Practice Starts Soon

Second signups are over: the next scheduled signup night is during the parent's meeting on Monday February 6 starting at 6:45 in the CTK parish hall (adjacent to the main church parking lot: look for the signs.) See the team site page about signups and to run off a copy of the forms if you want to fill them out in advance.

Interested in coaching or being an assistant coach? We have a meeting this Thursday at 6:30pm at Christ the King school, room 222: the same room as signups. We're still looking for coaches to help out with the middle-grade (4-5-6) for both boys and girls. If you're interested, come join us at the meeting.

First practice is Thursday, February 2 at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, starting promptly at 5pm. If the weather looks menacing, always check the team web site or our Twitter feed (we're @ctktrack) for updates. Practices are every Tuesday and Thursday, and we have a couple of special practices in later February that I'll talk about soon.

For practices:

• Use the restroom at home. Facilities are very limited at CPHS track.
• Bring a water bottle -- reusable, preferably -- with the athlete's name on it.
• Dress warmly! Practice can be chilly, especially when the sun dips below the tree line. Wear a jacket or sweatshirt, sweatpants, even a hat. Dress in layers, and you'll be prepared.
• Label everything! The coaches have their own warm clothes, we don't need yours. We'd like your workout clothes get back to their owners.
• Be safe. Stay with your practice group, and listen to your coach and assistant coaches. Be careful crossing the track -- it's like crossing a busy street. Please do not climb on the fences and hillsides. We would like to be allowed to continue practicing at CPHS.
• Do not run if you are hurt. This includes getting hurt while at practice.

When practice is over, parents should come to the track to pick up your athletes. We can't dismiss them or let them leave early without handing them over to a responsible adult. Stragglers will be walked up to the parking lot gate when we're doing cleaning up.

If you forgot to turn in paperwork at signups (birth certificate copy, concussion form) or owe the team your volunteer deposit or other fees, you can see me at the first few practices to handle it.

The very first practices may seem confusing or overwhelming to new families and athletes: don't worry. Everyone is a pro after about two or three practices. However, some kids are surprised to discover that there is a lot of running at track practice and meets, and maybe decide that this isn't the best sport for them after all. If this is the case, please let me know and I can start processing you as a "drop." Otherwise, you will lose your volunteer deposit and any hope of a refund.