Montana bank builds youth track program

In 1975, the Three Rivers Bank of Montana started its Highlander Track Program for kids who otherwise would not have an opportunity to play a sport. Now, it has grown into a track program for more than 300 kids per year and, in recent years, has produced some of the best track athletes in Montana..Agricultural communities like Kalispell often have fewer sports opportunities for kids. "Many kids here can't afford to do baseball or other sports; so their parents bring them down to the Highlander Track Program," said A.J. King, president of the $114 million, Kalispell, Mont.-based bank. King's father started the program 37 years ago..The elementary school program features 10 practices and two meets per year. High school students — some of whom are program alumni — volunteer to help conduct practices. This last year the program had record involvement, with more than 80 high school athletes helping to coach more than 400 elementary school kids and more than 700 people attending one of the track meets..The bank runs the meets. "I used to do the starts [for the races]," King said. "My brother, who is the CEO of the bank, announces the meet." The bank also uses its staff resources to administer the program. Interested families can apply for the program at the bank's teller line and the bank's staff facilitates the program's t-shirts and award ribbons. "It's great to go to the elementary school and see all the kids wearing their shirts," King said..Although it started from humble beginnings, the program has flourished. "I was one of the first kids," said King, commenting on the size of the program when he was a boy. Now, the program involves an average 300 kids per year; more than 3,000 kids have participated since 2002..The program has become a starting point for kids who later received athletic scholarships and a college education because of their track skills. A Highlander Track athlete who graduated from the local high school in 2011, for example, received a full scholarship to North Dakota State University.