2012 Signups and More

Hello everyone -- the 2012 season is coming. I've been making updates to the team web site: please be sure to let me know if any of your favorite information from the old site is missing. One of the immediate changes is a new team email address. All announcements and other details will now come from:

info@ctktrack.org

If you would like to be on the mailing list, please drop me a note at that address and I'll add you. As usual, I'll also build the list from the signup forms.

Signups

You can get a head start on the process by filling out the forms before you come to CTK. Signups are at Christ the King School (room 222) on Thursday, January 19 and Monday, January 23 from 6:30-8:00pm

Families need to fill out the following:

• The health information form from the Diocese for each athlete
• Each athlete needs to complete a concussion information sheet (new this year)
• Each family also needs to fill out a family form, which includes sizes for t-shirts, parish affiliation, and the fees for the year
• We need a copy of a birth certificate for every athlete. I have certificates on file for returning athletes.

We'll have copies on hand if you leave something at home. Be sure to bring medical information and your calendar, too.

Fees for this year are:

• $50 volunteer deposit per family, cashed only if you do not complete your volunteer obligations
• $70 registration fee per athlete. Sorry, we don't offer sibling discounts
• $10 if you need a t-shirt
• $30 if you would like a team sweatshirt

The sweatshirts are an idea that we kicked around last season, as we shivered our way through the meets. It's very important that athletes stay warm at practices and meets -- and equally important for parents and coaches, too. If you're interested in a sweatshirt for your athlete(s) or yourself, just note the sizes on the family form. You can see the design on the main page of the team site.

If you're an experienced track family and can spare an adult to help answer questions at signups, please send me a note.

Coaches

We are always looking for parents willing coach or be assistant coaches, and it sounds like we're especially pressed for staff this year. We need coaches!

If you like to run or have kid-wrangling skills, consider being a coach for one of our practice groups. Workouts are planned in advance and we've got veteran coaches on the team who can guide you. We also like expertise in our field events: primarily high jump, long jump, and shot put. (We rarely get a chance to practice softball throw due to the logistics of sharing our practice area.)

We are a recreational league, with an emphasis on personal achievement and progress and fun. The best thing you can offer any of the athletes is encouragement. We want to foster a love of running. We believe being able to shave a half-second off your best time or add an extra inch to your longest jump is more important than winning an event.

Coaches must fill out a Diocese volunteer application, and be fingerprinted (see below.) You must be able to make a good-faith effort to come to practices on Tuesday/Thursday evenings, starting at 5pm, and be able to attend the meets on Saturdays starting in March.

If you're interested, or returning as a coach, please put these dates on your calendar:

• Team coach meeting on Thursday, January 26 at 6:30pm, CTK school room 222, the same place as signups
• Primary coaches must attend the Diocese coach meeting in the CTK Parish Hall and be fingerprinted on Monday, March 12, registration starts at 6:30pm. Bring last year's badge if you have one.

Just tell anyone working at the signup night "I'd like to be a coach" and we'll get you set up. Signing up for a coach releases your family from registering for any meet jobs.

Practices and Meets

Practices start on Thursday, February 2 at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, off Viking Drive. At the beginning of the season, practice starts at 5pm, and ends at 5:45.

• Make sure your athletes dress warmly, bring water, and use the bathroom before they leave home. (Facilities at College Park are minimal.) Label everything with your athlete's name if you'd like it back.
• The track area is located past the baseball field. Park in the large lot, and walk around the fence and down. Please do not climb over any fences, including the gate around the track. There is a gate next to the stands, honest.
• Wait in the stands for practice to begin. We're a big team, and practice can seem a little confusing at first. Don't worry.
• When practice ends, athletes must be picked up at the track by an adult. For safety, we cannot dismiss any athlete to go up to the lot alone. After we've cleaned up, all the coaches and myself will walk the stragglers up to the parking lot gate.

As we get more daylight, practices will go later, but never past 6:30pm. I'll update the web site and send email as times adjust towards spring.

Meets begin in March. They take place on Saturdays, starting with our "Mini-Meet" at College Park. Since we are a large team, we typically act as the host parish for other teams, meaning that the meets are usually local, but that we also are responsible for the majority of the jobs at the meet. I'll update the schedule when we know final locations. Meets typically start at 9am, and a full meet usually ends around 1:30 or 2:00pm