole family? Athletes, parents, family members, and supporters can shop official Lightning Performance Track Club merchandise anytime in our team store.
Shop the Lightning Team StoreWant an extra item beyond your athlete’s included team apparel? This is the place to order it.
Payments & Donations
Easy ways to support or pay.
Use the options below to pay athlete club fees or to make a donation that supports Lightning Performance Track Club.
Pay athlete fees with Venmo
Scan the Venmo code or tap the button below to pay your athlete’s club fee.
In the note, please write: Athlete first and last name + “club fee”.
Pay Club FeesGive with Zelle
Scan the Zelle code in your banking app to make a donation and support the growth of our nonprofit team.
In the note, please write: Donation.
Open Zelle QR CodeClub fee payments are separate from donations. Lightning Performance Track Club is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law and help support equipment, athlete development, scholarships as resources permit, and team needs.
Contact Us
Questions before you register?
We’re happy to help with questions about the club, the spring and summer season, or whether Lightning Performance is a good fit for your athlete.