Track FAQs for Parents/Guardians

Parent/Guardian FAQ

1.     What are the coaches’ responsibilities?

• We have a very collaborative coaching staff. However, they are not responsible for coaching all the athletes themselves on a daily basis. Each member of the coaching staff has a main group of athletes they work with daily. All coaches work with both genders.

2.     How can I help my athlete be successful?

• Encourage your child to develop a relationship with the coaches. The more the coaches can get to know athletes individually, the more the coaches can assist them to perform to the best of their ability. Encourage your child to ask questions, but also to trust the process. The coaches have a well thought out plan and it is important to be supportive. Support the program.  

• It is also crucial that athletes are hydrating, eating, and sleeping well throughout the season. Any support in this area would be beneficial. Athletes will be provided with a guide on how much water they should be drinking throughout the day, as well as breakfast, snack, and lunch ideas. An athlete should never attend practice on an empty stomach!

   3. Why do we want to hear from the athletes before the parents?

• We would like the athletes to become independent and confident individuals. The best way to achieve this is for the athletes to reach out to coaches directly to ask questions and gain information. Athletes should learn to advocate for themselves. Coaches are more than willing to speak to the parents, but it should not be the initial conversation about any topic or issue. 

4.     How do coaches plan for a season and why is it important to inform coaches early of conflicts?

• Before the season begins, the coaches plan the schedule and have certain meets in which they know the athletes should be peaking (performing at their best). We backwards plan from here.  Due to this, it is essential that athletes and coaches are on the same page about their goals. It is also essential for coaches to know if there are any conflicts before the season starts. Meet entries and payments are due well in advance for all meets. It is an entry fee, not a participation fee, and not going to a meet you are entered in is costing money as well as taking away spots from other athletes.

5.     What is an excused absence and how should the athletes be informing the coaches?

• If he/she is going to miss practice, they must email their head coach before practice begins informing them of the absence. The email should come directly from the athlete’s registered school email or Remind account.  

6.     Why do kids run so much? Do the kids need more breaks from running?

• Sprinters, throwers, and distance runners all have very different training programs. We pride ourselves at Monroe in coming up with many different training programs with varying volumes to allow athletes of all abilities to be successful. Distance runners achieve the best success with consistent training. Therefore, you will see many distance runners running 6-7 days a week depending on their training age (actual age and how many seasons they run with us). Injuries frequently occur from athletes who are inactive for months and then try to go back to training.  Taking long periods of time off training has led to most injuries. Recovery is important and each athlete will get a break between all seasons in which they compete for us.  

7.     My kid is sore and achy, how can I help him/her?

• First, the athlete should spend more time stretching. If there is a particular area that is sore, stretching at home, in addition to what is done at practice, can help prevent a major injury. Secondly, the athlete should ice the area that is hurting. This may require multiple days in a row of icing the area that is sore. Lastly, the athlete informing a coach is essential so the coach can give suggestions before it turns into a major injury.

• If the athlete feels it is more than soreness, then the coach will send him/her to the athletic trainers. Our athletic trainers are very experienced and will assess the issue and determine next steps. There are times when an athlete chooses to run through a potential injury without informing a coach. This lack of communication almost always leads to an injury that could have been avoided if the athlete communicated.

8.     Who can I reach out to if my child is afraid to ask questions?

• Captains and coaches are the two best sources of information. If a captain doesn’t know an answer, they will relay information to the coaches.  Captains and coaches are in frequent communication. However, we encourage all parents to help their child build a relationship with a coach. We understand that it may be difficult at first to talk to a coach, but it is the only way for the athlete to truly be successful in our program.

9.     How can I get information about meets and practices?

• Athletes and parents receive an overview of practice times on the Winter Track Guide that was signed and turned in before the beginning of the season. Athletes also have access to a calendar on the team website that is updated frequently. Information about meets and practices will be communicated directly to the athletes. This will be in person and/or posted on team website. It is the athlete’s responsibility to inform their parents of what is going on. This is again to help develop responsible and independent individuals.  

10. Can I attend any meets?                                  

• YES! We love getting as must support as possible. During the winter season, most meets will be held at the Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River (“the Bubble”). Additional meets may be added at the Armory in New York or the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island. There are sections for spectators to be in at the Bubble. The Armory and Ocean Breeze have bleachers inside the facility to view the track events, as well as the field events.

11.   When at a meet can I talk with my child?

• It is best to let athletes prepare for their race with their teammates and coaches. After a race, the coaches would like the opportunity to give feedback and discuss their performance. The best time to talk with your child would be after they have checked in with a coach following their races. 

12.  Can I attend practices?

• To foster the best atmosphere between athletes and coaches, we ask that parents do not attend practices. This allows athletes to focus and train to the best of their ability.  

13.  How can I support the program?

• There are many ways to support our program. You can volunteer to take pictures at events, buy clothing from the team store, and follow our MTHS Boys Winter Track Instagram and Twitter accounts. If you would like to volunteer your time in some other way, please let the coaches know. There are less official jobs that we still need help with.

14.  Why doesn’t the team provide enough clothes for meets?

• Before our first meet, athletes will be provided with a team t-shirt and uniform singlet. Like any other sports team, we expect athletes to show up to meets wearing team-issued clothing. In addition to this, we offer a team store where additional items can be purchased. Athletes sometimes prefer wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants from the team store over the team-issued clothing. This is not required.  However, wearing clothing that represents the Monroe Township High School XC/Track program is required, whether team-issued or store-bought.   

15.  What does my child need to participate?

• Your child needs adequate clothing for the weather. This includes a rain jacket, leggings/sweatpants, thermals, etc.

•  Your child needs a watch with a timing start/stop feature. Athletes are responsible for timing many of their workouts. They will be unable to train appropriately without a watch.

• Your child needs quality running shoes. We recommend the following brands: Asics, Mizuno, New Balance, and Hoka. Quality running shoes greatly reduce injuries.

• Your athlete needs to be cleared through athletics prior to the start of the season.  

16. What is njmilesplit.com and should I get a subscription?

• NJ Milesplit is an affiliate of the website Milesplit. It covers everything related to New Jersey cross country and track and field including athlete profiles, news articles, performance rankings, and race videos. It would be worth getting a subscription for many reasons. Your child can keep track of their progression from their first race, throw, or jump. It also has a meet calendar for each season that includes dual meets and state meets. The site also posts meet results so you and your child can see how they and other athletes from New Jersey have performed.

17.  What are the coaches looking for from athletes?

• We are looking for positive athletes who are willing to put in the time and effort to get better.  Athletes who “buy in” to what we are doing, are giving it their all every day, and are seen doing the little things not just in the runs but in the warm ups, supplementals, and stretching. These are athletes who support their teammates and recognize each other's accomplishments. 

18. Can my child specialize in a single event?

• Athletes are expected to compete in any event that is helpful to the team’s success.  For example, a long jumper may be asked to also compete in the triple jump at a meet to secure points for our team.  The coaching staff will assess athletes abilities early in the season and help them to pick events.  It is expected that athletes have an open mind, and it is not common for athletes to only compete in a singular event throughout a season.

19.  Are there athletes who continue to compete after high school?

• All athletes who want to compete at the college level have achieved that goal.  If an athlete is interested in competing beyond high school, they should communicate that with the coaches.  Coaches will provide insight into the recruiting process and help establish a list of programs that would be a good fit for the athlete.