track_parentFAQ

Parent FAQ
This sheet is written for indoor track, but several items apply for outdoor or XC.

If there are any other questions email Coach Schneider and he will add them to the list.

Almost all of the meets are at the New Haven Athletic Center which is on the [|HIllhouse High campus].
 * //Where are the meets?//**

Well, kind of....We encourage all parents to come to our championship meets (NVL, Class M, Open) to cheer on the team.
 * //Do parents come to the meets?//**

However, some of the early season meets are very long and your child might only compete for a few seconds in their event. What we will do is we post the order of events on the website and the line-ups are posted on [|trackcentral] (all athletes have passwords). If you attend we encourage you to use your time efficiently. Always bring a book or a newspaper! We also encourage you to print out the line-up, the order of events, and to bring a stopwatch.

So, in short. With a team this huge SOMEBODY from Seymour is almost always competing. But your actual child might only compete for a small portion of the time.

One note: don't forget this is track AND field. Always ask the shot-putters how they did.

//**How do we win or lose? What is the difference between the meets?**// Meets are divided into three categories: 1. Developmentals or Qualifiers: There is no team score for these meets. These are for training purposes. 2. Invitationals: These meets often have team scoring, but always have individual placing. Events are scored 1st through 6th place (10-8-6-4-2-1 points). These meets have qualifying standards to enter. For example, the New Haven Invitational takes only the top 24 times that are entered. 3. Championships: These meets are often scored and MAY also be a qualifier. For example, in order to run at the State Open we must run a qualifying place at Class M.

Completely out of the "field of play". Hillhouse is exceptionally crowded at some of these meets. We encourage parents to band together. There is almost always chairs on the ground floor and there is a balcony.
 * //Where do I sit?//**

Almost always we should send lunch or dinner. [|Click here] for a handy sheet. An athlete needs a meal 2-3 hours before they compete. They should bring everything that they bring to practice (hat, gloves, shell, trainers, shirts) and should also bring homework, a book, etc... We really discourage them from bringing iPods or other things they might lose.
 * //What should I send with my child?//**

Probably. Trainers last 300 miles at most. They look fine on the outside, but are spent on the inside. The number one thing we can do for injury prevention is have a quality pair of trainers. We recommend [|Woodbridge Running Company]. You can also buy specialty shoes there (racers, throwing shoes, etc...). If you are not sure about your athlete's future in track you can certainly hold off on buying the specialty shoes, but quality trainers are essential.
 * //Do I need to buy new shoes for them?//**

All athletes must have a watch ($7.47 at WallMart). They also need a hat, gloves, long and short sleeve shirts, tights/pants, and some sort of wind/rain breaker (a shell). A great gift for a distance runner is a quality light-weight shell. Hammer throwers like their own gloves. Sprinters like a new pair of spikes.
 * //What other equipment should I get?//**

I will post on our website (unless we lose power). WTNH will carry the meet cancellations as well.
 * //How do I find out if the meet/practice is cancelled or postponed due to weather?//**

Track meets by definition can contain up to 17 different events that are, in effect, 17 separate competitions. When we decide to have co-ed meets this makes the meet twice as long. Also, there is only one legitimate high school facility in the state. Thus, many of the meets have around 1500 athletes at them. This is a price of our success. More athletes do track than any other sport. We would love our own facility to train in and compete as every single other sport has. But that wont happen. If a basketball squad has an away game they are leaving at 3:00 for the JV game and returning to SHS at 9:30 after the varsity game. They do that 2-3 times per week. Most of our kids compete four times in the whole season.
 * //Why are the meets so long?//**

[|Read this.] and enjoy the pictures. Properly dressed and with a little common sense it is never too cold to run. Athletes have been taught what to wear.
 * //Why do we run when it is cold?//**

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