After each meet, the Youth/Intermediate team will be posting a few videos to recognize some great performances.  It isn’t necessarily the fastest race, but rather a great race for that person.  It also doesn’t mean there weren’t other great races, but we pick performances that stick out (along with footage that was useable :)).

A boy and a girl sprinter will have a “Bolt of the Week” video.  Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, so the video is named after him for what we think are great races.

A boy and a girl distance runner will have the “Kick of the Week” video to recognize amazing races with great finishes (a finish is referred to as a kick).

So, for the practice meet, please congratulate the athletes in this week’s videos!

Girl’s Bolt of the Week

Boy’s Bolt of the Week

Girl’s Kick of the Week

Boy’s Kick of the Week

Thank you to all the parent volunteers for making the practice meet great.  There are always some mix ups and issues that cause confusion, but from the coaches and athletes perspective, the meet was really well run.

All of us coaches were thrilled to see our team supporting each other, helping the new athletes get warmed up and through the staging process, cheering each other on and showing some outstanding sportsmanship.  It was also amazing to see how hard they all competed.  We told the athletes the meet was just a starting point.  There are going to be some huge improvements as the season goes on, but if Saturday was any indication of what lies ahead, this is going to be a season to remember for sure!

Adding a full compliment of event choices for the rest of the meets is going to give more opportunities for athletes to find “their event(s)” and really come together as a team with relays – especially the 4×400 where the Tigres always make a mark.  Please encourage the athletes to branch out and try something new!

Looking forward to seeing this group compete against the rest of the VCYTC!

Just a reminder that uniforms will be available for pick up at practice today (Friday).  Please do your best to pick them up today if possible as tomorrow there will be a very small window of time when uniforms will be available and it will be very hectic, with parents needing to be at their volunteer spots and athletes on the field at 7:45.

We are so excited for Saturday’s practice meet, where our athletes will finally be able to compete (even if it is against only Tigres).   The team has been working so hard in practice and Saturday is the the first chance to see the payoff!

A few quick logistical things:

• We have asked athletes to meet in the end zone near the gate at 7:45 sharp.  Please do your best to be on time as we will be covering important info for the athletes.
• Please be sure to wear your uniform and bring additional warm clothes.  Uniforms will be available on Friday at practice.  If Friday absolutely doesn’t work, they will be available Saturday morning before 7:45.  However, there will be a very small window on Saturday morning, so please do your best to pick them up on Friday.
• Please bring sunscreen and water.  There is NO food or drinks (other than water) allowed on the field.

For parents and athletes, the purpose of this meet is to “practice” for our regular season meets.  Athletes will get some exposure to listening for event calls, warming up for events and the staging process.  One of the goals of the Youth/Intermediate team is to prepare our athletes for high school.  While the younger ages heavily rely on their coaches and parents on meet days, we expect our athletes to manage themselves and rely on their teammates much more.  We expect the veteran Tigres to show leadership and help the new Tigres athletes navigate meet day activities (of course us coaches will be there to lean on as well).  Many of the new Tigres might feel a bit nervous about not having competed in a track meet – it’s OK.  After Saturday, they’ll be experts!

For parents, this meet is to train our volunteers in their positions, so the meet runs smoothly when we host another team.  Things will NOT run smoothly, there will be delays and possibly a lot of standing around, feeling unneeded.  Please be patient!  Once we have a real meet, we’ll look like a finely tuned machine (fingers crossed).

The events our Youth/Intermediate team will be allowed to compete in, is a subset of a typical meet.   Our athlete’s options are:

• Hurdles
• 1600
• 400
• 200
• High Jump

Please note that athletes must be cleared before they are allowed to participate in the Hurdles and High Jump due to safety.  Please ask if you would like to understand the clearing process, but this happens at practice where those events are offered.

For the practice meet, athletes are able to compete in 2 running events and the High Jump (if they are cleared).  They aren’t required to do 2 running events, but can not do more than 2 running events.

A major area of focus for our team is sportsmanship.  We are asking our athletes to really work on congratulating competitors by shaking hands after races, saying thank you to volunteers, being helpful teammates, etc.  Please watch for your athletes showing sportsmanship and reinforce this at home.

We can’t wait to get our season started on Saturday!!!

If you have any questions, please email youth@venturatigres.org or call/text 650-678-3681

Just a reminder that specialty practice is canceled today due to the high school holding a track meet.  It would be great to see a bunch of Tigres there to support both Buena and Ventura High School where many former Tigres will be competing.

Also, since there will not be practice today, please take advantage of Friday’s specialty practice where uniforms will also be handed out.

Due to unexpected repairs at the Buena track, specialty practices will be canceled both today (2/21) and Friday (2/22).  We are very sorry for the short notice, but we just found out late this morning.

Please be sure to get in some running this weekend (check the training plan on the Y/I page).

See everyone on Monday!

Please let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns about the first couple weeks of practices.  youth@venturatigres.org or call/text 650-678-3681

The weather this week, while looking cold, looks promising with no rain in the forecast.  As usual, we have the Y/I team practices on Monday and Wednesday, with a full slate of specialty practices on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday according to the schedule here:

Practice Schedule

Please remember to bring WARM clothes that are labeled with your name!  Also, if you haven’t already, bring your filled out goal sheets.

Any questions?  Please email youth@venturatigres.org or call/text 650-678-3681

We have a full week of practice scheduled this week, with Y/I team practices on Monday and Wednesday and Specialty practices on Tuesday/Thursday and Friday.  A few reminders:

• Please be sure to bring warm (labeled) clothes as it gets very cold when the sun begins to set.
• Do your best to pick up on time.  Practice ends no later than 6:00 and early in the season, it may end a bit earlier.
• Weather looks a bit unsettled this week, with rain predicted on Wednesday and Thursday.  We will send out a post by 2:00 if practice is canceled.  If you do not see a post by 2:00, we will be there.
• Please remember to bring goal sheets filled out.  If you do not have a copy, you can download one from the Youth and Intermediate team page (look on the left hand column).
• Athletes may be a bit sore after the first couple of weeks of practice.  Sore is expected and OK, but please let us know if there is something that seems unusual or beyond normal sore muscles.  Also, if an athlete is sick or can not participate due to injury, please do not attend practice.

We are looking forward to a great first week of practices!  If you have any questions, please email youth@venturatirgres.org or call 650-678-3681.

I know it was cold, but what a great job by all of the athletes!  Great effort and great attitude by the entire team.

There are no more practices this week, but next week (weather permitting), we will have a full week of practices, including Y/I team practices on Monday and Wednesday, along with a full schedule of specialty practices on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Please check the practice schedule for what is offered on each of those days here:

Practice Schedule

We also asked the athletes to do a couple of things between yesterday and Monday.

Go to the Tigers Website, on the Youth/Intermediate team page and:

Download, print and fill out a goal sheet (if you didn’t get one at practice) and bring it on Monday.

• Click on the Tigres Y&I Training Program 2019 and read it over.  They should be checking what the workouts are ahead of practice each day.
• For the most part, great job wearing warm enough clothes (please remember to label everything with their name).  It looks like next week will be a cold one as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions/comments/concerns – youth@venturatigres.org or call/text 650-678-3681

HERE WE GO!  The season is officially here!!!

Today is the first day of practice and the biggest thing we would like to stress is; IT IS GOING TO BE VERY COLD!!!  Please have your athletes dress accordingly with comfortable clothes to run in, and also VERY WARM clothes that are labeled with their name.  We are going to be spending more time talking than normal, so the athletes will be sitting around more than usual.  We want to make sure they stay warm.

Please be on time for both drop off and pick up.  As mentioned in the parent meeting, a coach needs to stay with any athletes that have not been picked up, so please be considerate.

If you have any questions, please email youth@venturatigres.org or you can call/text 650-678-368.

Us coaches are looking forward to an amazing year!!!