Track news for the week of February 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to the start of our 2015 season. There's a lot of start-of-season business here this week.

Late Signups & Missing Paperwork

We'll accept new signups for a while. Bring the paperwork listed on the signups page to practice and hand it to me, along with your checks. I'll be wearing a battered brown hat and wielding the Whistle of Power.

Adults must stay at practice until you have turned in a completed health release form for all participating athletes.

If you need to turn in a missing birth certificate or finish off your health forms, see me at practice.

Roster Check

I've posted a copy of the roster from the first two registration nights. Please take a moment and check:

• Spelling of your athlete's name and adults' names
• Your athlete's grade and gender
• Uniform and sweatshirt sizes

The current roster is online here:

http://ctktrack.org/2015_roster.pdf

If your athlete prefers going by another name ("Katie" instead of "Katherine") let me know: this roster will be used for all ribbons and awards.

Parish assignments are done following CYO rules: if the athlete attends a parish school or religious education program, that is their parish. Otherwise, it's based on their home address. It is not based on which parish church your family attends if any, so (for example) you could attend services at Christ the King, but live in the St. Stephen's area.

All these assignments are taken from your registration forms. If I have something wrong, please email me!

Uniforms

Remember that we have all-new uniform shirts this year. If you did not order one, I made a "need" note on the roster. If I have questions about your order -- maybe you ordered double, or I can't tell sizing -- I have indicated that with a question mark. I'll go through and contact families where I have questions.

You do not need to wear uniforms at practice. Comfortable running clothes are all you'll require.

If you change your mind about uniform sizing, please let me know soon. I will put in the order in the next few weeks.

It's my experience that the youth sweatshirts tend to run a little snug -- I usually recommend ordering up a size. If you bought a sweatshirt and want to change the size, let me know that, too and I'll make the change.

Once uniforms arrive, we can swap new, unworn shirts for another size, provided we have spares on-hand. Once washed or worn, the shirts and sweats are your souvenirs to keep and cherish.

First practice Tuesday, Feb 3, 5pm
 
First practice starts at 5pm at College Park High School. Meet in the center section of the stands if they are open. Athletes should not play in the press box or run in the stands like crazed billy goats.

Late-signup athletes are welcome to join practice. Parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and general well-wishers need to stay off the track and infield areas.

Practices continue every Tuesday and Thursday, starting at 5pm and going until dusk.

All athletes!

• Go to the bathroom at home:  facilities at College Park are limited
• Bring a water bottle with your name on it
• Wear running shoes (plain running shoes, not "spikes")
• Dress for the weather: running pants or sweats and a jacket or sweatshirt -- be warm!
• Listen to the coaches, and be ready to run and have fun

Returning athletes! 

• Half the team is brand new this year: be friendly and introduce yourselves

Adults!

• Be on time to practice, and escort your athletes to the track
• Label everything with your athlete's name: water bottles, jackets, pants, etc.
• Dress for the weather if you're staying: the track is sometimes windy and cool
• Be on time to pickup, if you're leaving. We should be all done by 5:45

The first few practices always seem a little chaotic and rushed, but they do settle down as we all get more experienced and enjoy more daylight.

Missing practice?

If you need to miss a practice here and there for some reason, we generally do not need to know. Life happens, and piano recitals, a big homework night, or a visit from Aunt Marge can take priority over track.

If you have to leave practice early, definitely let the coach know at practice. Adults must come to claim athletes in person. For their safety and ours, we can never dismiss athletes under their own supervision.

Rain, Lacrosse, and Other Acts of God

If the forecast calls for rain, I will post practice status to our team Twitter feed (@ctktrack) by 4pm. This should also appear on the front page of the team web site, if you do not have a 13-year-old handy to set up Twitter for you. Assume practice is happening unless Twitter or the web site says otherwise.

Sometimes College Park has sports that conflict with our practice times, like soccer or lacrosse games. If we know about them in advance, we'll get information out about it early and may make alternate practice plans.