I hope everyone had fun on Saturday, and feels a little more familiar with track meets in general. The YVH athletes and boosters appreciate your support and our team's support. About half of our team were able to make it for a morning of fun in the sun.
Our meets are conducted much the same way, but results are recorded on paper, typed into the computer afterward, and then posted online. The paper feathers are a War Path exclusive.
Training Monday March 9, 6-7pm
If you're able to make it back to YVH, the head coach from their program has offered to take parents around the field to see how to officiate a track meet.
For field events, this is primarily using measuring tapes and copying down names. For running events, there's a bit of paperwork. It may help you be more comfortable working at next weekend's meet.
Remember: practice time and place updates!
Now that we're in daylight savings time, all practices will go from 5:00-6:30pm until the end of the season.
Starting this week, we will meet at Pleasant Hill Middle on Tuesdays
This is across the street from the baseball fields at Pleasant Oaks Park, behind the library. Here's a map:
https://goo.gl/maps/6W1uI
We will continue to meet at College Park on Thursdays
Coaches certification on Tuesday, March 10
And remember to be on time especially for pick-up on Tuesday at PH Middle so the coaches and I can get to our certification session.
Uniform pickup at practice
If you need to pick up a uniform shirt or a team sweatshirt, watch for these being handed out at practice this week.
We'll hand out the ordered sizes first, and then we can make swaps for unworn items (trying it on is fine.) Parish assignments are fixed, so we can't swap one parish's shirt for a different one.
Why is our shirt red/yellow/blue? Shouldn't it be blue/red/yellow?
Our team is technically three teams: Christ the King, St. Catherine, and St. Stephen. Parish assignments are done according to a sacred trinity of CYO rules:
- Athlete's school, if they attend the parish school, otherwise
- Athlete's parish, if they attend religious ed/faith formation classes, otherwise
- Athlete's home address
It is entirely possible for athletes to run for different parishes as a classmate, solely based on geography.
Nothing has changed. We are still one team made of three parishes: we practice and hold meets together. Only at the end-of-season championships does it matter, and only then when we're forming relay teams.
I'm happy to relate the Legend of the Blended Teams to you at practice if you wonder why we have a tripartite program. (Short answer: not enough volunteers to make three distinct teams.)
Meet on Sunday, March 15, Granada High in Livermore
- Setup starts: 11:00am
- First shift starts/athletes check in with coaches: 11:30am
- First event starts: 12:00pm*
It's time for our first CYO meet of the season! I will have a brutally long post about this, since this is the first meet for many of you. Timeliness is the most important thing. Leave extra time to get to Livermore, and if you are unable to make a first shift assignment due to morning commitments, let Gina know now.
http://ctktrack.org/volunteers.html
The volunteer schedule for this meet should go online soon. The other teams we're running with also provide volunteers, so our volunteer list needs to get locked in.
On the day of the meet, we will certainly have openings available. Come to the volunteer sign-in/finish line at the start of the meet and we'll get you placed somewhere.
Looking ahead to this season
We're starting to hit our stride. Practice times are now 5:00-6:30pm, and you should expect a meet every weekend except Easter.
We have two meets next week: one on Sunday, and a second next Saturday the 21st at YVH.
Remember our team schedule page:
http://ctktrack.org/schedule.html
Looking ahead to next season, and beyond
I know we've barely begun, but we're already looking ahead to 2016. If your athlete likes CYO track and you enjoy running, please consider joining up as an assistant coach next season.
Most coaches follow their own kids through CYO, and move on to greener pastures after eighth grade. Our three parishes have been very lucky to have parents willing to volunteer their time as coaches, but we can only continue as long as we keep bringing in new ones to help out. A good loud mom/dad voice is a benefit, as are senses of humor and perspective.
Team coordinators also follow their kids through CYO, and in two short years I'll have my second eighth grader. Our team needs someone to step up and start shadowing me in the 2016 season as an assistant coordinator, to ascend to power in 2017 when I'll abdicate and become an assistant. Awesome headgear is not required, and spreadsheet skills are a plus.
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