Here are some notes for athletes and parents who may be new to track meets. We currently have to provide our own transportation to most of our local Outdoor Track meets, it is important to start thinking about the logistics of getting there. A majority of the meets will be held at local high schools. Bus transportation will be provided to most meets that are out of town and some local JV meets. Check out the route using an on-line map. Keep in mind that the estimated travel times don’t usually include heavy traffic or road work. Personally it is good to get there an hour before the event starts but the coach may have specific instructions on when he wants the athletes there. Be prepared to bring the appropriate sweat suits, warm-ups, jackets, warm gloves and hats. Also have blankets for wrapping around you in the stands and something warm to sit on. *Athlete Check-in* Athletes will be required to know their event, heat, and lane assignment when reporting to checkin. Information can be found online at https://live.xpresstiming.com/ or may be post on the walls at the meet. Athletes will also need to pay attention to the order of events so they can have sufficient time to warmup and be ready for each event. Track meets go on a rolling start so your event can be earlier or later than scheduled. *Food & Snacks* There is usually a concession stand open with typical stadium food (soda, pizza, hotdogs) but you really may want to bring lighter snacks with you (trail mix, energy bars, bananas, grapes, orange slices, apples, water, gatorade). Eat breakfast and allow sufficient time for your food to digest before you compete. You need to keep your energy up but If you eat unhealthy foods right before you run a race … it tends to get ugly. *Race Results* Results can be found at https://live.xpresstiming.com/. Additional (paid) sites for results and tracking your athlete and school results are located below. 1. https://al.milesplit.com/ 2. https://www.athletic.net/team/13507/track-and-field-indoor/2023 It’s a good idea for each athlete to track their own results when their event is complete *Spare Clothing* tights, pants, socks, underwear, t-shits etc . If you step in a puddle when you get out of your car it is going to be a long day for you. If someone spills a coke in your lap when you are sitting in the stands, it is going to be a long day for you. If you smash your PR in the 800 and set a new school record but the effort makes you puke on your shirt … it will be a proud but long day for you. My experience is, if you will be prepared for such emergencies, they won’t even happen. So throw some extra socks and a spare t-shirt in your track bag … and don’t wear your running shoes to the stadium. Change into them when you are warming up for your event. It’s a little extra effort to avoid a lot of extra stress. *Electronics* This is a critical area of the rules. All electronic devices are banned for athletes while on the track and competition areas. You can be disqualified. Bottom line for our student athletes – if you are in a field event and have a phone or other electronic device with you and want to avoid getting disqualified … LEAVE IT IN YOUR TRACK BAG. Hurry up! Now wait. There may be a lot of down-time for you while you are waiting for your event. Bring a book , homework or something to help keep you relaxed in the stands. While we do want everyone to be cheering on their team mates, there will be down time. Sometimes schedules can get way behind. Very occasionally they can get a little ahead. So you need to stay aware of what’s going on. The PA announcer will be calling out when participants in each event need to go “check in”. You should find out before then, where the check in for your event should be. Don’t be goofing around under the stands and miss your event. Sometimes you will be in two events that are occurring at the same time. This usually occurs with field events. Don’t panic, this is common. Just go to the official who is responsible for running the “check-in” for your event and let him or her know who you are and what is going on. They will make some sort of allowance for you to do what you need to do. It will still be your responsibility to get back to your event as soon as possible and let the official know who you are and that you have returned. *Represent Well* While you are at the track meet you are representing Sparkman High School and not just yourself. You will have a uniform on and this makes you and anything you do pretty well easily identifiable. While there are many things in competition that you have no control over, your image and your character are completely in your hands. Try to keep that in mind.
OUTDOOR Track 101: SHS