Henry Black, founder and Head Coach of the Black Mambas Track Club here in Texarkana, is excited to announce that 11 of his runners are going to the Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas, July 31st- August 5th. “This will be the biggest track meet that these kids have ever competed in since they started running with me. This is the mega of all track meets, and to have 11 of our own Texarkana natives make it this far, is an honor. We are not only representing Texarkana but Arkansas as well. I am so proud of each and every one of the kids that are going,” says Black.
Black founded the Black Mambas Track Club back in 2020. “I wanted to provide a platform for our area youth to compete and run in not only local meets, but all over the US as well. What we have done as a first-year organization is absolutely incredible, and it’s because of all these kids that we keep succeeding like we do,” said Black. “We are not the only track club here in Texarkana, but a lot of people don’t know that any of us are even here. I want to provide a club that people know about, and want to be a part of. This is something that our kids look forward to doing each and every day. We have kids who aren’t old enough yet to participate, but whose siblings are on our team who come to practice with them, and are eager and excited to participate with us. It’s a great feeling being able to support our youth in a healthy and competitive way,” says Black.
“Conquering fear, and learning to be competitive in life is something that our area youth really needed to learn. We have a six-year-old on our team who, every time she runs, she cries. She may cry through the pain, but she doesn’t stop,” said Coach Black. “That’s what we are trying to teach our runners. That you can push through anything in life and come out on top. It’s important to instill a sense of competition in our kids. Competition is everywhere in life. It’s not just on the track or field, it goes all the way through grades in school, to getting into college, to finally achieving a dream job. You will have competition throughout your life, and we want to teach our kids on the track and field how to fight for the competition, so they can take that mentality with them throughout their lives,” said Black.
The students will be heading to Humble, Texas next week to compete with others from around the United States. “I have no doubt that my kids are going to try as hard as they can. They are nervous, but they are also extremely excited about this opportunity. For some, this will be the first time they have the opportunity to do something as incredible as this. I’m sure that they will try their best, and our hope is that they all make All-American. However, just being chosen to run is an honor in and of itself. This is the highest honor these children have seen, and we are extremely proud of them,” said Black. TxkToday and our local community wish the Black Mamba Track Club the best next week as they compete!
