2009 Track Team Info for Coaches

Hi everyone,

Thanks to all of you for volunteering to coach track this spring.  (No, it's now too late to get out; the doors are locked.)

I'm happy to say that I've got a bunch of dates set for various things and that we have six primary coaches.  In

possibly the best news of all, DVC has reopened so we'll be having a number of meets there as in years 

past.  It has just 8 lanes, which may not be enough for the league and diocese meets, but we'll see 

what happens.

Important Dates

• January 22 and 26     6:30-8pm    Sign-ups at CTK in room 222 (6th grade classroom)
  
• January 28                7pm           Important - Coaches Meeting at CTK in room 222
• February 2                7pm           Parent Meeting - CTK Parish Hall
• February 3                5pm           First Practice at College Park HS
• March 7                    1pm          Mini Meet at College Park HS (tentative)
• March 12                  6:30pm      Diocese Training/Certification for Coaches (mandatory)

I usually manage to recruit parents to help out with sign-ups, but it's always nice to have some coaches

there too.  If you can make one night or another, that would be great.  90 minutes only!

If you want to have any input into this season's coaching plan, please come to the meeting January

28.  I think we could do a lot of things better.  I would REALLY appreciate if all of the primary coaches

at least could make it.  I would like it if every single coach could come though so we'll all be

somewhere near the same page as far as our general plan of battle goes.

The parent meeting is actually before the season starts this year, as that's the only night I could

get the Parish Hall (or Rooms A & B).  I'd really like to be able to introduce all of the primary coaches.

In the past, I gave all of the primary coaches speaking parts but I may not make them do that this

year since three of them are new.  While this meeting is vital for parents new to the program, we

have a lot of returning parents come since they always have questions or maybe just like meetings.

The other mandatory non-track event is March 12 and is the Diocese "Certification Meeting" which

is mandatory if you want to get a coaching card which is supposed to allow you onto the track

at meets.  If you've ever coached anything before you

know that every youth sports authority (including the Oakland Diocese CYO) puts on something

like this to go over the basics.  It's at least at CTK -- the poor St. Michael's coaches have to 

come up here from Livermore!  More on this meeting later, but please mark your calendar.

Primary Coaches

Val Gebhart will return to coach 2/3 boys again.  Thanks!

Mike Stone will coach the 6/7/8 boys.  Thanks, Mike!

I will coach the 4/5 boys

Karen Sandri (with Alice Burns) will coach the 2/3 girls again.  Thanks, ladies!

Trish Heaney will coach the 4/5 girls.  (I think we discussed this...)  Thanks, Trish!

Tamara Johnson will coach the 6/7/8 girls.  Thanks, Tamara!

Trish & Greg Brown will coordinate our volunteers again.  Thanks, team!

Etc.

I am sending this to just those folks who responded to my email and expect more coaches to join us,

both new and used.  In particular I understand several veterans of the team (high school students)

may be joining us.  Youth coaches have been great helps in the past and I think the kids really

like working with them.

I'll be sending out a general email to everyone from last year's team announcing sign-ups in a 

couple of days, so you may get another email shortly. Speaking of email, please let me know if

you want mail to you (in your role as coach, at least) to go to another different or additional

email address.  It's the least I can do.

I have updated the web site, including contact info for the primary coaches.  In order to cut

down spam, your email address is not on the site in plain text, but is obfuscated.  Do "View

Source" on the Staff page if you want to see what I mean.  This helps prevent web crawlers

from harvesting your address, or at least that's the theory.  If you don't want your phone number

shown, or if you prefer a different number instead, please let me know.  I wouldn't worry too 

much about unwanted track calls though -- I think I get most of those.

One little detail I need to settle is how much to charge this year since I only have a verbal agreement 

from the College Park Athletic Director at this point and no field permt yet.  I don't expect a problem

getting it, but you never know.

If you have any questions ahead of sign-ups or our meeting, please let me know.  

On behalf of all of the kids you'll work with this season, thank you very much for offering your time

and talent to our program.  Happy New Year, by the way!

carl