CYO cross-country season is starting up. We don't have many details yet about meet locations or practices, but I've put a page up on our web site that we'll update in time.
http://www.ctktrack.org/cc.shtml
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
End-of-Season Business
* Awards
I've put up a page on the web site listing all the special team awards that were handed out at our picnic. You can see the full list here:
http://ctktrack.org/awards.shtml
I also have a backlog of ribbons from the final meets, plus certificates for athletes who participated in the Sectional meet, and even a couple of medals. Some of these awards were handed to classmates or friends, but I still have quite a bit leftover for the following athletes:
Agna Placiakis
Aiden Hanken
Alexandra Dudziak
Alexis Nunes
Alyssa Gaigalas
Andrea Berger
Annie Vasquez
Ash Murthy
Avery Avina
Blake Maxon
Bradley Freitas
Caden Carpenter
Carely Campenchano
Carson Nagel-Holmes
Charley Stoudt
David Jang
Domas Placiakis
Dominick Konstan
Emerelga Delos Reyes
Emma Swanson
Gavin Williams
Grace Shughrou
Harmony Soffer
Ibis Pond
Isabella Scarpulla
Isabella Triana
Isabelle Ariana
Isabelle Rivas
Jackson Simmons
Jacquelin Amaya
Jeff DeBoer
Joey Ormeod
Jonathan Jang
Julia Tarter
Kamaria Soffer
Kosta Konstan
Kyle Crossman
Leander Legaspi
Madison Hartung
Michelle Kerfs
Pauline Akcam
Riley Sweet
Ryan Koeppe
Samuel Andersen
William Koeppe
If your athlete shows up on either list, please let me know and we can set their awards out on my front porch for you to pick up. I live in Pleasant Hill, in the Gregory Gardens area.
* Parent Business
I have deposited the checks from the few families who were unable to meet their volunteer commitments this year. I already notified you by email if you were on this list, and I know there were some extenuating circumstances in a couple of cases. Expect those checks to clear soon.
For everyone else, I have shredded your deposits. You can mark it appropriately in your register. I've also deposited any outstanding checks for YVHS student rentals and coach gifts. If anything does not resolve the way you expect it to, please let me know right away by email and we'll sort it out.
We have five families win a (new) drawing for a uniform next year. I've notified them by email, but they are:
I've put up a page on the web site listing all the special team awards that were handed out at our picnic. You can see the full list here:
http://ctktrack.org/awards.shtml
I also have a backlog of ribbons from the final meets, plus certificates for athletes who participated in the Sectional meet, and even a couple of medals. Some of these awards were handed to classmates or friends, but I still have quite a bit leftover for the following athletes:
Agna Placiakis
Aiden Hanken
Alexandra Dudziak
Alexis Nunes
Alyssa Gaigalas
Andrea Berger
Annie Vasquez
Ash Murthy
Avery Avina
Blake Maxon
Bradley Freitas
Caden Carpenter
Carely Campenchano
Carson Nagel-Holmes
Charley Stoudt
David Jang
Domas Placiakis
Dominick Konstan
Emerelga Delos Reyes
Emma Swanson
Gavin Williams
Grace Shughrou
Harmony Soffer
Ibis Pond
Isabella Scarpulla
Isabella Triana
Isabelle Ariana
Isabelle Rivas
Jackson Simmons
Jacquelin Amaya
Jeff DeBoer
Joey Ormeod
Jonathan Jang
Julia Tarter
Kamaria Soffer
Kosta Konstan
Kyle Crossman
Leander Legaspi
Madison Hartung
Michelle Kerfs
Pauline Akcam
Riley Sweet
Ryan Koeppe
Samuel Andersen
William Koeppe
If your athlete shows up on either list, please let me know and we can set their awards out on my front porch for you to pick up. I live in Pleasant Hill, in the Gregory Gardens area.
* Parent Business
I have deposited the checks from the few families who were unable to meet their volunteer commitments this year. I already notified you by email if you were on this list, and I know there were some extenuating circumstances in a couple of cases. Expect those checks to clear soon.
For everyone else, I have shredded your deposits. You can mark it appropriately in your register. I've also deposited any outstanding checks for YVHS student rentals and coach gifts. If anything does not resolve the way you expect it to, please let me know right away by email and we'll sort it out.
We have five families win a (new) drawing for a uniform next year. I've notified them by email, but they are:
- Husion
- Freitas
- Wallahan
- Nunes
- Ormerod
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Track News for June 3, 2012
* Picnic
I think everyone had a good time on Saturday, basking in the sun and wind of the Martinez marina. Thanks to everyone who attended, and to the Armand family for securing the space, bringing drinks and supplies, and firing up the grills.
I still have handfuls of ribbons left over from the last meets of the season, plus some certificates and awards that we gave out at the picnic. I'll get a list up on the team web site this week.
We also had a drawing for a free uniform (shirt + sweatshirt) for next year, and I know that many of the winners weren't present. I'll get email out to all of you soon. You don't have to do anything to claim it beyond signing up next year. :-)
* Cross Country
CYO cross country season starts in August. I'll send a notice to this season's mailing list about it. Coaches Alice Burns & Kathleen Strange run that program, and we'll have information about practices and meets on the web site as we get closer to the start date.
* Summer
If you already miss track, and August seems too far away, you can always sign up for the Firecracker 5K that's run as part of the Pleasant Hill 4th of July celebrations. The run helps to support your choice of local schools, and you're sure to see a lot of familiar faces. Details are on the committee's web site:
http://www.phjuly4.com/WEBPAGES/5K_Info.html
* Next Season
We're always looking for assistant coaches to help out with our practice groups: if you like to run, or did track in school, or have a good loud voice and are a crowd-control ninja, please consider being an assistant next season. If you assisted this year, how about being a primary coach?
Signups for the 2013 season will be in January, and I'll send pestering reminders to this mailing list when I set the dates. Please tell your friends about track! Our team is open to all athletes living in our three parish areas, whether or not they are Catholic. I'm always happy to answer questions about eligibility or the team in general. Just send me an email:
info@ctktrack.org
* Final Thanks
One last word of thanks: to all the families, to the primary coaches and assistants, and especially to all the athletes who participated this season. It's been a genuine pleasure being your coordinator this year. I hope to see you again next year. (Except for the eighth graders: go to high school and be awesome! You've got a great start.)
Thanks everyone, and have a relaxing summer.
I think everyone had a good time on Saturday, basking in the sun and wind of the Martinez marina. Thanks to everyone who attended, and to the Armand family for securing the space, bringing drinks and supplies, and firing up the grills.
I still have handfuls of ribbons left over from the last meets of the season, plus some certificates and awards that we gave out at the picnic. I'll get a list up on the team web site this week.
We also had a drawing for a free uniform (shirt + sweatshirt) for next year, and I know that many of the winners weren't present. I'll get email out to all of you soon. You don't have to do anything to claim it beyond signing up next year. :-)
* Cross Country
CYO cross country season starts in August. I'll send a notice to this season's mailing list about it. Coaches Alice Burns & Kathleen Strange run that program, and we'll have information about practices and meets on the web site as we get closer to the start date.
* Summer
If you already miss track, and August seems too far away, you can always sign up for the Firecracker 5K that's run as part of the Pleasant Hill 4th of July celebrations. The run helps to support your choice of local schools, and you're sure to see a lot of familiar faces. Details are on the committee's web site:
http://www.phjuly4.com/WEBPAGES/5K_Info.html
* Next Season
We're always looking for assistant coaches to help out with our practice groups: if you like to run, or did track in school, or have a good loud voice and are a crowd-control ninja, please consider being an assistant next season. If you assisted this year, how about being a primary coach?
Signups for the 2013 season will be in January, and I'll send pestering reminders to this mailing list when I set the dates. Please tell your friends about track! Our team is open to all athletes living in our three parish areas, whether or not they are Catholic. I'm always happy to answer questions about eligibility or the team in general. Just send me an email:
info@ctktrack.org
* Final Thanks
One last word of thanks: to all the families, to the primary coaches and assistants, and especially to all the athletes who participated this season. It's been a genuine pleasure being your coordinator this year. I hope to see you again next year. (Except for the eighth graders: go to high school and be awesome! You've got a great start.)
Thanks everyone, and have a relaxing summer.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Track News for May 27, 2012
* Picnic
Our end-of-season picnic is this coming Saturday June 2 at Waterfront Park in Martinez. The picnic starts at 11:30, and we'll be setting up around 11:00 if you'd like to help. We'll have grills going and drinks provided: you bring something to cook for your family for lunch, and something to share with the other families. You're welcome to bring chairs, blankets, frisbees, soccer balls, kites, etc.. This is a pretty informal gathering.
We'll be recognizing a number of athletes with awards, handing out all the remaining ribbons, saying goodbye to our eighth graders, thanking our coaches, and trying very hard to reunite all the items in our Lost & Found with their original owners, or with new owners at the end of the picnic. It's a good time for all.
* Summer
CYO slows down for the summer, but don't forget about track...
The Summer Olympics are being held in London this year, so get your Tivo ready to record the track & field events. You'll see some events you recognize, and some new ones besides.
Cross-country starts up in mid-August: we'll talk about this at the picnic, too, but if you enjoyed track, and are maybe a little tired of soccer, why not come out for cross country? Practice is usually at Hidden Lakes Park in Martinez, and meets are on Friday evenings at local parks. It's a smaller, much more low-key program than track & field, and you'll see a lot of familiar faces. Plus: Popsicles on hot days. What's not to love about Popsicles?
* Thanks
I just wanted to say thanks (again) for all the help, support, and effort that each of you put in this season. Just being able to get an athlete to and from practice is often a challenge, to say nothing of working for a few hours at a meet. This was my first season acting as coordinator for our team, and I can honestly say that I couldn't have done it without all of your help.
Our end-of-season picnic is this coming Saturday June 2 at Waterfront Park in Martinez. The picnic starts at 11:30, and we'll be setting up around 11:00 if you'd like to help. We'll have grills going and drinks provided: you bring something to cook for your family for lunch, and something to share with the other families. You're welcome to bring chairs, blankets, frisbees, soccer balls, kites, etc.. This is a pretty informal gathering.
We'll be recognizing a number of athletes with awards, handing out all the remaining ribbons, saying goodbye to our eighth graders, thanking our coaches, and trying very hard to reunite all the items in our Lost & Found with their original owners, or with new owners at the end of the picnic. It's a good time for all.
* Summer
CYO slows down for the summer, but don't forget about track...
The Summer Olympics are being held in London this year, so get your Tivo ready to record the track & field events. You'll see some events you recognize, and some new ones besides.
Cross-country starts up in mid-August: we'll talk about this at the picnic, too, but if you enjoyed track, and are maybe a little tired of soccer, why not come out for cross country? Practice is usually at Hidden Lakes Park in Martinez, and meets are on Friday evenings at local parks. It's a smaller, much more low-key program than track & field, and you'll see a lot of familiar faces. Plus: Popsicles on hot days. What's not to love about Popsicles?
* Thanks
I just wanted to say thanks (again) for all the help, support, and effort that each of you put in this season. Just being able to get an athlete to and from practice is often a challenge, to say nothing of working for a few hours at a meet. This was my first season acting as coordinator for our team, and I can honestly say that I couldn't have done it without all of your help.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Track News for May 13, 2012
* Diocese Meet
Friday and Saturday marked the end of our competitive season with the Oakland diocese championships in Union City and Livermore. We had athletes from our team competing in nearly every event at the meet. Everyone did quite well: I saw a lot of medals and ribbons and heard about a lot of PRs being set.
Awards for the running events were passed out on the track after the races. Field event awards took much longer, and I stuck around until the very end of the meet to pick them up. I've got a heap to get to the coaches, and we'll bring them to the picnic.
* More Awards
Even if you didn't go to the diocese meet, our sorters have ribbons from the qualifying meet and some personal bests that they need to get back to me. I have the remaining awards from the sectional meet, and once he results come out I know we have some personal bests from this weekend, too. Athletes: make some room in your ribbon box. There will be some special team awards handed out at the picnic: the coaches and I are getting together soon to plan all of these out. And of course, our super-helpful family drawing for those who went above and beyond their volunteer assignments.
* Picnic
Saturday, June 2 at Waterfront Park in Martinez, 11:30-3:30ish: we'll set up around 11 and love extra help.
You should bring:
I'll send a reminder email when we get closer.
* Thank You
The CYO Track & Field program is volunteer-run, and completely depends on the participation of the athletes' families to exist. We wouldn't have awards, photos, or meets without your help. And without the coaches, we wouldn't have a team at all. Thank you to everyone for making our team such a huge success this year and in every year.
Friday and Saturday marked the end of our competitive season with the Oakland diocese championships in Union City and Livermore. We had athletes from our team competing in nearly every event at the meet. Everyone did quite well: I saw a lot of medals and ribbons and heard about a lot of PRs being set.
Awards for the running events were passed out on the track after the races. Field event awards took much longer, and I stuck around until the very end of the meet to pick them up. I've got a heap to get to the coaches, and we'll bring them to the picnic.
* More Awards
Even if you didn't go to the diocese meet, our sorters have ribbons from the qualifying meet and some personal bests that they need to get back to me. I have the remaining awards from the sectional meet, and once he results come out I know we have some personal bests from this weekend, too. Athletes: make some room in your ribbon box. There will be some special team awards handed out at the picnic: the coaches and I are getting together soon to plan all of these out. And of course, our super-helpful family drawing for those who went above and beyond their volunteer assignments.
* Picnic
Saturday, June 2 at Waterfront Park in Martinez, 11:30-3:30ish: we'll set up around 11 and love extra help.
You should bring:
- Something to grill for your family & barbeque tools (tongs, spatula)
- Something to share with everyone else: salads, fruit, chips & dip, dessert -- whatever you like
- Yourselves! Athletes and their families are welcome
I'll send a reminder email when we get closer.
* Thank You
The CYO Track & Field program is volunteer-run, and completely depends on the participation of the athletes' families to exist. We wouldn't have awards, photos, or meets without your help. And without the coaches, we wouldn't have a team at all. Thank you to everyone for making our team such a huge success this year and in every year.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Diocese meet information
* 800m/1600m tonight
Both the 800m and 1600m events are running tonight at James Logan High School in Union City starting at 6pm. Please give yourselves ample time to get there.
Athletes do not need stickers for the diocese meet. It's still nice to let a coach know that you made it.
* Parade and other events tomorrow
The rest of the meet is back at Granada High in Livermore on Saturday. First shift volunteers need to be signed in and ready to work at 8am, and I recommend that everyone else try to get there early to deal with parking and seating. There will be a small admission charge for everyone except athletes in uniform, and coaches/coordinators with badges. Remember to allow extra time for the spike-check at the gate, too, if you have a pair of running shoes with spikes.
Coaches, there's an 8am meeting on the field (see the program link below.)
We open the meet with the team parade, and we have an amazing new banner to show off. I'm very excited about it. Our team historically leads the parade onto the track, so don't be late!
Immediately after the parade and opening speeches (sorry) the events will open. I recommend printing off a copy of the event order from the Oakland CYO site:
http://www.oakdiocese.org/youth-and-young-adults/cyo/track-field/resolveuid/efc53e25-119d-4b5c-bc3a-ee3ed48bc353
This is also linked from the front page of our team web site.
Again, athletes do not need stickers for the diocese meet. The layout is the same as last week: the clerk area is next to the snack shack, and all athletes and alternates should report to the clerk when their grade and event is called. We won't know if alternates get to compete until the clerks take them onto the track.
* Weather watch
The forecast for Livermore for tomorrow looks sunny and hot. Please pack lots of water, sunblock, floppy hats -- whatever it takes. Athletes: please make it a point to find shady spots tomorrow between your events, and stay hydrated. Spectators, that applies to you, too. If you're bringing some form of shade technology for the stands, show up extra early to stake out a spot in the top rows.
* Video feed
Granada High has a live stream of video over the Internet if you have family who can't make it to the meet.
http://www.livestream.com/granadahighschoolstadium
Almost as good as being there! It's hard to see athlete's faces, but if you know the current event, you can usually pick out our red, blue, or yellow shirts on the track. (I text lane numbers to the grandparents so they know who to cheer for.) Track in the 21st century!
* For all the athletes
HAVE FUN! No matter what the results look like, if you had a good time this season, then you've won.
Both the 800m and 1600m events are running tonight at James Logan High School in Union City starting at 6pm. Please give yourselves ample time to get there.
Athletes do not need stickers for the diocese meet. It's still nice to let a coach know that you made it.
* Parade and other events tomorrow
The rest of the meet is back at Granada High in Livermore on Saturday. First shift volunteers need to be signed in and ready to work at 8am, and I recommend that everyone else try to get there early to deal with parking and seating. There will be a small admission charge for everyone except athletes in uniform, and coaches/coordinators with badges. Remember to allow extra time for the spike-check at the gate, too, if you have a pair of running shoes with spikes.
Coaches, there's an 8am meeting on the field (see the program link below.)
We open the meet with the team parade, and we have an amazing new banner to show off. I'm very excited about it. Our team historically leads the parade onto the track, so don't be late!
Immediately after the parade and opening speeches (sorry) the events will open. I recommend printing off a copy of the event order from the Oakland CYO site:
http://www.oakdiocese.org/youth-and-young-adults/cyo/track-field/resolveuid/efc53e25-119d-4b5c-bc3a-ee3ed48bc353
This is also linked from the front page of our team web site.
Again, athletes do not need stickers for the diocese meet. The layout is the same as last week: the clerk area is next to the snack shack, and all athletes and alternates should report to the clerk when their grade and event is called. We won't know if alternates get to compete until the clerks take them onto the track.
* Weather watch
The forecast for Livermore for tomorrow looks sunny and hot. Please pack lots of water, sunblock, floppy hats -- whatever it takes. Athletes: please make it a point to find shady spots tomorrow between your events, and stay hydrated. Spectators, that applies to you, too. If you're bringing some form of shade technology for the stands, show up extra early to stake out a spot in the top rows.
* Video feed
Granada High has a live stream of video over the Internet if you have family who can't make it to the meet.
http://www.livestream.com/granadahighschoolstadium
Almost as good as being there! It's hard to see athlete's faces, but if you know the current event, you can usually pick out our red, blue, or yellow shirts on the track. (I text lane numbers to the grandparents so they know who to cheer for.) Track in the 21st century!
* For all the athletes
HAVE FUN! No matter what the results look like, if you had a good time this season, then you've won.
“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”
-- Jesse Owens
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Plum District discount coupon for DLS summer sport camps
I know I've mentioned it before, but De La Salle high school in Concord
runs week-long sports camps, and devotes a couple of weeks to track and
field. It's open to athletes who will be in grades 4-9 in the fall.
There's a coupon offer on Plum District right now that can save you some money on their sports camps. Here's a link right to the coupon:
http://www.plumdistrict.com/
More information about the camps is on the DLS web site:
http://www.dlshs.org/
My own kids have attended this camp over the past few years and have enjoyed it.
There's a coupon offer on Plum District right now that can save you some money on their sports camps. Here's a link right to the coupon:
http://www.plumdistrict.com/
More information about the camps is on the DLS web site:
http://www.dlshs.org/
My own kids have attended this camp over the past few years and have enjoyed it.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Awards from the Sectional meet... mostly
I have most of the awards from the Sectional meet ready to be
passed out at practice tomorrow. We're short in third-place medals and a
few other awards, but I've given the count to the league and will keep
bothering them until it's resolved.
If your athlete knows they earned a ribbon and doesn't get it tomorrow, please don't freak out. We'll try to get it all settled by the picnic.
If your athlete knows they earned a ribbon and doesn't get it tomorrow, please don't freak out. We'll try to get it all settled by the picnic.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Diocese meet qualifiers (relays)
We've gotten more updates from the league, so I've put together a draft
list of the relay teams that will be competing at the diocese meet.
We're waiting on the final, final, final seeding from the diocese, but
here's a draft version, showing the names of the athletes who ran on
these teams last week:
http://ctktrack.org/2012_
For the first time ever(?) the other two sections appear to have medley teams, so we're going to run the medley for all grades, just like the 4x100m relay (top three teams run, fourth place team is alternate.) Alternates in the medley might have a better-than-average chance of running, says the league. We'll see what happens. Maybe the event will even show up in the program this year!
The 4x400m is limited to the top three finishers overall by gender. Track is a sport of traditions, even when they don't always make sense -- this is one of those. Bad news for the younger teams that had little competition on the track. There's always next year.
We have CTK placed in all three relays, which is very impressive. If you know for certain that your athlete cannot run on Saturday and they belong to these teams, please let Mike Stone or Trish know immediately so they can make plans and find substitutes. Their contact information is on our coach page:
http://ctktrack.org/coaches.
http://ctktrack.org/2012_
For the first time ever(?) the other two sections appear to have medley teams, so we're going to run the medley for all grades, just like the 4x100m relay (top three teams run, fourth place team is alternate.) Alternates in the medley might have a better-than-average chance of running, says the league. We'll see what happens. Maybe the event will even show up in the program this year!
The 4x400m is limited to the top three finishers overall by gender. Track is a sport of traditions, even when they don't always make sense -- this is one of those. Bad news for the younger teams that had little competition on the track. There's always next year.
We have CTK placed in all three relays, which is very impressive. If you know for certain that your athlete cannot run on Saturday and they belong to these teams, please let Mike Stone or Trish know immediately so they can make plans and find substitutes. Their contact information is on our coach page:
http://ctktrack.org/coaches.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Diocese meet qualifiers (individual events)
The full results from the sectional meet are available:
http://www.ctktrack.org/dvcl/
I've gone through this list and pulled out the names of athletes who qualified in the individual running and field events:
http://www.ctktrack.org/2012_
Congratulations to everyone who competed, whether or not you placed. These meets are much more challenging, and our team is well-represented in the results. We should have a good group for Saturday's parade. Everyone on our team may be in the parade, whether or not you made it to the diocese meet. If you happen to find yourself in Livermore on Saturday morning dressed in your track t-shirt, come on by!
Remember that if you're running the 800m or 1600m, you race on Friday evening at James Logan High School in Union City. Please allow plenty of time to get there with weekday traffic.
The league officials are supposed to be getting together with the other sections by Wednesday. I'll send email when things are updated.
I've purposefully left out the relay seeding for now until I hear from the league. Based on previous years, though, we can make some educated guesses:
4x100m
The top three teams in each grade and gender from our section will progress. The fourth place team is the alternate, and may not run. I see teams in the 7th and 8th grade girls, and the 8th grade boys here.
4x400m
The top three teams overall per gender progress. I know this is hard news to the other teams that ran on Saturday. Based on times, it looks like the eighth grade boys and girls teams have the four fastest finishes from our section.
Medley
This is still up in the air at the moment. We know for certain that we will be running it, but I'm not sure if we're combining across grades or not yet. Reportedly the other sections have a few teams this year, which is excellent news -- our athletes will get to compete against some new faces. That always makes for exciting races.
http://www.ctktrack.org/dvcl/
I've gone through this list and pulled out the names of athletes who qualified in the individual running and field events:
http://www.ctktrack.org/2012_
Congratulations to everyone who competed, whether or not you placed. These meets are much more challenging, and our team is well-represented in the results. We should have a good group for Saturday's parade. Everyone on our team may be in the parade, whether or not you made it to the diocese meet. If you happen to find yourself in Livermore on Saturday morning dressed in your track t-shirt, come on by!
Remember that if you're running the 800m or 1600m, you race on Friday evening at James Logan High School in Union City. Please allow plenty of time to get there with weekday traffic.
The league officials are supposed to be getting together with the other sections by Wednesday. I'll send email when things are updated.
I've purposefully left out the relay seeding for now until I hear from the league. Based on previous years, though, we can make some educated guesses:
4x100m
The top three teams in each grade and gender from our section will progress. The fourth place team is the alternate, and may not run. I see teams in the 7th and 8th grade girls, and the 8th grade boys here.
4x400m
The top three teams overall per gender progress. I know this is hard news to the other teams that ran on Saturday. Based on times, it looks like the eighth grade boys and girls teams have the four fastest finishes from our section.
Medley
This is still up in the air at the moment. We know for certain that we will be running it, but I'm not sure if we're combining across grades or not yet. Reportedly the other sections have a few teams this year, which is excellent news -- our athletes will get to compete against some new faces. That always makes for exciting races.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Track News for May 6, 2012
* Sectional Meet
Well, we're almost done. The sectional meet was Friday night (for the mile) and Saturday (for everything else.) I got to attend both, and saw a lot of great running, throwing, and jumping on display. I know a lot of our athletes set personal bests, and a few even qualified to move on to next week.
Great job, everyone. Thanks to the parents who helped out on Saturday. You kept things running smoothly, and I was very pleased to not hear our team being scolded over the PA system to provide missing volunteers. I like feeling smug.
* Diocese Meet
That's this coming weekend. The 800m and 1600m are held at James Logan High in Union Cit. Athletes that placed in the top in either event will race on Friday night, starting promptly at 6pm. Given the distance from our home turf, please give yourselves lots of extra time to get there. Remember: athletes may only compete in one of the 800m or 1600m at the final meet. If you happened to place in both, you need to choose one.
Saturday we're back at Granada High in Livermore for another 8:30am start. There is a parade with all the teams in the diocese -- think "opening ceremonies of the Olympics" -- and is really something special. All athletes from our team are welcome to participate. Since we're in Section 1 and the first team alphabetically, we historically have lead the parade.
Again, get there extra early to avoid the huge line at the gate, and having to park far from the school. The diocese meet is very popular and well-attended.
There are usually souvenir T-shirts available as you come in the gate. I don't know if they'll be offered again this year, but it can't hurt to slip a little extra in your wallet, just in case.
* Results
Old-timers will notice that we didn't hand out ribbons at the sectional: this is a new decision this year to keep the coordinators from having to play "pass the ribbon" around as team results are settled. We'll get the results posted and available as soon as possible. The waiting is the worst part.
I know for certain that a number of relay teams disqualified on Saturday. Passing outside the allowed zone is often the worst offense, though I know there were some other problems. If your athlete ran on a team that was DQ'd, please try to take it as a "teaching moment." A relay team is four people trying very hard to work together to move a baton around a track very quickly. Things often go wrong, but these are children involved. It's especially painful when it's your own child affected, but they will grow, and learn, and be fine for the experience. One bad relay will not stop them from being a happy, well-adjusted adult.
The best races I saw Saturday were the ones where it was obvious that the team was coming nowhere near the top three places... and they were smiling anyhow. "Flat last but smiling all the way" isn't a bad philosophy for CYO.
* Special Results
The 4x400 event is handled differently after the sectional meet. To be fairer to the other two sections in the diocese, it is only the fastest overall boys and overall girls teams that progress in the 4x400. Section 1 is lucky to have as many athletes as we do. You'll see a lot of teams in the parade from sections 2 and 3 that are lucky to have a dozen athletes among them, and can maybe scrape up a single 4x400 team or two. Rather than simply dominate at most grade levels, section 1 takes only our fastest teams forward. Happily, our team is almost always well-placed.
Also, the Sprint Medley is always treated as a second-class event by the diocese. You may not see it on the official programs, but we will run the medley at the diocese meet. I believe the same top-times-only rule applies to the medley teams as with the 4x400.
When the results come out, I'll publish them online, taking extra care to show which athletes and teams progress to next week.
* Alternates
I also know there was some confusion and disappointments about fourth-place finishers and their chances of competing last week.
Alternates are never guaranteed to run a race. Fourth-place finishers swap in only if an athlete or relay team can't make it. The odds of an alternate making it into a race are hard to guess, and it's especially frustrating when an athlete or team shows up at the last moment, bumping the alternates back out of a race. As coaches and coordinators, we can't predict who will or won't be able to make a race, so I advise alternates to try and show up anyway, but don't be crushed if you don't get to run: it's not the end of the world, really. (See the "well-adjusted adult" comment, above.)
* Practice
Two more to go: Tuesday and Thursday, same time, same place. The whole team is welcome. If you ask really nice, the coaches might relive their relay race from Saturday.
* Picnic
June 2! Martinez! Waterfront Park! Awards! Speeches! Potluck!
If you have a donation towards coaches' gifts, look for someone at practice, or me on Thursday or next Saturday. Our coaches been working hard since February to build our team. They deserve to be spoiled a little.
* And More Fun Still...
The Christ the King Parish Festival starts next Friday night May 18 and runs through May 20. This is the social event of the year for the CTK parish kids, and everyone is invited. Many of our own team families are working the festival, and your kids are bound to see someone they know from track hanging around. There's games, live entertainment, bingo (of course), books and goods for sale, and other amusements. Come on by, and tell everyone how awesome the track program is.
Well, we're almost done. The sectional meet was Friday night (for the mile) and Saturday (for everything else.) I got to attend both, and saw a lot of great running, throwing, and jumping on display. I know a lot of our athletes set personal bests, and a few even qualified to move on to next week.
Great job, everyone. Thanks to the parents who helped out on Saturday. You kept things running smoothly, and I was very pleased to not hear our team being scolded over the PA system to provide missing volunteers. I like feeling smug.
* Diocese Meet
That's this coming weekend. The 800m and 1600m are held at James Logan High in Union Cit. Athletes that placed in the top in either event will race on Friday night, starting promptly at 6pm. Given the distance from our home turf, please give yourselves lots of extra time to get there. Remember: athletes may only compete in one of the 800m or 1600m at the final meet. If you happened to place in both, you need to choose one.
Saturday we're back at Granada High in Livermore for another 8:30am start. There is a parade with all the teams in the diocese -- think "opening ceremonies of the Olympics" -- and is really something special. All athletes from our team are welcome to participate. Since we're in Section 1 and the first team alphabetically, we historically have lead the parade.
Again, get there extra early to avoid the huge line at the gate, and having to park far from the school. The diocese meet is very popular and well-attended.
There are usually souvenir T-shirts available as you come in the gate. I don't know if they'll be offered again this year, but it can't hurt to slip a little extra in your wallet, just in case.
* Results
Old-timers will notice that we didn't hand out ribbons at the sectional: this is a new decision this year to keep the coordinators from having to play "pass the ribbon" around as team results are settled. We'll get the results posted and available as soon as possible. The waiting is the worst part.
I know for certain that a number of relay teams disqualified on Saturday. Passing outside the allowed zone is often the worst offense, though I know there were some other problems. If your athlete ran on a team that was DQ'd, please try to take it as a "teaching moment." A relay team is four people trying very hard to work together to move a baton around a track very quickly. Things often go wrong, but these are children involved. It's especially painful when it's your own child affected, but they will grow, and learn, and be fine for the experience. One bad relay will not stop them from being a happy, well-adjusted adult.
The best races I saw Saturday were the ones where it was obvious that the team was coming nowhere near the top three places... and they were smiling anyhow. "Flat last but smiling all the way" isn't a bad philosophy for CYO.
* Special Results
The 4x400 event is handled differently after the sectional meet. To be fairer to the other two sections in the diocese, it is only the fastest overall boys and overall girls teams that progress in the 4x400. Section 1 is lucky to have as many athletes as we do. You'll see a lot of teams in the parade from sections 2 and 3 that are lucky to have a dozen athletes among them, and can maybe scrape up a single 4x400 team or two. Rather than simply dominate at most grade levels, section 1 takes only our fastest teams forward. Happily, our team is almost always well-placed.
Also, the Sprint Medley is always treated as a second-class event by the diocese. You may not see it on the official programs, but we will run the medley at the diocese meet. I believe the same top-times-only rule applies to the medley teams as with the 4x400.
When the results come out, I'll publish them online, taking extra care to show which athletes and teams progress to next week.
* Alternates
I also know there was some confusion and disappointments about fourth-place finishers and their chances of competing last week.
Alternates are never guaranteed to run a race. Fourth-place finishers swap in only if an athlete or relay team can't make it. The odds of an alternate making it into a race are hard to guess, and it's especially frustrating when an athlete or team shows up at the last moment, bumping the alternates back out of a race. As coaches and coordinators, we can't predict who will or won't be able to make a race, so I advise alternates to try and show up anyway, but don't be crushed if you don't get to run: it's not the end of the world, really. (See the "well-adjusted adult" comment, above.)
* Practice
Two more to go: Tuesday and Thursday, same time, same place. The whole team is welcome. If you ask really nice, the coaches might relive their relay race from Saturday.
* Picnic
June 2! Martinez! Waterfront Park! Awards! Speeches! Potluck!
If you have a donation towards coaches' gifts, look for someone at practice, or me on Thursday or next Saturday. Our coaches been working hard since February to build our team. They deserve to be spoiled a little.
* And More Fun Still...
The Christ the King Parish Festival starts next Friday night May 18 and runs through May 20. This is the social event of the year for the CTK parish kids, and everyone is invited. Many of our own team families are working the festival, and your kids are bound to see someone they know from track hanging around. There's games, live entertainment, bingo (of course), books and goods for sale, and other amusements. Come on by, and tell everyone how awesome the track program is.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Sectional Update
* Updated Qualifier List
I've updated the qualifiers list to account for scratches that have come in from other teams.
http://ctktrack.org/2012_
At a suggestion from the coaches, I've also listed lane assignments and alternates in the running event sheets.
Alternates are the 4th place finishers from the meet on April 28th, and they are not guaranteed to run on Saturday. "Alt 1" means an athlete is the first alternate, and will be the first one chosen if a regular athlete is a no-show in that event. "Alt 2" is placed next, and then "Alt 3."
I apologize if this catches you by surprise and changes your weekend plans. If you're attending the meet and your athlete is an alternate, they should sign in as usual, but they (and you) won't know if they're running until the race is taken to the start line.
* Sectional Volunteers
Thank you to all the families who have stepped up to cover volunteer jobs. We need two people (or one dedicated person) to be the "stands marshal" during the meet: there is a morning and afternoon shift open. Please let me know if you can do this job.
There will be an official sign-in table near the snack shack. Volunteers working on the track area will be given wristbands. I will try to position myself near the table first thing after setup to get you signed in and stickered.
* Practice
Our last two practices are next week. Ribbons have been passed out for the meet on the 21st as well as personal bests for the 21st and 28th. Ribbons for the 28th should be coming out soon. Practice is always open to everyone.
Unclaimed ribbons will come to the picnic: I hope you'll be there, too.
I've updated the qualifiers list to account for scratches that have come in from other teams.
http://ctktrack.org/2012_
At a suggestion from the coaches, I've also listed lane assignments and alternates in the running event sheets.
Alternates are the 4th place finishers from the meet on April 28th, and they are not guaranteed to run on Saturday. "Alt 1" means an athlete is the first alternate, and will be the first one chosen if a regular athlete is a no-show in that event. "Alt 2" is placed next, and then "Alt 3."
I apologize if this catches you by surprise and changes your weekend plans. If you're attending the meet and your athlete is an alternate, they should sign in as usual, but they (and you) won't know if they're running until the race is taken to the start line.
* Sectional Volunteers
Thank you to all the families who have stepped up to cover volunteer jobs. We need two people (or one dedicated person) to be the "stands marshal" during the meet: there is a morning and afternoon shift open. Please let me know if you can do this job.
There will be an official sign-in table near the snack shack. Volunteers working on the track area will be given wristbands. I will try to position myself near the table first thing after setup to get you signed in and stickered.
* Practice
Our last two practices are next week. Ribbons have been passed out for the meet on the 21st as well as personal bests for the 21st and 28th. Ribbons for the 28th should be coming out soon. Practice is always open to everyone.
Unclaimed ribbons will come to the picnic: I hope you'll be there, too.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Families going to the sectional: we need your help!
The work schedule has been put out for the meet this Saturday, and CTK
has been assigned some (but not many!) meet positions. The assignment
breakdown is on the league site:
http://www.ctktrack.org/dvcl/
You must have a sticker to work at the meet, which I'll have with me. I will be there to set up, and then will hang out near the large concrete water fountain near the snack shack with the volunteer stickers before the first and second shifts. Look for me with the brown cowboy hat, and if it's cold and windy, inside a team sweatshirt, too.
All first shift volunteers need to be there and ready to work by 8am. Not a problem, though, since you'll be coming early for parking, right? Right.
Please let both Katy and me know if you're able to step up and help out with these jobs.
Setup and Cleanup
If you come early, we could use your help. I'll be there with tents to make the clerk area for the athletes, and will be staying to the very end for the meet. I'd love company if you can help on either side of the meet. If you're really early, your admission might even be waived. I plan to be there by 7am, in case you need a definition of "really early."
Cleanup crews start taking down and bagging tents during the 4x400 relay, which is the next-to-last event. If you're there for a 4x400 or medley team, by all means stick around a little and help out.
Clerk of the Course, second shift (noon to close)
This is pretty easy since all the sheets should be run off in advance. You will be verifying that athletes check in to the events by finding their names on a sheet and checking them off. All the races and lane assignments are settled.
Medley Judges at turn #1 (3 openings, near end of meet)
Stand at the first corner during the medley relays and watch the baton passes: they need to occur inside triangles printed on the track, and athletes cannot impede each other (no stepping out of lanes, tripping, etc.) Disqualifications (DQs) happen here.
Relay "Runner" for DQs
Monitor the corner flags during the relays, and if one of the judges reports a problem by putting up a flag, you go out to the corner and find out what the issue was: which lane and team had the issue. There are officials ready to handle the disputes, but we need someone to watch the corner judges and see what issue was raised. This applies very much to the 4x100 relay at the start of the meet: we need to resolve DQs quickly to keep the meet moving.
Judge, first shift
Just like the practice meets, and mainly in case there's an issue with the timing system. Absolutely the best place to be in the meet: you'll see every race finish.
First Aid
If any of our regular First Aid people are attending, please let me know. Otherwise, someone who is comfortable helping kids cool down & calm down, maybe bandaging a scrape or cut. I'll bring our kit and ice packs to the meet.
Stand Marshal (2 openings: 1 in morning, 1 in afternoon)
Make sure that the railings are clear in the front of the stands (kids like to hang on them, which obstructs traffic and views.) Make sure views are open to spectators: nobody should set up a tent or umbrella in the middle, but only up at the top, out of the way. Sometimes parents get upset at this meet -- see DQs, above. We need to remind everyone to use CYO-appropriate language and behavior. There are marshals from many teams in each shift, in case there's issue with other parishes.
http://www.ctktrack.org/dvcl/
You must have a sticker to work at the meet, which I'll have with me. I will be there to set up, and then will hang out near the large concrete water fountain near the snack shack with the volunteer stickers before the first and second shifts. Look for me with the brown cowboy hat, and if it's cold and windy, inside a team sweatshirt, too.
All first shift volunteers need to be there and ready to work by 8am. Not a problem, though, since you'll be coming early for parking, right? Right.
Please let both Katy and me know if you're able to step up and help out with these jobs.
Setup and Cleanup
If you come early, we could use your help. I'll be there with tents to make the clerk area for the athletes, and will be staying to the very end for the meet. I'd love company if you can help on either side of the meet. If you're really early, your admission might even be waived. I plan to be there by 7am, in case you need a definition of "really early."
Cleanup crews start taking down and bagging tents during the 4x400 relay, which is the next-to-last event. If you're there for a 4x400 or medley team, by all means stick around a little and help out.
Clerk of the Course, second shift (noon to close)
This is pretty easy since all the sheets should be run off in advance. You will be verifying that athletes check in to the events by finding their names on a sheet and checking them off. All the races and lane assignments are settled.
Medley Judges at turn #1 (3 openings, near end of meet)
Stand at the first corner during the medley relays and watch the baton passes: they need to occur inside triangles printed on the track, and athletes cannot impede each other (no stepping out of lanes, tripping, etc.) Disqualifications (DQs) happen here.
Relay "Runner" for DQs
Monitor the corner flags during the relays, and if one of the judges reports a problem by putting up a flag, you go out to the corner and find out what the issue was: which lane and team had the issue. There are officials ready to handle the disputes, but we need someone to watch the corner judges and see what issue was raised. This applies very much to the 4x100 relay at the start of the meet: we need to resolve DQs quickly to keep the meet moving.
Judge, first shift
Just like the practice meets, and mainly in case there's an issue with the timing system. Absolutely the best place to be in the meet: you'll see every race finish.
First Aid
If any of our regular First Aid people are attending, please let me know. Otherwise, someone who is comfortable helping kids cool down & calm down, maybe bandaging a scrape or cut. I'll bring our kit and ice packs to the meet.
Stand Marshal (2 openings: 1 in morning, 1 in afternoon)
Make sure that the railings are clear in the front of the stands (kids like to hang on them, which obstructs traffic and views.) Make sure views are open to spectators: nobody should set up a tent or umbrella in the middle, but only up at the top, out of the way. Sometimes parents get upset at this meet -- see DQs, above. We need to remind everyone to use CYO-appropriate language and behavior. There are marshals from many teams in each shift, in case there's issue with other parishes.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Qualifying results are up, Sectional meet information
Our coordinator's meeting was last night, and we reviewed all the
results from the meet on the 28th. The results are up as a Google
spreadsheet and are linked from our team website and from the league's
page:
http://www.ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml#meets
Congratulations to the athletes who qualified and will be representing Christ the King, St. Catherine, and St. Stephen on Friday and Saturday.
If your athlete qualified, then they should absolutely plan to attend the meet. If your athlete is an "alternate" then they should also plan to attend. Alternates are placed when a regular athlete is a no-show, and I have seen many alternates moved up at the last moment to compete over the years. The 800m and 1600m do not have alternates because those events do not run in lanes -- all listed athletes may compete.
* Showing Up
The 1600m (mile) event will start at 6pm this Friday at DVC. Athletes running this event should plan to be there no later than 5:30pm. You need to find parking, get through the gate, and locate your coaches before you run.
All other events are run on Saturday at Granada High in Livermore. First gun on Saturday is at 8:30am, and based on my experience trying to find parking in the past, you should be walking in the gate by 8:00am or before. There is a small attendance fee that will be collected at the gate on Saturday to defray the league's costs. It's usually a couple of dollars for adults, and a bit less for children. Competing athletes, coaches with badges and coordinators with badges do not need to pay admission. It's a small perk, but we'll take it.
All athletes competing on Saturday and Sunday will need to wear a sticker with their number and team as usual, which the coaches or I will have. Show up and find your coach right away.
I can't say this enough: please do not be late. The 4x100m relay is the very first event on Saturday, and coaches need to have teams prepared and in the clerk area right away. Late athletes and relay teams are scratched from competition.
Athletes bringing track shoes (spikes) will need to have them inspected at the gate. Only one-quarter inch pyramid spikes are permitted in CYO. I have spare spikes and wrenches if you lose one. Please allow time to get through the gate, and have your shoes ready for inspection.
* Settling In
The Sectional and Diocese meets are very, very popular. Parking is always at a premium, and seating in the home stands doubly so. If you plan to bring a tent or umbrella for the stands, you need to be there extra early to stake out a place in the back (top) of the stands. Don't block someone else's view, please: you'll be asked to take your portable shade down if you do. Granada can be very windy, so plan to bring bungee cords to lash down everything, too.
The visitor-side stands are usually sparsely populated, by comparison. If you are coming for a few events, you can always set up on the away-side and walk around to watch the finish of the race from outside the fence. I like to pack a pair of binoculars for these meets.
* Out of Bounds
Absolutely no one is allowed on the track or field at any time during the Sectional meets except for signed-in athletes being directed by the meet staff. Everyone must sit in the stands, no exceptions. The clerk area is typically closed to anyone besides athletes: not even coaches or coordinators may violate the holy sanctity of the E-Z Up tents. In years past, the clerk area at DVC has been outside the track fence on the north side, near the snack shack and restroom buildings, and at Granada it is tucked away behind a fence between the stands and snack shack. Show up early and orient yourselves to the facility.
Athletes should use the bathroom before going into the clerk area, because they're usually not allowed to leave once signed in.
* Following Along
The event order at the Sectional is different than practice meets, and sometimes grade orders are reversed. The order of events is on our web site:
http://ctktrack.org/2012_sectional_order.pdf
I recommend printing it off and keeping it handy, and helping your athletes pay attention to the calls.
Athletes and alternates need to report to events when called, and at the Sectional, every field event will be running both a boys and girls area, so they will close promptly. Don't wait for the final call: get over to the event and check in, even if you're an alternate.
http://www.ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml#meets
Congratulations to the athletes who qualified and will be representing Christ the King, St. Catherine, and St. Stephen on Friday and Saturday.
If your athlete qualified, then they should absolutely plan to attend the meet. If your athlete is an "alternate" then they should also plan to attend. Alternates are placed when a regular athlete is a no-show, and I have seen many alternates moved up at the last moment to compete over the years. The 800m and 1600m do not have alternates because those events do not run in lanes -- all listed athletes may compete.
* Showing Up
The 1600m (mile) event will start at 6pm this Friday at DVC. Athletes running this event should plan to be there no later than 5:30pm. You need to find parking, get through the gate, and locate your coaches before you run.
All other events are run on Saturday at Granada High in Livermore. First gun on Saturday is at 8:30am, and based on my experience trying to find parking in the past, you should be walking in the gate by 8:00am or before. There is a small attendance fee that will be collected at the gate on Saturday to defray the league's costs. It's usually a couple of dollars for adults, and a bit less for children. Competing athletes, coaches with badges and coordinators with badges do not need to pay admission. It's a small perk, but we'll take it.
All athletes competing on Saturday and Sunday will need to wear a sticker with their number and team as usual, which the coaches or I will have. Show up and find your coach right away.
I can't say this enough: please do not be late. The 4x100m relay is the very first event on Saturday, and coaches need to have teams prepared and in the clerk area right away. Late athletes and relay teams are scratched from competition.
Athletes bringing track shoes (spikes) will need to have them inspected at the gate. Only one-quarter inch pyramid spikes are permitted in CYO. I have spare spikes and wrenches if you lose one. Please allow time to get through the gate, and have your shoes ready for inspection.
* Settling In
The Sectional and Diocese meets are very, very popular. Parking is always at a premium, and seating in the home stands doubly so. If you plan to bring a tent or umbrella for the stands, you need to be there extra early to stake out a place in the back (top) of the stands. Don't block someone else's view, please: you'll be asked to take your portable shade down if you do. Granada can be very windy, so plan to bring bungee cords to lash down everything, too.
The visitor-side stands are usually sparsely populated, by comparison. If you are coming for a few events, you can always set up on the away-side and walk around to watch the finish of the race from outside the fence. I like to pack a pair of binoculars for these meets.
* Out of Bounds
Absolutely no one is allowed on the track or field at any time during the Sectional meets except for signed-in athletes being directed by the meet staff. Everyone must sit in the stands, no exceptions. The clerk area is typically closed to anyone besides athletes: not even coaches or coordinators may violate the holy sanctity of the E-Z Up tents. In years past, the clerk area at DVC has been outside the track fence on the north side, near the snack shack and restroom buildings, and at Granada it is tucked away behind a fence between the stands and snack shack. Show up early and orient yourselves to the facility.
Athletes should use the bathroom before going into the clerk area, because they're usually not allowed to leave once signed in.
* Following Along
The event order at the Sectional is different than practice meets, and sometimes grade orders are reversed. The order of events is on our web site:
http://ctktrack.org/2012_sectional_order.pdf
I recommend printing it off and keeping it handy, and helping your athletes pay attention to the calls.
Athletes and alternates need to report to events when called, and at the Sectional, every field event will be running both a boys and girls area, so they will close promptly. Don't wait for the final call: get over to the event and check in, even if you're an alternate.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Track News for April 29, 2012
* Qualifying Meet
Well, we survived. I know that took a long time to run, but we had to be extra careful with the results, and we're not allowed to take our usual shortcuts. It looks like everyone had a good time, and got properly sunburned. Thanks to all the volunteers who did bonus shifts, and to those who watched their "short" afternoon shift carry on... and on... and on...
The results will take a little bit more time to come out because we're into championships now. Please remember that placement is done overall in an event, regardless of the number of heats. That is, all the heats in a grade are scored together. I'm attending a meeting Monday night to go over the preliminary results with the other coordinators in our section, and to plan for next Saturday. If you've notified me that you won't be able to make the Sectional, we'll take this into account -- another athlete may get to move up and compete.
* Sectional Meet
This Friday night, May 4th, we'll have the the 800m and 1600m events at DVC. If your athlete happened to qualify in both, then they need to pick one of the events for competition. This is a diocese rule, and out of my hands. We had a lot of milers on Saturday, and not so many in the 800m. It's going to be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Update: I have this incorrect: only the 1600m runs the night before at DVC. The 800m is run as usual on Saturday. Athletes who place in both will choose after the Sectional.
All other events run the next day, Saturday the 5th, down at Granada High in Livermore. Yes, Livermore. We've been spoiled this year by being rained out of nice, close locations. Granada is special, though, because they have a "FAT" system (Fully Automated Timing) which theoretically speeds a meet along by eliminating the finish-line dance of sticks, timers, judges, magic markers, misfires, and other excitement. When it's working smoothly, it's a spectacle to behold: your athlete's times show up on the scoreboard and everything. I'll write up a special Sectional meet letter for later in the week.
Parents who are fortunate enough to see their athlete place into the Sectional should expect a polite tap on the shoulder from our volunteer coordinators about doing up a volunteer job. The league handles most of the big jobs, and they mostly need bodies to help shuffle kids to their proper places, or to read measuring tapes. Don't worry: you can do it.
If you're heading to Granada, be aware that the Portola Ave exit no longer exists. Please check directions in advance, and make sure your GPS systems are up to date. We have directions on the team site as well:
http://ctktrack.org/directions.shtml#granada
* Practices
Even if you didn't qualify, please feel free to keep coming to practice. The attendance numbers historically drop off after the Qualifying as athletes hang up their running shoes and drift off into other commitments, but we're still at College Park twice a week right up through May 10th. And as an added enticement...
* Ribbons
We were late in getting them from last week's meet, but they're now in the sorter's hands, and should be back to me soon. Also, I've got personal best ribbons figured out from the 21st which need to go to our other sorter, and I'm sure I'll have more personal bests for this Saturday's results. We track personal bests for individual events all the way through the season, and times set this season are used for comparison for next year's first meet.
* Results
I've gotten all the results up online except for the relay meet, which I'll do this week. Everything is posted online with links from our schedule page:
http://ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml
I see lots of improvements even in this weird, wet season. Qualifying is nice, but growth is better. That's what we're about.
* Picnic
Have you got it marked on the calendar? The annual team awards picnic potluck is Saturday, June 2nd at Waterfront Park in Martinez. Numerous awards are handed out to athletes and volunteers, we say farewell to the eighth graders, thank-you to the coaches, and most importantly, try to reunite your kids with all their lost stuff. I have one of those big black meet boxes literally overflowing with clothes and shoes (!) left over from practices and meets. Come for the picnic, stay for the free clothes -- anything unclaimed at the end of the picnic is fair game, and trust me, there's a lot of nice stuff in the pile. I have dressed my kids in warmup gear for years thanks to the mighty CTK Lost & Found.
The team will supply drinks, charcoal, grills, and a place to eat. You bring something to share, something to grill for your family, and any utensils, plates, napkins etc. that you'll need. The last time I was at Waterfront park it was gusty and bright, so please plan accordingly.
* Thanks
Since this may be the end of the season for many of you (but not the end of my emails!) I just wanted to say thanks to everyone: to the parent volunteers who jumped in to do an unfamiliar job because they looked unoccupied, to the coaches and assistants for devoting their weeknights and weekends to trying to wrangle nearly 200 children into some sort of order, and to the athletes themselves for trying hard and having fun. I had some big shoes to fill this year as coordinator, and it has been a genuine pleasure. I won't be sad to turn in all the meet gear that's piled on my porch, but I'm already looking forward to next season. Thanks, everyone.
Well, we survived. I know that took a long time to run, but we had to be extra careful with the results, and we're not allowed to take our usual shortcuts. It looks like everyone had a good time, and got properly sunburned. Thanks to all the volunteers who did bonus shifts, and to those who watched their "short" afternoon shift carry on... and on... and on...
The results will take a little bit more time to come out because we're into championships now. Please remember that placement is done overall in an event, regardless of the number of heats. That is, all the heats in a grade are scored together. I'm attending a meeting Monday night to go over the preliminary results with the other coordinators in our section, and to plan for next Saturday. If you've notified me that you won't be able to make the Sectional, we'll take this into account -- another athlete may get to move up and compete.
* Sectional Meet
Update: I have this incorrect: only the 1600m runs the night before at DVC. The 800m is run as usual on Saturday. Athletes who place in both will choose after the Sectional.
All other events run the next day, Saturday the 5th, down at Granada High in Livermore. Yes, Livermore. We've been spoiled this year by being rained out of nice, close locations. Granada is special, though, because they have a "FAT" system (Fully Automated Timing) which theoretically speeds a meet along by eliminating the finish-line dance of sticks, timers, judges, magic markers, misfires, and other excitement. When it's working smoothly, it's a spectacle to behold: your athlete's times show up on the scoreboard and everything. I'll write up a special Sectional meet letter for later in the week.
Parents who are fortunate enough to see their athlete place into the Sectional should expect a polite tap on the shoulder from our volunteer coordinators about doing up a volunteer job. The league handles most of the big jobs, and they mostly need bodies to help shuffle kids to their proper places, or to read measuring tapes. Don't worry: you can do it.
If you're heading to Granada, be aware that the Portola Ave exit no longer exists. Please check directions in advance, and make sure your GPS systems are up to date. We have directions on the team site as well:
http://ctktrack.org/directions.shtml#granada
* Practices
Even if you didn't qualify, please feel free to keep coming to practice. The attendance numbers historically drop off after the Qualifying as athletes hang up their running shoes and drift off into other commitments, but we're still at College Park twice a week right up through May 10th. And as an added enticement...
* Ribbons
We were late in getting them from last week's meet, but they're now in the sorter's hands, and should be back to me soon. Also, I've got personal best ribbons figured out from the 21st which need to go to our other sorter, and I'm sure I'll have more personal bests for this Saturday's results. We track personal bests for individual events all the way through the season, and times set this season are used for comparison for next year's first meet.
* Results
I've gotten all the results up online except for the relay meet, which I'll do this week. Everything is posted online with links from our schedule page:
http://ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml
I see lots of improvements even in this weird, wet season. Qualifying is nice, but growth is better. That's what we're about.
* Picnic
Have you got it marked on the calendar? The annual team awards picnic potluck is Saturday, June 2nd at Waterfront Park in Martinez. Numerous awards are handed out to athletes and volunteers, we say farewell to the eighth graders, thank-you to the coaches, and most importantly, try to reunite your kids with all their lost stuff. I have one of those big black meet boxes literally overflowing with clothes and shoes (!) left over from practices and meets. Come for the picnic, stay for the free clothes -- anything unclaimed at the end of the picnic is fair game, and trust me, there's a lot of nice stuff in the pile. I have dressed my kids in warmup gear for years thanks to the mighty CTK Lost & Found.
The team will supply drinks, charcoal, grills, and a place to eat. You bring something to share, something to grill for your family, and any utensils, plates, napkins etc. that you'll need. The last time I was at Waterfront park it was gusty and bright, so please plan accordingly.
* Thanks
Since this may be the end of the season for many of you (but not the end of my emails!) I just wanted to say thanks to everyone: to the parent volunteers who jumped in to do an unfamiliar job because they looked unoccupied, to the coaches and assistants for devoting their weeknights and weekends to trying to wrangle nearly 200 children into some sort of order, and to the athletes themselves for trying hard and having fun. I had some big shoes to fill this year as coordinator, and it has been a genuine pleasure. I won't be sad to turn in all the meet gear that's piled on my porch, but I'm already looking forward to next season. Thanks, everyone.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Track News for April 22, 2012
* Practice Meet #4
Wow, what a great day. After all the rain this year, I didn't think we'd see a meet like Saturday's. Abundant sunshine, occasional breezes, blue skies. That's what I signed on for. This was our last meet at Ygnacio Valley this season, and it was a great sendoff. We certainly appreciate their hospitality and especially their students-for-hire.
If you have an outstanding payment to make for a YVH student, please get it to me as soon as possible. Checks should be made out to "CTK CYO" to reimburse the team, since I've already paid for the athletes. The YVH boosters appreciate your support!
* Relay Meet Results
It seems like there were a lot of hiccups in the results from the relay meet on 21st. I'm having the coaches look over the results from the data-entry people. If your athlete competed at the relay meet and is missing a ribbon, please let me know their name and what event they ran and I'll mark it on the sheet. The spreadsheet of results is online, and I've already made some corrections. I appreciate your patience as we try to get these sorted out.
* Volunteers
We need you at the Qualifying meet! Please drop Katy a note and let her know if you can take a shift or two. Don't forget the "super-helpful family" drawing at the end of the season...
http://www.ctktrack.org/volunteers.shtml
We could especially use help with relay judging, backup timer (using a stopwatch), and cleanup crew at the end of the meet. Trust me: working a job makes the meet go faster.
* Qualifying Meet
Our next meet is at DVC, and is the beginning of the "championship" meets for the league. There are a number of different things that happen starting with this meet:
- Participation
Athletes must participate in the Qualifying meet to be eligible to proceed to the Sectional meet the following week. There are no exceptions to this rule, not even for athletes or siblings attending a first communion ceremony. Our league officials want me to remind you that participating in a holy sacrament is much more significant than running a relay race. I know that this affects a few families on our team -- I'm sorry. Please try to enjoy your child's first communion anyway.
If you think it is likely that your athlete will finish in the top of their events at the Qualifying meet but are certain that you will not be able to go to Sectionals, let me and the athlete's primary coach know. This may open up a chance for another athlete to attend in their place.
- Promotions
Second-grade athletes (and younger) now compete as third-graders. Coaches will do their best to remind the athletes of their new grown-up status. This means that their finish times and field events will also be measured against third graders.
- Place
Only the top three finishers in an event -- plus one alternate -- are eligible to continue to the next week's meet. Place is determined overall for an event, not within the heat. So, in events of more than one heat, it is only the top three finishers (and one alternate) who may progress. Even if your athlete finished first in her 100m heat, she may still have come in fifth overall across all the 100m heats in her age group. You'll need to wait for the final results to be posted before making plans to attend the Sectional meet.
Results from the Qualifying meet are a little more particular and gone over more carefully than those from a practice meet: I'll let you know when they're available.
- Pure Relays
Starting with the qualifying meet, all relay teams must be gender-, grade-, and parish-pure. So, we can no longer form a single team assembled from CTK, SC, and SS athletes. Instead, everyone in a relay team needs to be wearing the same shirt, and be the same age group, and use the same restroom. This affects the smallest parishes the most, since they are unlikely to have four-of-a-kind to make up many teams.
The only modification to this rule is for the Medley relay, which is allowed to consist of same-parish, same-gender athletes of multiple grades. The team runs as the grade of the oldest member of the team. The diocese does not yet recognize the Medley as an event -- a sore point for many of the coordinators in our league! -- so we are given a little leeway.
- And More...
Unlike individual events, whole relay teams are given a berth in the Sectional, subject to the limits above. So, a top-finishing St. Catherine relay team would qualify -- as a team -- to run the next week, though the roster or order of athletes on that team may be changed in times of need. This is rare, and is mostly something that the coaches worry about. Coaches' decisions about members of a relay team and their order are final. I will be happy to listen to you if you feel that your athlete has been slighted, but I am very likely to side with the coach. If your athlete is on a qualifying relay team and can't make the Sectional, then you definitely need to let me and their primary coach know at once so we can place an alternate.
These meets are also when relay judging gets much more particular, especially regarding baton hand-offs. There are judges stationed at the corners to watch the passes and to ensure that they are taking place within the boundaries. There's usually at least one team disqualification during these meets because of passes outside of the zone or crossing over lanes. DQs can be very upsetting to the athletes and their families, but please do not take a disqualification as an invitation to harass, berate, insult, or yell at judges, timers, or any other volunteer at the meet. That's a good way to get evicted from the meet and get your athlete -- or even the whole track team -- disqualified.
This is where that "keep perspective" speech I gave back in the parent's meeting really applies. Comfort the team as best you can, remember that everyone on the track is a volunteer who gave up their weekend to stand in the hot sun and watch children hand a piece of aluminum to each other, then search for "relay baton drop" on YouTube and remember that it even happens in the Olympics. CYO is a recreational, church-affiliated youth track league; we're a long way from the Olympics. Perspective!
- Event Limits
As always, athletes must follow the "2-and-1" plan for events: participate in a maximum of two individual running events and one field event, or two field events and one individual running event. There are no limits to the number of relay teams an athlete may belong to, as long as it is a legal team. Athletes doing more than the allowed number of individual events may be disqualified from all of their events.
One extra wrinkle: starting with the Sectional meet, distance runners must choose to either compete in the 800m or the 1600m, but not both. Normally this isn't a problem, but there's usually a few die-hards that love to run both. Sorry, die-hards: you need to pick one. The 800m/1600m are run on the Friday evening before the remainder of the Sectional meet, and this pattern is repeated the following week at the Diocese final. To recap: you may qualify in both, but you have to choose one for the Sectional meet, and let me and your primary coach know so we can promote an alternate for the other event.
- Boy, That's Harsh
This may seem unnecessarily severe for a sport (and team) that prides itself on inclusiveness and "everybody tries" but remember: every weekend there are three league meets held of about 450 athletes each. From those we need to focus down to the top athletes in our section (Section 1) to compete against the top athletes in the other two sections of the Oakland diocese. It's quite a production. If anything, the meets from here on out get bigger.
If your athletes are discouraged to have their season end this week or next because of schedule conflicts, religious ceremonies, injury, or whatever other reason, I completely empathize, and take that as a good sign -- they like track and their track friends, and will miss it. We'll miss them, too. But don't put those shoes away yet!
* Practices
Regardless of any athlete's results, whether they qualified or not, practice goes on as usual at College Park. Even if an athlete's competitive season is over for the year, we'd love to see them at practice. We practice right up to the bitter end, to the Thursday before the Diocese.
There's only six practices left! Please come out and help me use up my remaining Starburst stockpile and give the coaches something to do in the evenings.
* The Future
What's next? The Sectional meet and the Diocese championship are coming up fast, and our end-of-season potluck picnic and awards ceremony happens in June. And if you really want to plan ahead, the cross-country team starts up in August. More on all these exciting things in future newsletters. If your athletes are doing very well in these meets, expect Katy and I to come knocking on your email asking which jobs we can sign you up for at these additional meets. Yes, this counts as being super-helpful.
I have a Diocese meet flyer that I just received in email, I'll post it on the site and send the details around when it's online. And that's more than enough reading for this week!
Wow, what a great day. After all the rain this year, I didn't think we'd see a meet like Saturday's. Abundant sunshine, occasional breezes, blue skies. That's what I signed on for. This was our last meet at Ygnacio Valley this season, and it was a great sendoff. We certainly appreciate their hospitality and especially their students-for-hire.
If you have an outstanding payment to make for a YVH student, please get it to me as soon as possible. Checks should be made out to "CTK CYO" to reimburse the team, since I've already paid for the athletes. The YVH boosters appreciate your support!
* Relay Meet Results
It seems like there were a lot of hiccups in the results from the relay meet on 21st. I'm having the coaches look over the results from the data-entry people. If your athlete competed at the relay meet and is missing a ribbon, please let me know their name and what event they ran and I'll mark it on the sheet. The spreadsheet of results is online, and I've already made some corrections. I appreciate your patience as we try to get these sorted out.
* Volunteers
We need you at the Qualifying meet! Please drop Katy a note and let her know if you can take a shift or two. Don't forget the "super-helpful family" drawing at the end of the season...
http://www.ctktrack.org/volunteers.shtml
We could especially use help with relay judging, backup timer (using a stopwatch), and cleanup crew at the end of the meet. Trust me: working a job makes the meet go faster.
* Qualifying Meet
Our next meet is at DVC, and is the beginning of the "championship" meets for the league. There are a number of different things that happen starting with this meet:
- Participation
Athletes must participate in the Qualifying meet to be eligible to proceed to the Sectional meet the following week. There are no exceptions to this rule, not even for athletes or siblings attending a first communion ceremony. Our league officials want me to remind you that participating in a holy sacrament is much more significant than running a relay race. I know that this affects a few families on our team -- I'm sorry. Please try to enjoy your child's first communion anyway.
If you think it is likely that your athlete will finish in the top of their events at the Qualifying meet but are certain that you will not be able to go to Sectionals, let me and the athlete's primary coach know. This may open up a chance for another athlete to attend in their place.
- Promotions
Second-grade athletes (and younger) now compete as third-graders. Coaches will do their best to remind the athletes of their new grown-up status. This means that their finish times and field events will also be measured against third graders.
- Place
Only the top three finishers in an event -- plus one alternate -- are eligible to continue to the next week's meet. Place is determined overall for an event, not within the heat. So, in events of more than one heat, it is only the top three finishers (and one alternate) who may progress. Even if your athlete finished first in her 100m heat, she may still have come in fifth overall across all the 100m heats in her age group. You'll need to wait for the final results to be posted before making plans to attend the Sectional meet.
Results from the Qualifying meet are a little more particular and gone over more carefully than those from a practice meet: I'll let you know when they're available.
- Pure Relays
Starting with the qualifying meet, all relay teams must be gender-, grade-, and parish-pure. So, we can no longer form a single team assembled from CTK, SC, and SS athletes. Instead, everyone in a relay team needs to be wearing the same shirt, and be the same age group, and use the same restroom. This affects the smallest parishes the most, since they are unlikely to have four-of-a-kind to make up many teams.
The only modification to this rule is for the Medley relay, which is allowed to consist of same-parish, same-gender athletes of multiple grades. The team runs as the grade of the oldest member of the team. The diocese does not yet recognize the Medley as an event -- a sore point for many of the coordinators in our league! -- so we are given a little leeway.
- And More...
Unlike individual events, whole relay teams are given a berth in the Sectional, subject to the limits above. So, a top-finishing St. Catherine relay team would qualify -- as a team -- to run the next week, though the roster or order of athletes on that team may be changed in times of need. This is rare, and is mostly something that the coaches worry about. Coaches' decisions about members of a relay team and their order are final. I will be happy to listen to you if you feel that your athlete has been slighted, but I am very likely to side with the coach. If your athlete is on a qualifying relay team and can't make the Sectional, then you definitely need to let me and their primary coach know at once so we can place an alternate.
These meets are also when relay judging gets much more particular, especially regarding baton hand-offs. There are judges stationed at the corners to watch the passes and to ensure that they are taking place within the boundaries. There's usually at least one team disqualification during these meets because of passes outside of the zone or crossing over lanes. DQs can be very upsetting to the athletes and their families, but please do not take a disqualification as an invitation to harass, berate, insult, or yell at judges, timers, or any other volunteer at the meet. That's a good way to get evicted from the meet and get your athlete -- or even the whole track team -- disqualified.
This is where that "keep perspective" speech I gave back in the parent's meeting really applies. Comfort the team as best you can, remember that everyone on the track is a volunteer who gave up their weekend to stand in the hot sun and watch children hand a piece of aluminum to each other, then search for "relay baton drop" on YouTube and remember that it even happens in the Olympics. CYO is a recreational, church-affiliated youth track league; we're a long way from the Olympics. Perspective!
- Event Limits
As always, athletes must follow the "2-and-1" plan for events: participate in a maximum of two individual running events and one field event, or two field events and one individual running event. There are no limits to the number of relay teams an athlete may belong to, as long as it is a legal team. Athletes doing more than the allowed number of individual events may be disqualified from all of their events.
One extra wrinkle: starting with the Sectional meet, distance runners must choose to either compete in the 800m or the 1600m, but not both. Normally this isn't a problem, but there's usually a few die-hards that love to run both. Sorry, die-hards: you need to pick one. The 800m/1600m are run on the Friday evening before the remainder of the Sectional meet, and this pattern is repeated the following week at the Diocese final. To recap: you may qualify in both, but you have to choose one for the Sectional meet, and let me and your primary coach know so we can promote an alternate for the other event.
- Boy, That's Harsh
This may seem unnecessarily severe for a sport (and team) that prides itself on inclusiveness and "everybody tries" but remember: every weekend there are three league meets held of about 450 athletes each. From those we need to focus down to the top athletes in our section (Section 1) to compete against the top athletes in the other two sections of the Oakland diocese. It's quite a production. If anything, the meets from here on out get bigger.
If your athletes are discouraged to have their season end this week or next because of schedule conflicts, religious ceremonies, injury, or whatever other reason, I completely empathize, and take that as a good sign -- they like track and their track friends, and will miss it. We'll miss them, too. But don't put those shoes away yet!
* Practices
Regardless of any athlete's results, whether they qualified or not, practice goes on as usual at College Park. Even if an athlete's competitive season is over for the year, we'd love to see them at practice. We practice right up to the bitter end, to the Thursday before the Diocese.
There's only six practices left! Please come out and help me use up my remaining Starburst stockpile and give the coaches something to do in the evenings.
* The Future
What's next? The Sectional meet and the Diocese championship are coming up fast, and our end-of-season potluck picnic and awards ceremony happens in June. And if you really want to plan ahead, the cross-country team starts up in August. More on all these exciting things in future newsletters. If your athletes are doing very well in these meets, expect Katy and I to come knocking on your email asking which jobs we can sign you up for at these additional meets. Yes, this counts as being super-helpful.
I have a Diocese meet flyer that I just received in email, I'll post it on the site and send the details around when it's online. And that's more than enough reading for this week!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Track News for April 15, 2012
* Relay Meet
Those who were able to make it to the relay meet yesterday were treated with a gorgeous day, possibly the nicest I can remember at Ygnacio Valley in a very long time. The threat of a lacrosse tournament made us rearrange a few things at the last moment, but we were able to get everything done after all.
* Practice
Speaking of lacrosse, the College Park team has a game scheduled for this Tuesday the 17th right during our practice window. For safety, we cannot practice on the track that day. Stay tuned to email to find out what the alternate plan will be. Maybe a trail run?
The College Park team is also planning on moving their regular lacrosse practice times to later in the day during our practice. It's not clear yet if this impacts us, or even if it's an issue -- we've coexisted before -- but we're trying to get it settled.
* Rent-a-Student
Now that we've successfully managed to actually hold a meet, I'll be cashing the checks for those of you who hired an Ygnacio Valley High student for one or more shifts. We are scheduled to run at YVHS again next week, and George Francis with YVH says that he can even make a small group of students available for the Qualifying Meet on the 28th at DVC. Katy and I will carry forward anyone who has hired a student but not actually had a chance to use them yet.
* Volunteer Shifts
Normally at this point in the season, families are well on their way to earning the "super helpful" status by doing extra shifts during meets, either out of the goodness of their hearts, or because a replacement never showed up, or both. Thanks to Mother Nature, this year has been a little different, to say the least.
Our standard procedure for rainouts is to give everyone credit as if they worked the shifts they volunteered for, and we're sticking with that this year. But we're not done yet! There's still meet #4 next week, the Qualifying Meet on the 28th, and then the meets beyond...
* Meets Beyond
Yes, there are meets after April 28. Athletes who place in events on the 28th will progress to the Sectional Meet on May 4 and 5 (the 800m and 1600m are run on the 4th, all others on the 5th.) Top finishers at the Sectional Meet go on to compete in the Diocese Championship on May 11 and 12. So don't worry! If your athlete runs fast or jumps well or throws far, we'll very likely be calling upon you to help out at one of these final meets.
The drawing for "super helpful" families might wind up being smaller this year, since there haven't been as many chances to volunteer above-and-beyond the normal. Returning families are realizing this also means better odds at the picnic prize drawing. We're still always glad for any extra help that you can give in this weird, wet season. Please make sure that we get your name down on the volunteer sheets if you work any extra jobs. This program can't exist without help from all of you, and we're all grateful for the effort and time that each of you put into it.
Those who were able to make it to the relay meet yesterday were treated with a gorgeous day, possibly the nicest I can remember at Ygnacio Valley in a very long time. The threat of a lacrosse tournament made us rearrange a few things at the last moment, but we were able to get everything done after all.
* Practice
Speaking of lacrosse, the College Park team has a game scheduled for this Tuesday the 17th right during our practice window. For safety, we cannot practice on the track that day. Stay tuned to email to find out what the alternate plan will be. Maybe a trail run?
The College Park team is also planning on moving their regular lacrosse practice times to later in the day during our practice. It's not clear yet if this impacts us, or even if it's an issue -- we've coexisted before -- but we're trying to get it settled.
* Rent-a-Student
Now that we've successfully managed to actually hold a meet, I'll be cashing the checks for those of you who hired an Ygnacio Valley High student for one or more shifts. We are scheduled to run at YVHS again next week, and George Francis with YVH says that he can even make a small group of students available for the Qualifying Meet on the 28th at DVC. Katy and I will carry forward anyone who has hired a student but not actually had a chance to use them yet.
* Volunteer Shifts
Normally at this point in the season, families are well on their way to earning the "super helpful" status by doing extra shifts during meets, either out of the goodness of their hearts, or because a replacement never showed up, or both. Thanks to Mother Nature, this year has been a little different, to say the least.
Our standard procedure for rainouts is to give everyone credit as if they worked the shifts they volunteered for, and we're sticking with that this year. But we're not done yet! There's still meet #4 next week, the Qualifying Meet on the 28th, and then the meets beyond...
* Meets Beyond
Yes, there are meets after April 28. Athletes who place in events on the 28th will progress to the Sectional Meet on May 4 and 5 (the 800m and 1600m are run on the 4th, all others on the 5th.) Top finishers at the Sectional Meet go on to compete in the Diocese Championship on May 11 and 12. So don't worry! If your athlete runs fast or jumps well or throws far, we'll very likely be calling upon you to help out at one of these final meets.
The drawing for "super helpful" families might wind up being smaller this year, since there haven't been as many chances to volunteer above-and-beyond the normal. Returning families are realizing this also means better odds at the picnic prize drawing. We're still always glad for any extra help that you can give in this weird, wet season. Please make sure that we get your name down on the volunteer sheets if you work any extra jobs. This program can't exist without help from all of you, and we're all grateful for the effort and time that each of you put into it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Relay Meet details
Due to the especially soggy season that we've had this year -- and all
the cancellations -- the league has decided to allow the relay meet to
count as a "practice" meet for purposes of athletes competing in the
Qualifying Meet at the end of the month. As you may remember, athletes
are required to compete in two practice meets to be allowed to run in
the Qualifier (our mini-meet doesn't count.) This decision gives us a
little extra breathing room. If you're able to attend, I hope we'll see
you on Saturday.
Since we're at YVHS again, we have a limited number of high school students for rent who can cover your shifts. Many of you have pad me for one or more shifts over the past few weeks: please let me know if you would like to apply it to this week. Let me know which job you were scheduled to work so we can update our volunteer sheets.
Just to recap the events and order that we'll be running on Saturday:
4x100m relay (all grades)
Medley (all grades)
4x200m (only grades 2-4)
4x400m (only grades 5-8)
The "Medley" is a special relay run only at the meet -- the legs are 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m. Even though this is a long event, we're going to go ahead and hold it early on so our younger athletes don't all disappear. Remember that we can form teams across grades and parishes, so it's not unusual to see younger athletes take the shorter legs and have older ones run the longer distances. This is for fun, after all.
The other unusual relay is the 4x200m. I have in my notes that we were planning to open this up to only grades 2-4, and leave the 4x400m open for grades 5-8. This is different from last year when everyone could run the 4x200. I'm double checking with the other coordinators
that this is what we agreed on. Personally, I'd rather see the older
athletes save their strength for the 4x400, but we'll be consistent with
the other relay meet.
Update: This is the confirmed list of events and the order. We will not run the 4x200m for older grades.
Since we're at YVHS again, we have a limited number of high school students for rent who can cover your shifts. Many of you have pad me for one or more shifts over the past few weeks: please let me know if you would like to apply it to this week. Let me know which job you were scheduled to work so we can update our volunteer sheets.
Just to recap the events and order that we'll be running on Saturday:
4x100m relay (all grades)
Medley (all grades)
4x200m (only grades 2-4)
4x400m (only grades 5-8)
The "Medley" is a special relay run only at the meet -- the legs are 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m. Even though this is a long event, we're going to go ahead and hold it early on so our younger athletes don't all disappear. Remember that we can form teams across grades and parishes, so it's not unusual to see younger athletes take the shorter legs and have older ones run the longer distances. This is for fun, after all.
The other unusual relay is the 4x200m. I have in my notes that we were planning to open this up to only grades 2-4, and leave the 4x400m open for grades 5-8. This is different from last year when everyone could run the 4x200.
Update: This is the confirmed list of events and the order. We will not run the 4x200m for older grades.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Mini-news for Easter week 2012
Hello everyone,
Just a couple of quick items for those of you around this week:
* Practices
If Mother Nature cooperates, we'll have practice this week. Check the web site by 4pm on practice days to be sure.
Remember that the main College Park parking lot is probably locked up, so do pickup/dropoff in front of the school.
* Relay Meet April 14
We're back for another try at Ygnacio Valley High this Saturday for the relay meet. I won't attempt to predict the weather this early in the week, but know that we will run a meet in showers... just not a hurricane like the one at the end of March. Sigh.
Just a couple of quick items for those of you around this week:
* Practices
If Mother Nature cooperates, we'll have practice this week. Check the web site by 4pm on practice days to be sure.
Remember that the main College Park parking lot is probably locked up, so do pickup/dropoff in front of the school.
* Relay Meet April 14
We're back for another try at Ygnacio Valley High this Saturday for the relay meet. I won't attempt to predict the weather this early in the week, but know that we will run a meet in showers... just not a hurricane like the one at the end of March. Sigh.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Track News for April 1, 2012
Hello track families, here's your news of the week.
* Meet #3
Mother Nature played an early April Fool's trick on us yesterday, and if you braved the wind and rain, you were treated to the sight of a bunch of coordinators having a weather debate while we tried to keep the pop-up tent from blowing over into Walnut Creek. I'm sure this is some kind of karmic payback for having so many nice days for practice.
There are no facilities available for us for a meet today, so we're going to have to again pass on a meet this week. This also means that you need to make sure that you can attend practice meet #4 on the 21st. There's a minimum number of practice meets athletes need to attend to compete at the end of the season, and we're running out of weeks!
I'm still hoping for a make-up meet sometime this month, which will take some of the pressure off.
* Practice
We only have one practice this week because of Easter (see below). The coaches have something special planned for Tuesday, so please try to be a little early so we can do announcements.
We might also need some extra adult help on Tuesday. If you're able to stay and do a very easy job, we'd appreciate it.
* Easter Break
CYO rules state that we may not have any activities in the days leading up to Easter, and over Easter weekend. So, there is no practice on Thursday, April 5 and no meet on Saturday, April 7. Have a good Easter, and save a Reese's egg for me.
Many families may be going on vacation during spring break, but if you're still in town, practice will resume on Tuesday, April 10. Do not move mountains to attend; if you can make it, great. We're happy to have you there.
Because College Park High is also on spring break, the large parking lot gate is typically locked up, a fact that I have forgotten every year now when I nearly plow into it with my car. The loop in front of the school should be practically empty, so you can look for parking there. Please be extra careful at drop-off and pickup as athletes dodge in and out of cars.
* 8th Graders and Families
While you're missing track over Easter, please take a look at this scholarship opportunity from CYO:
* Relay Meet
Right at the end of break is our annual Mary Chatterton Memorial Relay meet, which features -- you might have guessed -- nothing but relays. There are no individual events of any kind at this meet, but you will see a lot of teams running together, some formed just moments before the start of the race. This meet is a lot of fun and only a little bit of chaos.
The events are:
Because there are only four events, you might think that this meet will take very little time. You would be wrong! Somehow, this takes just as long as a regular meet to conduct. We've got quite a backlog of rent-a-student hires out there: I hope we'll actually be able to make use of them this time.
Coaches: remember that we have the "free agent" program at this meet to form ad-hoc teams as needed: I've even got a giant red sign just for the occasion. Please be prepared to help form teams on the field at the meet, especially if you see someone from another parish looking lost.
That's all I have for this week -- see you at practice on Tuesday.
* Meet #3
Mother Nature played an early April Fool's trick on us yesterday, and if you braved the wind and rain, you were treated to the sight of a bunch of coordinators having a weather debate while we tried to keep the pop-up tent from blowing over into Walnut Creek. I'm sure this is some kind of karmic payback for having so many nice days for practice.
There are no facilities available for us for a meet today, so we're going to have to again pass on a meet this week. This also means that you need to make sure that you can attend practice meet #4 on the 21st. There's a minimum number of practice meets athletes need to attend to compete at the end of the season, and we're running out of weeks!
I'm still hoping for a make-up meet sometime this month, which will take some of the pressure off.
* Practice
We only have one practice this week because of Easter (see below). The coaches have something special planned for Tuesday, so please try to be a little early so we can do announcements.
We might also need some extra adult help on Tuesday. If you're able to stay and do a very easy job, we'd appreciate it.
* Easter Break
CYO rules state that we may not have any activities in the days leading up to Easter, and over Easter weekend. So, there is no practice on Thursday, April 5 and no meet on Saturday, April 7. Have a good Easter, and save a Reese's egg for me.
Many families may be going on vacation during spring break, but if you're still in town, practice will resume on Tuesday, April 10. Do not move mountains to attend; if you can make it, great. We're happy to have you there.
Because College Park High is also on spring break, the large parking lot gate is typically locked up, a fact that I have forgotten every year now when I nearly plow into it with my car. The loop in front of the school should be practically empty, so you can look for parking there. Please be extra careful at drop-off and pickup as athletes dodge in and out of cars.
* 8th Graders and Families
While you're missing track over Easter, please take a look at this scholarship opportunity from CYO:
Each year, the Oakland Diocese CYO awards the Marty Mart Scholarship Award to an outstanding 8th grade CYO player. The award is named in honor of Marty Mart, longtime CYO associate director. The scholarship is funded entirely by private donations and is open to any 8th grade player who participated in a CYO sport this school year. (Players who participated only in Girls' CYO Volleyball are not eligible since there is a separate scholarship for them that was previously awarded.)
The scholarship committee is now inviting applications for this year's 2012 Marty Mart Scholarship Award, one $500 scholarship. An application is on the team web site. Also, the application form is posted on the CYO website, www.oaklandcyo.org. On the homepage is a link to a special page with information and past recipients of the award.
Over the years, we have interviewed and awarded scholarships to outstanding young people in our CYO program.
Bill and Grace and the Marty Mart Scholarship CommitteeI plan to get my eighth grader to do this: how about you?
* Relay Meet
Right at the end of break is our annual Mary Chatterton Memorial Relay meet, which features -- you might have guessed -- nothing but relays. There are no individual events of any kind at this meet, but you will see a lot of teams running together, some formed just moments before the start of the race. This meet is a lot of fun and only a little bit of chaos.
The events are:
- 4x100m relay (all ages)
- 4x200m relay (grades 2-4 only)
- Distance Medley Relay (200m, 200m, 400m, 800m) (all ages)
- 4x400m relay (grades 5-8 only)
Because there are only four events, you might think that this meet will take very little time. You would be wrong! Somehow, this takes just as long as a regular meet to conduct. We've got quite a backlog of rent-a-student hires out there: I hope we'll actually be able to make use of them this time.
Coaches: remember that we have the "free agent" program at this meet to form ad-hoc teams as needed: I've even got a giant red sign just for the occasion. Please be prepared to help form teams on the field at the meet, especially if you see someone from another parish looking lost.
That's all I have for this week -- see you at practice on Tuesday.
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