Team Policies

Our primary objective is to maintain a safe and positive environment in which all student-athletes can grow and improve. In order to create a culture in which we can achieve this goal, it is imperative that all student-athletes and coaches work together with respect and ownership. 

Track and field is an extracurricular activity, therefore we must do extra in order to grow in an extraordinary way! 

Practices

• 1. All practices will be held at Worthingway Middle School.

  2. Practices will run from ~4:15-5:30pm.

  3. Athletes are expected to attend ALL practices! See attendance policies below.

  4. Practices can be held indoors, outdoors, or a mix of both. Please be prepared! (See “What to Bring to Practices and Meets” page.) 

STUDENT-Athlete

• 1. Academics come BEFORE athletics!

  2. If you need to meet with a teacher or study group, you need to let the coaches know in advance (see attendance policies).

  3. Behavior at school affects extracurriculars!

     1. If behavior issues are reported by a teacher to the coaches, there will be consequences at track practice.

        1. FIRST ISSUE: Athlete will face a consequence at practice. For example, extra push-ups, clean up the hurdles, run extra laps, etc.

        2. SECOND ISSUE: Athlete will be excluded from an event at an upcoming meet.

        3. THIRD ISSUE: Athlete will be suspended from a meet.

  4. Grade Requirements

• • 1. Students must be passing 5 classes and have at least a 1.0 GPA. If students are close to not meeting these requirements, the coaches and teachers will work together to support the student.

    2. ACADEMICS COME FIRST!

Meets

• 1. Dual Meets

     1. If all team expectations are met, all athletes will participate in dual meets.

     2. For each dual meet, the home team (host) can decide to limit participants in each event. In some cases, this is beyond our control, and may limit an athlete to only 1-2 events at away meets. For each athlete, coaching staff tries their best to enter each athlete into at least 2 events. 

     3. Dual meets typically last from 5 until 8/9pm.

  2. Friday/Saturday Invitationals

• • 1. All athletes should plan on going to invitationals and schedule accordingly. That being said, not all athletes attend invitationals.

    2. The coaching staff will inform the invitational participants by Thursday* each week.

       1. *It is imperative that all athletes are prepared to go to invitationals if called on. If an athlete cannot attend and the coaching staff does not know until Thursday, then it creates a situation where an athlete finds out at the last second that they have to go. WE WANT TO AVOID THIS! PLEASE TELL COACHES IN ADVANCE WHEN YOU CANNOT ATTEND!

    3. Please be understanding that coaches are trying to assemble what they consider to be the best team possible for invitationals. It is their discretion who will go to each meet!

• • • 1. If you or your child have doubts, encourage your child to ask appropriate questions.

      2. For example, if Johnny is wondering why he didn’t get chosen to go to an invitational, do not encourage complaining or negative behavior. Instead, encourage Johnny to hang after practice for a minute and ask a coach with a considerate tone to explain what he needs to do to make it to the next invitational. These are life skills!

• 3. Weather on meet days

• • 1. We only cancel or postpone a meet in extreme weather, so please be prepared! It is a difficult decision whether to hold a meet, postpone, or cancel, so please be understanding!

Meet Etiquette

• 1. At the meet, student-athletes should stick together and cheer for their teammates. Negativity and/or bad sportsmanship WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

  2. Team camps at away meets and the infield at home meets are reserved for student-athletes and coaches only. Parents, if you need to drop something off with your child, please do not linger. Student-athletes may be mentally or physically preparing for their events.

     1. If you are not an athlete or a parent/guardian, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED AT TEAM CAMP NOR THE INFIELD. If you are an athlete, you must be prepared to politely ask non-athletes to leave. They are a distraction and can create drama or trouble with our athletes or visiting athletes.

  3. Athletes must be aware of their events and listen to the announcements for the timing.

  4. The  elementary “Ask 3 Then Me” rule applies to meets as often as it possibly can. Coaches want to be COACHING, not MANAGING.

• • 1. While management is an aspect of coaching, if every student-athlete asked a coach when they should eat their granola bar, the coaches would never see a race.

Attendance

• 1. Athletes are expected to attend all practices and meets. By joining the team, you are making a commitment to improving yourself and your team. This is not a commitment you should take lightly! Your coaches and teammates expect you to be at every event.

  2. Excused absence

     1. An absence is excused ONLY if the coaches know in advance!

     2. Excused absences can include (but not limited to): doctor/dentist appointments, going out of town, academic interventions* (if cleared in advance with a coach), funerals

     3. BEING SICK: If you are sick from school, the coaching staff will already be aware thanks to the KMS and WWay attendance systems. If you find that you are falling ill towards the end of the school day, you MUST tell a coach! (Fill out an excused absence form on the website, email a coach, or seek out a coach at school.)

  3. Unexcused absence

• • 1. Unexcused absences can include (but not limited to): Skipping practice, detentions, Wednesday schools, suspensions.

• 4. *Academic Needs

• • 1. Being a member of the track team means that you are using time management skills to balance school and sports.

    2. If you need to work on academics, you must speak with a coach at least a day in advance to have an excused absence!

       1. For example, if it’s 3:30 pm and you realize you need to continue to study for tomorrow’s math test, you CANNOT just “tell a coach you’re studying” and be excused. You MUST use time management and organizational skills to plan study time in advance!

       2. Another scenario: Science fair is due next Thursday and the only time your group can meet is Tuesday. Monday morning you email your coach and CC a head coach that you must miss practice for academics - you will be excused! This demonstrates good time management skills!

• 5. ABSENCES AFFECT PARTICIPATION! The coaching staff will do its best to be fair and consistent with absence issues.   

Communication

• 1. Coaching Staff to Families

     1. Track and Field Website: www.tinyurl.com/cardstrack

     2. Weekly Update Emails

        1. Every Sunday detailing the week’s events

        2. Coaches will use the email address listed on Final Forms

        3. If you would like to receive the emails and currently are not, please email Caitie Christel (cchristel@wscloud.org)

  2. Families and Athletes to Coaching Staff

• • 1. Please use the “Track Excused Absence” google form to report absences

       1. Absences should be reported BEFORE missed practice or event - not after!

    2. If you would like to communicate or ask questions to your coaching staff, we recommend that you email your child’s coach and then CC one or two of the head coaches.

• • • 1. For example, if your daughter runs sprints, you should email questions to the sprint coach and a head coach.

Transportation

• 1. After practice or a meet, athletes are expected to leave for home within 30 minutes of end time.

     1. Each day, a coach will stay after practice or meet until every athlete goes home. Your child will not be left alone.

     2. If your child is not picked up within 30 minutes on three separate occasions, the coaching staff will discuss your child’s eligibility on the team.

  2. If your child walks home from WWay, please email cchristel@wscloud.org at the beginning of the season for our coaches’ records. We want to make sure every athlete leaves safely. ☺

  3. If your child is going to ride with another athlete, please email cchristel@wscloud.org with your permission. You can also give handwritten notes to any coach at the meet.

• • 1. Please understand that we CANNOT allow athletes to ride home with other parents without YOUR permission! Your child’s safety is our number 1 priority!

• 4. Your child DOES NOT have to ride the bus home from meets.

• • 1. Every athlete needs to stay to cheer on our 4x400 teams (this is the last event at all meets).

    2. If you would like your child to ride home with you instead of on the bus, you must sign your child out with one of the coaches. We will make it clear to the athletes with whom they should sign out at the beginning of each meet.

       1. If your child is going to ride home with another family, we must have advance permission! (Emails or handwritten notes). See #3 above.

Parent Volunteering

• 1. There will be MANY opportunities to support our Cardinals Track Team this year!

     1. Please consider donating your time at our home meets to help run the meet. No experience necessary! It is a great way to get to know track and field as well as support your child and their team. PLEASE volunteer at least once per season!

     2. Worthington Invitational - Mid-May

        1. This is the largest and most profitable event for our Cardinal Track and Field team! We may request a small food donation from each family. In addition, we will need volunteers to take gate money, run the grill, and help at jumping and throwing events.

     3. Be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities in our weekly emails!

Criteria for the Worthington Cardinal Track & Field Student Athletes

To be a member of the Worthington Track & Field Program is a tremendous honor!

A member of the Worthington Cardinals Track & Field team:

• 1. should be a leader by example, both on and off the course - in and around the school, in the community and everywhere the team travels.

  2. treats all teammates and other students fairly and equally, regardless of their athletic ability, talent or age.

  3. demonstrates the willingness to put the best interests of the team ahead of their own personal goals and will expect teammates to do the same.

  4. exhibits a tremendous work ethic in all aspects of training - in the warm-up and drills, and in workouts, and expects teammates to follow their example.

  5. demonstrates good personal judgment which instills trust with their teammates and coaches that they will represent the team in a positive manner at all times.

  6. demonstrates a tremendous personal competitiveness and a refuse to lose attitude that inspires confidence and determination in their teammates.

  7. believes in, and is willing to follow the school’s ATOD policy.  They will not tolerate code violations by his/her teammates.

  8. keeps in close contact with the coaches on all matters that concern the best interest of every member of the squad.

  9. demonstrates through personal and family sacrifice that the success of the Worthington Track & Field team is extremely important.

  10. demonstrates appropriate conduct in the classroom and works diligently to succeed in his/her academics.

  11. Is a problem-solver. With the amount of athletes on the team, members should use the “Ask 3, then me” rule when they have a question. Members USE THEIR TEAMMATES to answer their questions!

TEAM

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