The Fort Meade Highsteppers is a track and field club serving the greater Fort Meade military community. It was founded in 1984 by Will Gaither and then army major Charlie Green, 100 meter bronze medalist in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The Highsteppers is a Youth Services activity that offers Fort Meade youth ages 7-18 the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of track and field. This track and field experience will also provide them with the physical fitness and mental toughness to excel at other sports that require speed, endurance, quickness, and strength, such as football and basketball. The club’s young athletes compete in local, regional and national meets under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and United States Track and Field (USATF). The season begins in April and extends into the last week of July for those competitors fortunate enough to compete in the national championship, which this year will be held in Baltimore, MD.