I’ve been involved with a local club team since my daughter started running at age 8 and I wouldn’t change the time we’ve been able to spend together. Fortunately, the program we joined (and that I now run) is focused on building the kids enjoyment of the sport rather than trying to make Olympians out of athletes that are only still developing.
One of the key problems that I’ve noticed is parents (and even the athletes) believe they’re sons/daughters are “elite” when they’ve simply matured physiolgically more quickly than other kids their age. You may have an 11 year old today that can beat everyone he competes against BUT that could be the result of how they’ve developed. All too often the amazing 11 year old becomes just another average athlete by the time they turn 13 (or 15, etc). The reality is that most of the kids playing sports will be average. For that reason, my approach is that sports should be fun. As you see them develop you’ll have a better idea of their abilities and talents. That is actually one of the reasons for kids to get involved in the sport earlier rather than later. Use these year before high school to figure out where they want to go. No offense to the HS track coach that posted earlier but I’ve seen too many kids get lost on a track team because they’re unsure of what they want to do (or where they’ll excel). The fast runners always get spotted but there isn’t enough time during the HS season to really develop the average kids. That’s where the youth programs can add tremendous value.
Here’s a link to the USATF youth website. Lots of good information about available programs.
http://www.usatf.org/Youth.aspx
A final comment, especially in light of the obvious bias in this thread that the OP’s son will run distance, we’re talking about track & field not cross-country. Last time I checked, there are a lot of events in this sport available to kids. For example, my daughter started with the 1600/3200 and eventually found a passion for hurdles and javelin. My son decided he doesn’t really like running but went to the USATF national championships for racewalking (as an 11 year old).