Bonus newsletter: mini-meet edition

Hello families, here's a little mid-week bonus newsletter regarding this weekend's "mini" meet...

• My favorite question: Which events will my kid run?

Athletes are free to participate in any events that they are eligible for, and we only register an athlete during the meet itself. Until that athlete is standing before someone with a clipboard, copying down their information, their participation is wide open.

That said, coaches do try to encourage athletes to try certain events, and to step outside of the comfort zone of always doing the short sprints and softball throw. Sooner or later, everyone seems to find an event that they're pretty good at, though it may take a season or two (or more) to find it.

* Athletes in 5th grade or younger may do the 50m (sorry, middle schoolers)

* Athletes in 5th grade or older may do the shot put and high jump (sorry, elementary schoolers)

Everything else is open to all ages.

Athletes may do two running events and one field event, or two field events and one running.

• My second-favorite question: What about uniforms?

Our sorter has them, and I'm sure she's up to her elbows in shirts and sweatshirts right now. If for some reason we do not have them in time for Saturday, it's fine.

All registered athletes wear a sticker that identifies their parish, so we'll still be able to sort out who's who. If you want to be fashion-forward, you're welcome to wear red (CTK), blue (St. Catherine), or yellow (St. Stephen) but it's not required this week.

• Saturday's events

In the interest of time -- and because I don't yet have all our equipment from the league -- we are going to drop all relays from this weekend's meet. There's a lot of moving parts to making relays happen, and I know we'll be busy enough without them. You'll get to experience the splendor in full next week.

That means this Saturday's event order is all the individual events:

1600m
400m
50m (5th grade and under)
100m
800m
200m

Girls always run in an event first, then boys, and we work from lowest to highest grade order. We combine heats for less-popular races, so pay attention to the calls!

We're planning to hold all four field events:

Softball throw
Long Jump
Shot put (5th grade and up only)
High jump (5th grade and up only)

There is no order to these events, though they should open to different grades throughout the day. Listen for the announcements.

Athletes must report to running events when their grade is called, which means they may have to leave a field event and come back later.

•  Other differences

I don't have the timing system, so we're simply not going to worry about times this weekend. You may see coaches near the finish line this week -- and this week only -- timing their athletes, and if we can round up enough stopwatches, we'll arm our timer volunteers with them, too. The mini meet is about fun and learning. (In truth they all are, but this week especially.) We'll still do our finish-line ritual of placing athletes, and we'll still have timers and judges so you're familiar with the motions when we host the meet next week.

Please be patient with your fellow parents as they learn where to stand and what to do, and be understanding of the athletes, too, as they negotiate the complexity of the meet. We'll all be experts by the end of April, I promise.

We'll have a hard stop at 4:00pm, no matter where we are in the events. If that means that we have to sacrifice a late race, then so be it. I'm sure everyone will be eager to get home by that point.

• Special guests

In addition to St. Perpetua, St. Ignatius is also planning to join us this Saturday. They provide an excellent lesson in humility for our sprinters. There will be a lot of new faces and lots of kids about on Saturday, so please help out with directions, and drive slowly and carefully through the parking lot.

• Volunteers

The team volunteer reminders should be contacting you very soon if you've signed up to work a shift or two at the meet. There are always opportunities for families to sign up for a job at the meet; it's a rare day indeed when we can turn away able-bodied helpers.

Don't forget that you're trying to meet a minimum number of volunteer shifts this season: going above and beyond enters you in the team "super-helpful drawing" at the picnic for fabulous prizes.

If you are not working a shift or are a coach with a current CYO badge, you must stay in the stands  during the meet. For athletes' safety, only authorized adults may be "inside" the meet. Your kids will come find you when they're thirsty or hungry, so hunker down in the stands with a cooler full of snacks and enjoy the meet. Anyone wandering around the meet who isn't a coach or volunteer will be asked politely-yet-firmly to sit down.

Track news for the week of March 3

Here we go, everyone! The season is starting up...

• Mini-meet this Saturday, March 9

This coming Saturday is our mini meet held at College Park High. Setup crew and volunteer signups person should plan to be on the field at 11:00am, and the first shift should be signed in and ready to go by 11:30. We're going to try for a noon start. Always check Twitter or the web site if the weather looks gloomy.

The mini-meet is a good time to experience the workings of a track meet before our regular season begins. It's also a chance for the athletes to try out some of the skills they've learned at practices.

Like last year, I've extended an invitation to the St. Perpetua/St. Monica/Santa Maria team from the Lamorinda area to come run with us. Please be welcoming and accommodating to their parents and athletes.

We'll conduct this meet like a regular-season one, with the following tweaks:

- The 50m and 100m races will all be on the home side, not split up
- We will probably not run the 4x400 and sprint medley relays at the end
- Since this is not a league meet, we don't have ribbons, but we are still recording all results

•  Volunteer jobs

I've assigned volunteer jobs based on the sheets from the signup nights, and on emails since signups. This is posted on the web site:

http://ctktrack.org/2013_mini_meet.pdf

I tried to mix in new families with more experienced ones as much as possible. Remember to keep perspective, bring your sense of humor and your patience, and keep in mind that we're doing all of this work for the athletes' enjoyment.

If you need a refresher on the jobs, there's a write up on the team site:

http://ctktrack.org/meet_jobs.shtml

There are many gaps in Saturday's schedule. I've asked St. Perpetua's parents to try and help out where they can, and we always have tremendous gratitude for those families that can work extra shifts. Trust me: the meet goes faster when you're working a job.

We have many openings in the second shift at the mini meet, and for meets during the rest of the season. Even if you don't sign up in advance, you may come to the volunteer sign-in person before a shift and see if there are openings. There's usually plenty to go around.

If you haven't signed up to work at other meets, please check the team schedule and let me know which Saturdays you are available. We have more openings in the latter part of the season.

• Meet locations

We have the locations for our first three league meets:

March 16 - Ygnacio Valley High
March 23 - Diablo Valley College
April 6 -  Ygnacio Valley High

We don't yet know the locations for meets after April 6. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

Ygancio meets start at 9:30am, the DVC meet starts at 9:00am. The schedule page has all the details:

http://ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml

• Rent-a-student at YVHS is back

Returning families are surely pleased to see those Ygnacio Valley High meets, because the "rent-a-student" program is back again in 2013. For $25 per shift, you may hire an eager high school athlete to work in your place at a YVH meet.

To hire a student, do the following at least one week in advance of the meet:

1. Tell me the date and shift(s) you want to have a student work in your place
2. Get me $25 per shift in cash or in a check made out to CTK CYO Track 

Please hand me the payments at practice in an envelope with:

• Your name on it
• The date of the meet and the shift(s) you are hiring

I gather all the fees and write a single check to YVH from the team. You must pay through our team in order to receive volunteer credit. Please don't wait until the day of the meet to do this -- we need to give a count in advance to YVH.

• Uniforms

As I type this, there are several large boxes of shirts and sweatshirts in the middle of my living room. They're destined for our super-sorter, who will soon appear at practice with a van full of clothing to hand out. If you still owe money for a shirt, I have emailed you already. You can pay me at practice, or to one of the sorters when you pick them up. Make sure we know who you are so you can get credit and get your athlete's shirt.

Once the shirts and sweatshirts have been worn, they are yours to keep. Please put your name in the sweatshirts. Lost and found is big enough without orphaned team sweatshirts.

We can try to swap up or down a shirt size if you mis-judged or if your athlete grew (or shrunk?), but your selection is limited to whatever surplus we have on hand. We can only accept new, unworn shirts in exchange.

I ordered a few extra sweatshirts in youth and adult sizes, if you or your athlete is feeling the pangs of peer pressure. They are $30, and again, they'll be from our surplus inventory. You'll be glad you have them for those cool mornings at the track.

• Practices this week

We use as much sunshine as we can get: practices go from 5:00 until 6:05pm this Tuesday and Thursday.

Please remember to meet in the middle section of the stands, out of the way of the high school team.

• Full refund period is over

If your athlete is still unsure about track, be aware that withdrawing from the team will only net you a 50% refund of the enrollment fees until March 16. Uniforms and sweatshirts are non-refundable after they are handed out.

After March 16, there are no refunds. I will still need to know if you are leaving the team, though.

==========

I think that's more than enough for this week -- see you at the track!

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.

Track news for the week of February 17

• Miss the parent meeting?

If you weren't able to make it to the information meeting this past Monday, you can read up on the "Parent Info" page:

http://ctktrack.org/parents.shtml

I'll include more details about meets and events in weeks to come.

• Field event practice, Sunday Feb 17th at 1:30pm

Our optional field event clinic is Sunday afternoon from 1:30-3:30 at College Park. We'll try to do all four of our field events -- softball throw, shot put, long jump, and high jump -- plus get in some relay practice. Dress for the weather, bring water, and we'll see you there.

• Lost and Found

I brought armfuls of clothing home after our practices this week: some of it probably belongs to the high schoolers, but some was definitely left behind by our older kids on the trail run. Please make sure your athletes' names are in a findable place on their belongings so they can be reunited:

http://www.ctktrack.org/lost.shtml

• Uniforms and sweatshirts

I've placed the order with our printer for the t-shirts and sweats. I have a few extras coming in case you signed up late.

I expect them to arrive later in the month, and then they'll be passed along to our super-sorting crew and handed out at practice. It would be a very good idea to put your athletes' name to their brand new sweatshirt before it gets left behind.

• "Bonus" athletes

Please make sure to register all your athletes running with us; we have some siblings and other unexpected kids joining us during practice. This is fine if they're trying it out, but let me know their names and grades so I can pass this along to the coaches.

In case of a medical emergency I have health release forms for every athlete at every CYO event. Accidents happen, and the diocese and our insurance company would be much happier if everyone on the track is accounted for. (This is the same reason we have to keep parents in the stands, by the way.)

• Adds/Drops

If you've got friends or relations who would like to join track, you still have time: have them get in touch with me and I'll handle the rest.

info@ctktrack.org

If track isn't working out for your family, you have until March 1 to drop with a full refund. If we pass out uniforms before that date, then I'll deduct their cost from your refund.

Don't just disappear! I need to hear from you if you intend to drop so I can issue the check and weave my paperwork magic.

• Volunteer Shifts

I've gone through the signup sheets from the parent's night and keyed in changes to the volunteer assignments. The updated counts are on a big report on the web site:

http://ctktrack.org/2013_volunteer_counts.pdf

If you see an angry red number in the "Total Shifts" column, this may mean that you haven't signed up to volunteer yet, or that you've fallen short of the five-shifts-plus-one that we need, or (in a couple of cases) you're working First Aid or as a Volunteer Reminder and I don't have specific dates down for you.

http://ctktrack.org/volunteers.shtml

Please let me know which meets and shifts you will be able to work via email: it can be as simple as "Please sign up the Smith family to work second shift for the meets on March 16 and 23, and April 13." I'll make the changes in my master list. Although you have the whole season to make up any shortfalls, everything runs smoother if we can get you scheduled in advance.

Remember to account for other sport obligations, spring break, and first communion activities when you're making your plans.

Track News for the week of February 10

Hello again everyone, here's your team news of the week.

• Family meeting Feb 11, 6:45pm, CTK parish hall

If you're new to track, you're especially encouraged to come to the family meeting at Christ the King on Monday evening. We'll come to order around 6:45 and try to be out in an hour. It's optional, but a great chance to corner me or the coaches and ask questions.

If you have signup paperwork, payments for uniforms, or need to round out your volunteer shifts, you may bring that with you and drop it off.

We're also taking late signups, if you have friends or relations with eligible athletes -- grades 2-8, living in our team areas or attending school/RE in our parishes.

• College Park

College Park has a new head track coach -- a former CYO coordinator and our current data-entry wizard for all our meet results, Gil Llacuna, Jr.. You'll notice  high school athletes practicing on the track soon: please be courteous and stay off the track and wait in the middle of the stands, away from the high schoolers' gear.

One of Gil's first tasks is cleaning up the shot put ring. If we have any team families with strong backs who can donate time to pulling weeds and shoveling new dirt into the ring, please get in touch. I'll count it as bonus volunteer time for the team, and it will help forge good CP/CYO relations.

Gil's also looking to round out his coaching staff, if you happen to know of anyone who would like a paid position working with high school athletes. Send me an email and I'll put you in touch with Gil.

• Practices

We'll continue to chase the sun (and duck the rain) for practice. Check Twitter or the web site for weather-related cancellations, and to get the end time for the day's practice.

Remember that athletes are supposed to be under adult supervision all the way down to the track -- sometimes they forget to stay on the paved path and go wandering over the hillsides like the Billy Goats Gruff. Please take a few minutes to herd your goats down from the parking lot to practice.

Also, always go around the outside of the track to get to/from practice. I know the large gate is tempting to cut through -- or hop over -- but don't do it. All sorts of other teams are using the facility, and we need to be courteous and safe. Absolutely no CYO athlete should be on the track or field when the high school is practicing, and should never try to jump the hurdles.

At the end of practice, adults need to come down to the track to pick up your darlings. We can't let them wander off unsupervised. The stands and the area outside the track fence are plenty roomy for everyone, and you might just spot a dropped jacket or water bottle...

• Lost and Found

As soon as practice starts, things get left behind. Please make sure your athletes have their names on their water bottles and every piece of clothing that comes with them to the track. We already have our first item in the team lost and found, and I know it won't be the last:

http://ctktrack.org/lost.shtml

I try to bring Lost & Found with me to practices until the pile gets out of hand, then the unclaimed items live on my porch until the picnic, where they either get reunited with their owners, find new homes, or become part of our annual team donation to Goodwill.

Unforms final check

I'm gathering up the uniform order for the printer: please take a moment to find your athlete(s) name on this sheet and make sure it agrees with what you expect.

Athletes not ordering a shirt or sweatshirt do not appear on this list.

http://www.ctktrack.org/2013_uniforms.pdf

If you have a change in size, please let me know right away so I can update my list.

Athletes must have a team shirt from the correct parish for the meets: there are some new athletes who have not ordered one. I will make an educated guess about size if I don't hear back (these are marked on the list.)

Sweatshirts are optional. If you intend to order one and the name is not on that list, I need to know right away.

Track News for the week of February 3, 2013

Hello everyone, and welcome to the semi-regular track newsletter. There will be a lot of information as the season gets started: future installments will be shorter, I promise!

• Missing emails?

If you're not seeing regular email from me, you may be one of the few families that didn't supply an address on your forms. All the emails are archived on our team's news blog:

http://ctktrack.blogspot.com/search/label/2013

Click "News" on the team site to take you there.

• Practice begins this week at College Park: Tuesday, Feb 5 from 5-5:45pm

College Park is supposed to be installing safety nets around the football field this week, so the stadium is temporarily closed. We'll still hold practice in some form, though. Look for the coaches or myself to guide you. A little inconvenience now means not dodging lacrosse balls later.

Practice times will gradually lengthen as we get more daylight. Always check the schedule page on the web site for the latest details:

http://ctktrack.org/schedule.shtml 

If you're new to track, there's a couple of things to remember for practice:

1. Dress warm!
2. Label everything with the athlete's name
3. Hydrate! Bring -- and drink -- water, preferably from a re-usable sport bottle of some kind
4. Go to the bathroom at home: facilities are very limited at College Park

This is all spelled out in detail on the "Practices" web page:

 http://ctktrack.org/practices.shtml

• Late signups/missing paperwork

I'll still accept signups for a couple weeks: you can speed the process along by bringing me a completed set of forms off the web site, plus a check for fees and another check for your deposit:

http://ctktrack.org/forms.shtml

If your athlete is dropping, just let me know by email. I have not yet cashed any checks, and will shred them if you're leaving the program.

I wear a brown cowboy hat to most track events,  so I'm fairly easy to pick out of a crowd. I love questions.

• Uniforms

If you need to change the size of the team shirt or sweatshirt, or want to add something to your order, tell me right away. I'm planning on placing our uniform order with the printer this week. Once shirts and sweats have been handed out, they're yours and cannot be refunded.

You do not need to wear uniforms to practice (though some do.) The t-shirt is only required at meets. The sweatshirt is just a keen fashion statement. Athletes need to dress warmly at practice, in whatever clothes are comfortable for working out. Parents waiting in the stands should dress doubly warm.

• Volunteer shifts

I've keyed in all the volunteer sheets from the signup nights: a summary and more details about volunteering is on the team site:

http://ctktrack.org/volunteers.shtml

Please make sure that this agrees with your calendars, and notify me of changes.

If you're "Allen Brezac" or know this person, could you contact me? This person signed up for two shifts on April 20, but I don't know which family to credit. Thanks.

• Weather watch

If the skies look ominous, I'll make a weather determination by about 4:00pm that day and post it to Twitter (@ctktrack). Through the magic of technology, this also appears on the front page of the team web site in the upper left corner:

http://ctktrack.org/ 

I can't promise that we'll stay perfectly dry all the time, but we do our best. A little drizzle won't stop practice, but a torrential downpour will. The surface of the track is all-weather, even if the coaches and myself are not.

Thanks for reading this far, and we'll see you at practice.