2014 CMS Track and Field Handbook

Transcription

1 What is Track and Field? Track and Field is the greatest sport in the world. Internationally, Athletics means Track and Field. At the middle school level, it consists of 13 different events: Shot Put Discus High Jump Long Jump 100 meter dash 200 meter dash 400 meter dash 800 meter run 1600 meter run 100/110 meter hurdles 4 x 100 meter relay 4 x 200 meter relay 4 x 400 meter relay At the high school level, a few other events are added: Pole Vault, 4 x 800 meter relay, 300 meter hurdles, and the 3200 meter run. At the college and international levels of competition, events like the Javelin Throw, Hammer Throw, Triple Jump, 5000 meter run, and meter run are included. Track and field events can reveal the physical and mental abilities of our bodies. The boundary of these abilities in the past is recognized with school records, age group records, and world records. Look for boards containing our school records and the names of record holders to be posted in the cafeteria area this spring. For the purpose of scholastic competition, at dual meets the winner of each event gets 5 points for their team. In relays, only the winning team receives points. In the individual events, 2 nd and 3 rd place finishers receive 3 points and 1 point respectively. For middle school meets there are a total of 105 points available. Examples of dual meet scores would be: 62 vs 43, 55 vs 50, and 80 vs 25. School records, scoring points, and winning meets are an important part of track and field. These things will take care of themselves if we focus on developing proper techniques, giving our best efforts, staying healthy, and having fun. We will celebrate new records and wins, but more importantly the program and individual athletes will be evaluated on successes in these other areas. A consistent improvement in each athlete s personal best (time/distance) is one of the best ways to make this evaluation. You will hear your coaches refer to PR s (personal records) frequently throughout the season.

2 Who can Participate? All boys and girls in the 7 th and 8 th grade who are physically and academically eligible can participate in track and field. The following forms must be on file before an athlete can participate in practices/meets: OHSAA physical exam/hipa form Emergency Medical form Athletic Insurance Waver form Team Rules form Academically, they must not have failed a course during the 2 nd or 3 rd quarters of school. All parents and athletes must watch the OHSAA Video once a year. If you have not watched the video, please go to the CHS website and click Athletics along the left side of the CHS home page. The video can be found along the right side of the Athletics webpage under General. It is entitled Go for the Gold. When and Where are Practices and Meets? Track and Field is a spring sport which officially begins on Monday, March 10, 2014 and ends with our league championships on May 19 and May 20. You can find this schedule at the CMS website under Middle School News-2014 CMS Track and Field Information. Practices are immediately after school. School dismisses at 2:33 pm. All athletes are to be dressed and ready for practice by 2:45 pm. We will meet in the gym. Practices will be completed by 4:30 pm. All Friday practices and practices the day before a meet end at 4:00 pm. All athletes should be picked up by 5:00 pm. After this time there will be no adult supervision. Do not let transportation limit participation in track and field see if another parent can provide a ride home. We usually have between 90 and 140 athletes out for track each year. It is quite likely someone in your neighborhood will also be running track. Meets are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are scheduled to begin at 4:15 pm and generally last for ~ 90 minutes. Delays due to weather, transportation, etc. can obviously add time. At the completion of home meets, we will need the athletes to stay and take care of equipment and facilities. Typically, athletes are done and ready to go home by 6:30 pm after home meets and by 7:00 pm after away meets. To participate in meets at the middle school level, athletes must take school transportation to all away

3 meets. We would also expect athletes to return with the team. If circumstances require it, you may pick your child up at the completion of an away meet provided a transportation release form has been filled out, signed by a building administrator (Mrs. Murphy or Mr. Sciarabba), and given to Mrs. Boiarski in advance. Other FAQ s 1. Do athletes get to choose their events? As a coaching staff we try to consider an athlete's preferences. At the middle school level, if we just let the athletes choose we would have 90 runners in the 100-meter dash. Our league limits the number of entries for each event to 2-4 boys and 2-4 girls from each team. We can have 2-4 teams in each relay event. The 800 meter run and 1600 meter run have unlimited entries. Due to all of these considerations, event selection involves more than just personal preference. Early in the season we try to identify where each athlete is most likely to be successful and contribute to the team. We will direct them into different workout groups based on ability and interests. These workout groups will not limit which events they can participate in, but will prepare them for the events they are most likely to participate in. The evening before a meet, after practice is completed, the coaching staff puts together the final line-up for the next day's competition. Our primary focus is to place athletes in events to field the most competitive team possible for that meet. Where there is flexibility, we look for opportunities to place athletes in events they have specifically requested. Finally, we check the roster to make sure everyone is participating in at least one event. No athlete can enter more than three events. If an athlete has a strong desire to participate in a particular event they should consistently and respectfully remind the coaches of their desire. We do our best to see that each athlete gets to run their favorite distance in at least one meet regardless of ability. 2. What happens if an athlete misses or is late to a practice? The middle school track team is not a club. Practices are required. Our basic attendance policy is as follows: If you are in school, you are to be at practice.

4 If an athlete misses three practices for any reason other than religious, family emergency, school related activity, or illness, they will be dismissed from the team. All absences from practice or meets must be accompanied with a written note explaining why you were not at practice. If we do not have a note, the absence will be unexcused. Students in a school related activity are expected to attend practice after their group has adjourned if practice is still occurring. Please check in with your event coach to let them know you are at practice. An after school detention is considered an unexcused absence. You must attend practice the day before a meet-no exceptions! If you are not at practice the day before a scheduled meet, you will be benched for that meet. If you miss a meet for any reason other than religious, family emergency, or illness, you will be benched at the next meet. Getting behind in your school work may create a situation where mom and dad need to suspend you from the team temporarily in order to catch up, but this does not make for an excused absence. Being a student and an athlete are responsibilities that need to be taken seriously and balanced with all of the activities in your life. 3. We are going on vacation over spring break. Will we miss practices? We do not have any practices scheduled for days school is not in session. 4. What equipment/costs are associated with Track and Field? A participation fee of $450 must be paid to the school by Tuesday, April 1, Athletes will not be allowed to participate in practices or meets if this fee is not paid on/before April 1, Please speak to Nancy Taylor, CMS Athletic Director, if a payment plan needs to be arranged. Beyond that you will need to have a good pair of training shoes. The amount of money that can be spent on shoes varies widely ($30 - $150). The amount you spend does not significantly affect the quality of the shoe. Make sure the shoe feels good now. Do not buy shoes to grow into. We are having a shoe night on Friday, March 7, 2014 at Achilles Running Shop located at 7439 Mentor Avenue next to the Party Place on SR 20 just east of SR 306. Chardon Athletes will receive a 15-20% discount on all purchases.

5 For the more serious athlete, a pair of spikes/racing flats is probably the next purchasing priority. Spikes/racing flats are generally cheaper than training shoes and run $30 - $60. Look for them on sale and in clearance bins. These shoes are extremely lightweight and are used only for racing and a few workouts. They can provide a significant performance gain from 0.5 sec in a 100 meter race to 10 seconds in the 1600 meter run. Once the track is clear of snow on a consistent basis, we will be practicing outdoors. This means you will need more than a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for practice. Early in the season, three layers are recommended t-shirt, thermal layer (sweats, polypropylene blends, etc.), and a wind breaker (nylon shell), along with a hat and gloves. Athletes should also have a water bottle that is clearly marked with their name at every practice. Water bottles should never be shared. We do have uniforms that are to be used only for meets. There is no cost for the uniform as along as it is returned in good condition. If it is damaged or lost, replacement costs are $80 ($40 top, $40 bottom). Please do not use fabric softener when washing the uniforms. Also, please allow them to air dry and do not iron. All undergarments must be black (running tights, sports bra, t-shirt (no lettering/logos), compression shorts). We look forward to a great 2014 Track and Field Season!