Track news for the week of February 24

Lots of items this week...

• Practices and weather

Remember to check the team web site (ctktrack.org) or Twitter (@ctktrack) by 4:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to see if practice is canceled due to weather. Always dress appropriately, taking into account the extra chill in the air down at the College Park track and bleachers.

This week, practices run from 5:00-6:00pm. Please stay off the track while the high school is finishing up, and never jump the hurdles. Neither our first aid kit nor the team coordinator is prepared to deal with hurdle-related accidents.

• Coach certification this Thursday, Feb 28th

Coaches, assistants, and yours truly must attend the certification meeting this Thursday at the CTK parish hall. Sign ins begin at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:00pm sharp. Bring photo id and your safe environment training certificate.

PARENTS: please help us make our meeting on time by being extra-prompt at pickup this Thursday! We have to stay until all athletes leave practice in the care of an adult, so the sooner they go, the sooner we can go. Thanks.

• Paperwork nagging

Remember that I need the full complement of paperwork in our team files for every child on the track. Those are:

1. The diocese health release
2. The concussion form
3. The family info form with shirt sizes and parish
4. And a copy of each athlete's birth certificate. 

Without all of these, an athlete is not considered fully registered, and cannot participate in practices or meets.

http://ctktrack.org/forms.shtml

• "Practice only" athletes

If you know for certain that your athlete is not going to run in meets this year due to conflicts, please let me know if I should mark them as "practice only" on our rosters and remove your family from the volunteer sheets. "Practice only" athletes may not participate in any meet, not even the Mini-Meet.

I still need all paperwork and the registration fee for these athletes: our team pays league fees per athlete whether or not they run in meets. Practice-only athletes do not need a uniform.

• Meet schedules expected soon

All the coordinators in our section were asked to turn in our team counts this week, which is the first step to getting the league schedules settled. Watch the schedule page for updates on our team's meet locations:

http://ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml#meets

• Volunteer schedules soon after that

Once we know the when-and-where of the meets, I'm going to try to block out our meet assignments in advance. I will do my best to honor the job requests that everyone made on the signup sheets. Everything will be published on the web site, and you'll be notified by our super-helpful volunteer reminders before your scheduled meets.

Assignments look thin in the last few meets of the season: please keep in mind our prize drawing for super helpful families who work more than the minimum number of shifts.

• Help wanted

There are still a couple of essential jobs that I need to fill this season:

• Volunteer check-in for the relay meet, April 6
I need someone who can arrive with the setup crew on April 6, and stay at the signup table to check in our team's setup crew and first shift. You'll return to the table to check in the second shift and cleanup crews for the relay meet and then be done for the day. Nice!
• "Picnic Boss"
I'm already looking ahead to the end-of-season awards picnic/potluck/extravaganza, and need someone who can be our "picnic boss" for the day. This is largely a shopping-and-hauling-and-decorating job, ideal for someone with a large vehicle, a strong back, and a membership to a local warehouse club. If you're interested, let me know and I'll provide details.
• Other key meet jobs
As hosts, it's always a good thing for us to cover the essential jobs at a meet, like starter, announcer, etc.. We've had some great people handle these jobs in years past, but their kids had the nerve to age out of the program and go on to high school! I'm always on the lookout for families who plan to stick with CYO for a while and can help out here.

• "How a meet works" and other light reading

If you're new to track, pour yourself a strong cup of coffee and go through the "How a meet works," "Meet jobs," and "Meet tips" pages on the site:

http://ctktrack.org/meet_works.shtml

http://ctktrack.org/meet_jobs.shtml

http://ctktrack.org/meet_tips.shtml

Most of the jobs at a track meet can be learned in about five minutes, and you'll be an expert after one shift. Working a job makes meets go much faster, and the finish-line area jobs mean you'll have the best possible view of the finish line.