Dear 12U Parents and Athletes,
We’re thrilled about the upcoming track meets and appreciate the hard work our athletes have put into their training so far. Please ensure that your athlete’s goal worksheet is turned in this week. Some were returned to the athletes because the goals they indicated weren’t measurable – for instance, “I would like to run faster” is not a measurable goal, while “I would like to get a Personal Record at least 3 times this season” is.
Event Sign-up: Athletes can sign-up for track meet events on Monday and Wednesday at practice. Please have your athletes think about what events they want to compete in and let the coaches know at practice. The coaches will sign up the athletes for their events on the track meet app during practice. If your athlete will not attend the practice meet this Saturday, March 2nd, please have them let a coach know so that we can sign them up as not attending. If your athletes plan to participate but are not able to attend practice on Monday or Wednesday this week, feel free to email me with their event choices by Wednesday evening.
Events for 12U Team: The 12U team can compete in a subset of events, including 80M Hurdles, 4 X 100, 800, 200, 4×400, Long Jump, High Jump, and Shot Put.
Athletes must be cleared by a specialty coach for Hurdles and High Jump. To be cleared to compete in these events, they must talk to the specialty coaches on specialty days which are Tuesdays and Thursdays. We do not practice these events on Monday and Wednesday.
Event Limits: At the practice meet, athletes may compete in 2 running events and 1 field event. Athletes may also participate in the 4×400 relay, which is always free, meaning they can run in the 4×400 in addition to the 2 running and 1 field event.
Relays: If an athlete signs up for a relay, their attendance is crucial, and we expect them to participate in the relay they signed up for. The 4×100 is one of the first events in the morning. Athletes who are late checking in could be dropped from a relay team and replaced by another athlete. Athletes who commit to running a relay should be considerate of other team members who are relying on them to participate in the relay.
Meet Day Details: On Saturday, athletes should meet the coaches at 7:45 AM at our usual spot on the field. Being on time is crucial, as we will cover important information. Please be sure your athletes wear their uniform and bring additional warm clothes. If you haven’t already picked up your uniforms, they can be picked up at 7:30 AM on Saturday. Athletes must wear their Tigres Singlet and black running shorts (Tigres-issued or otherwise). Layering with sweats on top is recommended. Also, bring labeled water, snacks, and sunscreen. Please label everything and consider bringing a bag for their belongings. Since food is not allowed out on the track, athletes may bring another bag with snacks (labeled with their name) that can be placed under the 12U EZ-Up in the stands.
Purpose of the Practice Meet: The meet on Saturday serves as practice for our regular season meets. Athletes will experience event calls, warming up, and the staging process. Independence is expected, so they should be near coaches and ready to run when called. Each athlete will receive a list of their events on their sticker at check-in. Coaches will try to remind athletes throughout the meet of their schedule, but athletes are responsible for their own event scheduling. Coaches will also not always be able to search for athletes who are not nearby when they are called to compete. Missed races cannot be rescheduled.
For new Tigres, this is an opportunity to experience a meet before facing other competitors.
For Parents: The practice meet is used to train our volunteers in their positions, so that the meets run smoothly when we host other teams. Expect that things will NOT run smoothly, and there will be delays and possibly a lot of standing around at the practice meet. This is part of the training, please be patient!
If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me.
Coach Jim
805-368-6999