USA-T Youth Questions

Ironkids really no longer exists.  I think there is one race left in Ga., but Hy-Vee pulled their sponsorship, then WTC had a go with it, or vice versa, I can't remember....but the series is gone.  It was, indeed, a great series for kids, but adult politics/finances ruined it.

USAT runs a Youth/Jr. Elite program.  The Youth level is 13-15 years old (your age in the calendar year, like AG), and the Jr. level is 16-19.  Your best bet is to find a youth program in your area.  The distances are 375M swim, 10K bike, 2.5K run for Youth, and 750M swim, 20K bike, and 5K run for Jrs.  It is a fabulous series/program, based on Olympic style, draft legal racing.  There are camps and other opportunities within the program.

Your best bet for your niece would be to locate a High Performance youth Team (HPT) in your area.  Many of them have programs for younger kids as they lead up to the youth level.  Your niece, with her swim background, is a prime candidate for these programs.

If you are in Washington State I would recommend you bring her to Monroe (outside of Seattle) on the weekend of 6/20 for the youth/Jr. cup race.  Almost all of the teams in the country will be represented and you can talk to coaches and/or parents to get a feel for the programs. I think the team up in that area is called Rock Steady, or something like that.

You can go to the USAT website, click on elite, then find Jr. Elite.  You will find many of the teams, etc. there.  f you have any specific questions you can PM me and I will be happy to try to help answer them, or point you where to get an answer.  My kids have been involved in the Youth/Jr. program for 4 years and were very involved in ironkids when they were younger.

Here is link to the list of teams/contacts that may be helpful to you.  You will find the coaches and contacts listed to be very helpful. At this point that is a VERY partial list as youth teams are exploding in number.....but those are established programs with reputable people who can help guide you to opportunities for your niece.

http://www.usatriathlon.org/elite-international/junior-elite/teams.aspx

You might also look towards USA Cycling for juniors teams.  Even if she doesn't end up joining one, they can be a good resource.  This is one in the northwest:

http://www.radracingnw.org

Fuji Ace 650 is a decent entry level youth sized road bike.  We got one for my 10 year old daughter and it works fine for her.  Initially she had issues being able to reach her hands far enough to grab the brake handles (only a problem if you need to stop the bike).  I put some zip ties on the handles which closed the gap enough so that she could reach.

http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/ace-650

At 10 years old I would argue that a 650 is still too big (unless she's taller for her age).  We bought our 10 year old son a 24" road bike for Xmas, and for the price and components it would be tough to beat 

http://www.amazon.com/Giordano-Libero-Road-24-Inch-Wheels/dp/B00XHJX74M

I know some one who can build you one...

Here's a 24-incher all-road bike I built for my wife. Yes, it can be designed around a much shorter rider (though she's only 5'3").

And a road bike using 650c's that I built for the youth tri team I help coach (would fit around 5'2" to 5'6"):