A Parents’ Guide to Running Rockets Track & Field What is Track & Field? Track and Field is a team sport consisting of 9 individual events and 3 relay events at the youth level of competition. There are 4 Field events, 5 individual races, & 3 relays. The order of events is listed here Field Events – Long Jump, Standing Long jump, High jump, Shot Put. 100 Meter Dash 4 x 200 Meter Relay (4 runners each run 200 meters for a total of 800m) 1600 Meter Run 4 x 100 Meter Relay 400 Meter Dash 200 Meter Hurdles 800 Meter Run 200 Meter Dash 4 x 400 Meter Relay How to Buy Running Shoes If possible, go to a store that deals primarily with running footwear and apparel such as Ritchie’s Sporting Goods These stores have experienced runners as sales persons who can help you choose the right shoe with the right fit for your athlete. If you need a list of stores that deal with this type of footwear, please contact one of the coaches. The best way to prolong the life and function of a new pair of running shoes is to wear them for running only, not as school shoes or for PE class. It is not necessary to purchase special running apparel. Loose fitting T-shirts and shorts are adequate for daily training, and your athlete will be issued a team shirt for meets. It is important that shoes be selected for their function, not their pretty colors! There will also be runners that choose to have racing spikes as well. These can be helpful but are not required. What it takes to be successful More than anything else, success in Track and Field takes time…time to learn; time to train; time to sleep, rest and recover; after school time; weekend time; time away from family and friends; and time away from other interests. With the academic responsibilities of being a student, most student-athletes are busy all the time. We try to achieve a balance between all things while aspiring to do well in Track and Field How can you help your son or daughter? As your aspiring young runner begins the first week of training, you may wonder what to expect and how you can assist him or her as a parent in terms of recovery, eating, sleeping, and mental attitude. As a rule, we don’t recommend you change any aspect of your normal routine of home responsibilities, family meal planning, bedtime, and social guidelines. A normal consequence of beginning to train is muscle soreness, which will soon go away. If your son or daughter has not competed in sports before, this may persist up to 2 weeks. They should communicate this to us so we can adjust their training. Any athlete engaged in intensive training and competition can be subject to injury. We can prevent most injuries when our runners tell us about their aches and pains before they become disabling, so we can have then treated by one of our coaches. A nutritious, well balanced diet is essential for an athlete. Especially on race days, fatty and fried foods, and carbonated or acidic drinks should be avoided. Small portions of easily digested food eaten at least 3 hours before competition are best, but water intake should never be limited. Most athletes feel best when they race a little hungry. You should see your runners gradually starting to eat more carbohydrates. Track & Field Vocabulary · 2-Command start: Runners take your mark, followed by the gun. · 3-Command start: Runners to your mark, set, followed by the gun. · False start: Leaving the starting line before the gun sounds · Lanes: A section of the track where an athlete starts or runs his entire race · Staggered Start: A staggered start is used in running events where each participant or relay team must run the entire race in the same lane. Because the distance covered from start to finish in lanes 2 through 8 increases with the circumference of the turns, the participants in lanes 2 through 8 start the race ahead of the athlete in lane 1. The amount of the head start is determined by the lane and the number of turns in the race. · Waterfall Start: A waterfall start is typically used for the 1600M and 3200M runs. The athletes in lanes 1 and 2 begin on the normal starting line. Those athletes in lanes 3 through 8 are afforded a 2 to 5 meter start advantage. · Relays: A single race where each of 4 team members runs an equal and specific distance. There are 3 relay events in a standard track meet. These are: 4x100M – Each athlete runs 100 meters 4x200M – Each athlete runs 200 meters 4x400M – Each athlete runs 400 meters · Heats: A heat is a grouping of athletes with similar times competing in the same running event. · Pace: Running speed over a particular distance · Surge: A tactical increase in pace during the race · Kick: A burst of speed at the finish of the race · Personal Record (PR): Best ever performance on a given course. · Racing Spikes: Special, lightweight shoes designed for racing, rather than daily training. · Training Flats: Running shoes designed for long wear in daily training · Warm Up: A running and stretching routine that gradually warms up the body for intense running. · Cool Down: A jogging/walking routine that allows the muscles to purge themselves of lactates and the body to gradually lower its temperature to normal. · Workout: A daily training session How Track and Field is scored 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th place 5th place 6th place 7th place 8th place 10 points 8 points 6 points 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point The points are totaled as the meet progresses. After all events are completed, the team with the most points wins. Preparing to watch your first track meet When you arrive at the meet, locate the Racer team camp, check your runner in, and verify what events you’re entered. There will be a board at our camp that lists all runners’ entries, order of events, as well as any special instructions. We usually start with a quick team meeting and then complete a warm up as a team. Due to the length of meet additional warm up will likely be required for individual events. Each event will have a coach assigned to the event to coordinate warm up, getting to the start etc. This can be very hectic for our coaches with so much going on at one time. Please help by keeping an eye on the event schedule, when your runner’s race is approaching, and ensuring they check up with the assigned coach. Each event will have many heats and are mostly run by age. For most meets, this all gets coordinated at the start so it’s critical for a smooth flow of the meet that our runners are at the staging area for their event and stay there until their heat is to run. As the event approaches, please do not expect the full attention of your son or daughter once we get to the meet. The athletes need time to warm up, be briefed by their coaches, and prepare for the race with their teammates. Many parents are initially surprised at the seriousness their son and daughter shows prior to and during a race. The intensity of competition may reveal a side of your young athlete’s personality you haven’t seen before. During the race, you can move from point to point around the track to cheer the runners as they pass. Be careful, however, to stay off the track and out of their way. Rules also forbid running alongside a competitor to pace or encourage him or her. At the finish of the race, the runners will stay in place at the finish until their time is recorded and the official releases them. It’s OK to greet them then, but they may have to turn a place card into their coach ASAP so scores can be tabulated. Our runners have other responsibilities after the race. We expect them to jog and cool-down as a team and actively support their teammates who have yet to race. Some runners are more spent than others after a race. Typical symptoms of their effort and fatigue are breathlessness, general weakness, rubbery legs, glassy eyes, salivating, and sometimes nausea. A mistake parents sometimes make is to take their sons or daughters off by themselves to try and take care of them. Please do not do this! Our coaches are experienced in dealing with these symptoms, trained in first-aid, and responsible for their care. To aid recovery, water is the best thing to drink immediately after a race. Expect the possibility of some disappointment by your athlete after the race if his or her team did not win, and/or if he or she failed to achieve all goals. Athletes may need some emotional space afterward from both you and their coaches. Later on, they will need verbal support. Also, we ask that our runners not leave right away after their race is over, unless they have a pressing commitment. We often have information to provide afterwards and again, we want everyone to stay and support their teammates. Parent Involvement Please make the time to be with our team and make yourself known to the athletes, coaches and other parents. Take it one step at a time, slowly but with enthusiasm and effort. Please feel free to call upon the coaches at any time. Without parent support any Track program could not do all the things that need to be done each season. Parental support is an important contribution to having a successful season!