Parents
Thank you parents for your support this track season! If you have any questions, feel free to email me! - Mr. Malmstrom
Some key points for parents:
Transportation - busing will be provided to and from all track events. When finished with events, students may ride home with parents. If students do not ride the bus home, parents will need to sign their children out with a coach. We do keep track of who we take to meets and bring back!
Events - there are 14 different track events. We will do our best to ensure that everyone participates. For most meets, we are limited to two participants per sprinting event per division (i.e., 5/6 girls, 5/6 boys, 7/8 girls, 7/8 boys). The distance events, the 800 and the 1600, may have unlimited entries. Field events (shot, disc, high jump, and long jump) are typically limited to four participants per division.
Schedule - A track schedule is available on this site. We do have additional meets for 7/8 grade only. The reason is that our conference starts track in 5th grade, while many area schools don't start until 7th grade, and therefore meets those schools host are for 7th and 8th grade only. We may occasionally ask younger athletes to compete up in such meets, in which cases they will be notified in advance.
Mandatory meets - most of our students are involved in sports in addition to track. If they need to miss a track practice or regular season meet, it will be excused with a note/email from a parent. For meets, we need to know at least a day in advance for when we put lineups together. The only meets that are mandatory are the conference meet for 5th and 6th grade and the IESA sectional/state meets for 7th and 8th grade. If track athletes are not going to attend the most important meet of the year- they shouldn't be in track!
Attendance - we do keep track of attendance at practices and meets. With 14 different events, including four-person relay teams, attendance is important! If a student is at school, they are expected to be at practices/meets. If they are unable to attend, they must have a note or email from a parent. Unexcused absences may lead to removal from the team. We want our athletes to be responsible before they go to high school!
Physicals - student-athletes need to have up-to-date physicals on file at the school. Physicals are good for 395 days.
Academic eligibility - we believe that schoolwork is most important! Students must be passing all classes and may not have more than one "D" to be academically eligible. Eligibility is checked on Monday morning. Students who are ineligible on Monday morning are ineligible for the week. Ineligible students may be asked to work on homework at school during practice time.
Shoes - track spikes are very helpful on cinder or all-weather surfaces and are highly recommended for sprinters and jumpers. Distance runners can use distance spikes or running shoes. Throwers can not use spikes while throwing since they throw off of a concrete surface.