T&F Team FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When are tryouts and practice times?

• Track season begins with tryouts in February 2026.  

• All students must have athletic clearance to participate in tryouts. Visit this page to begin the athletic clearance process. 

• Sprints and Field Event practices will be at 3:45 pm Monday through Friday.  The Distance Team will continue to practice during 6th period PE with Coach Chuck.

How do practices work?

• Athletes should meet the coaches in the stadium stands near the concession stands dressed to practice in appropriate athletic gear and athletic shoes. 

• The specific practice schedule is in the team's SportsYou calendar.

• Athletes need to be in proper attire during practices, which includes wearing shirts and shorts for all athletes. They also need to have a sweat/track suit for warmups. Athletes can purchase warmup gear through our SpiritWear sales.

• All rules and regulations for being on the team can be found here. 

How can I stay in touch with the team?

• See announcements for Booster announcements and the weekly workout schedule for the distance team. 

• Parents and athletes: make sure you subscribe to our SportsYou group to have access to our team calendar.  You may email srhstfboosterclub@gmail.com for the access code (please provide the name and grade of your athlete).

What kind of shoes or spikes do athletes need? And where can they get them?

• Athletes need to have good running shoes for all practices.  Here is a list of recommended shoes. 

• Fleet Feet does a 15% discount for SRHS T&F  athletes to get running flats and spikes.  Road Runner also has shoes available. Both of these stores will fit your athletes. 

• Athletes should get spikes that are appropriate for their events (sprints vs. distance vs. jumps vs. pole vault), so they should speak to their coaches to see what kind of spikes they need. 

• Note: 3/16 spikes (needles or pyramids) are required for all San Diego tracks. Most spikes come with spikes that are too long and will tear up the track, so athletes need to remove the spikes that come with the shoes. Here’s a link to buy some on Amazon: needles or pyramid. Dicks Sporting Goods also has them available in store: needle or pyramid.

How do meets work?

• Once the coaches think athletes are ready, they might participate in meets.
  
  

• Coaches put together the meet schedule a few days before each meet and share it with athletes via SportsYou.  Sometimes, the meet programs are available on Athletic.net as well.
  
  

• Dual Meets take place on Thursday afternoons either at SRHS or at Mira Mesa, Cathedral Catholic, Patrick Henry, University City, or Point Loma High Schools and are against one or two teams. Most athletes will only participate in these Dual Meets.
  
  Dual meets typically start at 4:00 pm and last until 7:00 pm or later.  Field events are spread throughout with start/finish times up to meet management. See below for the order of events.
  
  

• Invitational Meets take place mainly on Fridays and Saturdays. These meets typically are for select varsity athletes only, but there are a few meets that include frosh/soph athletes and JV athletes. Invitational athletes need to let coaches know they cannot make a meet at least two weeks before the meet.
  
  

• League Finals, CIF SD Championships, and States take place at the end of the season and typically are for select varsity athletes. 

How long is a standard outdoor track?

A: A standard outdoor track is 400 meters in length and typically has 8–9 lanes.

What events are included in track and field?

Track and field include a variety of running, jumping, and throwing events:

• Sprints: 100m, 200m, 400m, sometimes 800m

• Middle & Long Distance: 800m, 1600m (mile), 3200m (2 mile)

• Hurdles: 100m hurdles (girls), 110m hurdles (boys), 300m hurdles

• Jumps: Long jump, triple jump, high jump

• Throws: Shot put, discus

• Pole Vault

What are the rules for the high jump?

In the high jump, athletes run and jump over a horizontal bar without knocking it off. Athletes are given three attempts at each height. If they miss three times at the same height, they are eliminated from the competition.

How is the winner of the pole vault determined?

The winner is the athlete who clears the highest height. If multiple athletes clear the same height, the athlete with the fewest missed attempts is declared the winner.

How are throwing events measured?

Throwing events such as shot put and discus are measured from the nearest mark made by the implement in the landing area to the inside edge of the throwing circle.

What is the difference between the long jump and the triple jump?

In the long jump, athletes sprint down a runway and jump as far as possible into a sand pit. In the triple jump, athletes perform a hop, step, and jump sequence before landing in the sand pit.

How are relay races run?

Relay races consist of four athletes, each running one leg of the race and passing a baton within a designated exchange zone to the next runner.

What is the difference between track and field and cross country?

A: Track and field events take place on a track or designated field areas. Cross country races are run on natural terrain such as grass, dirt, and hills, often over longer distances and varying conditions. Cross country competes in the fall season. For information on Cross Country, check out our SRHS XC Website.

What are common injuries in track and field?

Common injuries include muscle strains, sprains, shin splints, and stress fractures. Jumpers and throwers may also experience knee, shoulder, or back injuries due to repetitive or explosive movements.

Who should communicate with the coaches—parents or athletes?

Athletes. Our program focuses on building responsibility and independence. Parents should step in only if necessary.

What happens if my child misses practice?

Excused absences are limited. After three unexcused absences, the athlete is dismissed from the team—no exceptions.

Can my child work during the season?

Yes, but work cannot interfere with practices or meets.

Who decides what events athletes compete in?

Coaches only. Event assignments are based on safety, performance, and team needs.

Are athletes required to attend meets even if they are not competing?

Yes. Meets are team events, and athletes are expected to support their teammates. League meets are required.

What if my athlete is injured?

Injuries must be reported to a coach immediately. Injured athletes are still expected to attend practice for treatment or modified activity.

Why is the dress code so strict?

The dress code is in place for safety, focus, and professionalism. Track involves specialized equipment and movement, and proper attire helps prevent injury and distractions.

How do athletes get to meets?

Important: SRHS does not provide transportation to meets, so parents need to arrange for transportation for their athletes.  We recommend that parents establish carpools with other parents at the beginning of the season.  You can use the parent chat on SportsYou to find other parents who wish to carpool.

Where do we find meet results?

Meet results are available on our Athletic.net website.  Click on the meet name and then on the results tab.  For some meets, Athletic.net will provide live results in real time.  For most Dual Meets, results will be available within a day or two of the meet.

How does an athlete earn a Varsity Letter?

Varsity letters in Track are given based on the athlete competing at the Varsity level 4 times (4 pts) during the year.

We have 6 dual meets and numerous Invitationals to do this. Most of the Invitationals are for Varsity caliber athletes only.

The athlete will gain a pt towards a letter when he/she:

• 1. Competes in a dual meet at the Varsity level

  2. Competes in an Invitational

  3. Is good enough to compete in League prelims at the end of the season

  4. Has a time/mark that qualifies as Varsity level (Ex. 4:59 for Boys 1600). All these times/marks are listed below.

How does an athlete get a Varsity jacket?

Varsity Jacket purchases are strictly optional and not required. The vendors listed below are not the only options, just a few suggestions from team members.

1. Contact Champion Shirts 858-566-3395 (talk to Vinny or Ralph) and set up a time to visit their shop and order the jacket. Things you’ll need:

a) Size

b) Name for front and back of jacket (and what font you’d like)

c) Check or other payment

2. Visit the Finance Office at school and pay $20 to join the Varsity Club

3. Take the receipt from the Finance Office and to Coach Wilson’s office to show him. He will give you the large SR letter for the jacket.

4. Additional patches are usually available for purchase at invitationals, league finals, sectionals, state meets, and other competitions. Other participation patches and CIF-specific patches can also be ordered through the CIF San Diego Section site: https://cif-sds.square.site/

5. The Scholar Athlete patch is given for athletes (Juniors and Seniors only) with a GPA of 3.0 and higher. Coach Wilson will give this to you.

6. Varsity “bars” can be added to your jacket starting your second year on Varsity (so, no bar is given for your first season, but one bar is given for each subsequent season you make Varsity for each sport)

7. Champion will have the sport-specific patches and the graduating year patch they can give to you.

8. Once you receive your embroidered jacket, gather up all of the patches and have them sewn on the jacket. Bobi’s Tailoring on Mira Mesa Blvd. (across the street from Denny’s) does this for many SRHS jackets and they know where to place many of the patches.