Piney Grove Track & Field

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1 Piney Grove Track & Field Introduction Five seasons ago, I accompanied two Piney Grove entrants to one of the first of the Georgia Middle School Track and Field Championship meets. Although we were undoubtably one of the smallest teams to enter that year, we did well, earning a third and seventh place that day. We ve been fortunate in the years that have followed to have brought an ever-growing number of athletes to our state championship meet, with last year s group of 35 exceeding all expectations by finishing second overall in a field of over 70 schools and club teams. This year s team promises to be an interesting mix of those returning athletes who were able to experience the excitement of last season with dozens of newcomers to the sport who have yet to run or perhaps even watch a race on a 400-meter track. Our coaching staff is therefore in the privileged position to not only resume our work with some truly exceptional runners but to also introduce the sport from the ground up to seventh and eighth grade athletes who were not part of a track team in The Piney Grove Track and Field team exists to identify and develop athletic talent in the hope to furthering the success of the high school track programs of which our athletes may some day be a part. To this end, our coaches work to develop the innate talents our children, not only through teaching and practicing the techniques of various events, but also by reinforcing the values of hard work and self-discipline. We are fortunate to live in a county that has developed strong track programs at the middleschool level, and we take particular pride at Piney Grove in building not only a perennially competitive program, but also one that is knowledgeable about the sport and that represents our school in a positive light at our meets. Above all, the Track and Field coaches at Piney Grove enjoy sharing our enthusiasm with our student-athletes each day, and believe that any child at Piney Grove is better-off having tried Track and Field during their time at middle-school. This short introduction to our team s procedures, competitions, and expectations hopes to provide the information a family would want in preparing for a middle-school track season as well as giving students and parents a better idea what to expect during the two months we are together as a team. Robert Oswald Head Track and Field Coach Piney Grove Middle School

2 Two Teams Although the coaches responsibilities and most workouts are event, and not genderspecific, our athletes do compete on separate boys and girls teams, and meet wins and awards are usually presented to a particular team, not the the school as a whole. However, aside from the hurdle height and the opening bar height for the high jump, the events for both girls and boys at the middle-school level are identical in every respect. Our warm-up routine, techniques, and workout schedules are all the same for both boys and girls, and there is no defined Girls Head Coach or Boys Head Coach - all coaches work with both teams. In short, our girl and boy athletes train and travel together - but are separated when it s time to race. Team Fees The base cost to participate in track and field is $125 per athlete. This figure does not include the $50 athletic transportation fee, which must be paid by all track and field members who have not participated in a different sport earlier in the academic year. These fees are due prior to our first meet of the season on March 4th, Team Communication The best way to keep informed about Piney Grove s track team is to sign up to our Remind account. As weather and other uncontrollable events can effect the timing of practices and meets, it is essential that for parents who wish to be in the know to subscribe to this message service. The directions to do so are on the following page. Additionally, on the day prior to one of our competitions, all track and field members receive a two-sided sheet that summarizes the upcoming meet. One side will list all the events in order, along with our team entries, while the other gives information regarding the time, location, weather, opponents, and any instructions that athletes should follow before or during the meet. It s a good idea for parents to read through this sheet to ensure their child is well-prepared that day. Finally, we maintain two websites on the internet - one with our school and the other on ga.milesplit.com. The school site contains general information about the season, while the latter maintains a record of every FAT (official) open, college, high school, and middle school track meet in the state. Performances on ga.milesplit.com can be viewed by athlete, by meet, or by event. Our team rosters are listed on the website, as is a calendar of track meets throughout Georgia.

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4 Team Expectations We expect the following from our team members: Remain in good academic standing in all subjects. Notify a head coach when an upcoming practice must be missed. Report all injuries to a head coach. Arrive on-time to each workout, and arrange pick up promptly at 6:15. Approach practice with a positive attitude, and do the entire workout. Help take out and put in equipment, in both our practices and our meets. Act responsibly when traveling by bus to and from meets. Set goals and seek ways to improve in some way each day. Represent our school in a positive manner at all meets. Be respectful of teammates, competitors, and members of the coaching staff. Behave in a manner that does not create distractions, nor waste the team s time. Student-athletes who repeatedly fail to meet our high expectations should expect to see their role in our meets reduced significantly, and in certain cases, completely. Two Halves to the Season Due to the numerous differences between the first and second halves of Piney Grove s track schedule, I find it helpful to refer to these two parts of the season as Winter Track and Spring Track. We plan to have four meets during each half in The table below illustrates the differences between the two: Winter (Dual Meet) Track features dual meet competitions that take place Wednesday nights at high schools in Forsyth County Spring Track features multiple-team competitions that take place on the weekends in Gwinnett and Fulton counties with the county championship taking place at South Forsyth and Lambert High Schools over the course of two weeknights all members of the track team will participate in at least one event, and some will compete in as many as five fewer team members will participate; selection based on performance and availability

5 Winter (Dual Meet) Track opponents will be students enrolled in the other eight middle-schools in Forsyth County Spring Track the county championship meet will include all nine middle-schools; the other meets will include schools and track clubs from the Atlanta metro area and from all over the state. the majority of these meets will feature FAT (fully automatic time) results, are official, are recorded by professionals, and are subsequently posted online at ga.milesplit.com - in other meets, coaches and parent volunteers will time all races we find out what our individual strengths are as our athletes try different events all track performances are measured by FAT (fully automatic time), are official, are recorded by professionals, and are subsequently posted online at ga.milesplit.com we find out how good we are as a team as athletes are entered into events that maximize our point totals during the first couple of meets, the weather can be quite cold, rainy, and is nearly always windy the weather can be nearly perfect to quite hot or cool, and is sometimes rainy Our Season Schedule (as of February 18th) is shown below: Winter (Dual Meet) Season March Lambert HS March Forsyth Central HS March South Forsyth HS* March Forsyth Central HS PGMS VS LMMS PGMS VS LAKE PGMS VS NFMS PGMS VS LMS *We are hosting the March 18th meet and will need parent volunteers

6 Spring (Championship Meet) Season April Westlake HS April Mt. Pisgah Georgia Middle School Previews Perimeter Middle School Relay Championships April 22 & South Forsyth HS / Lambert HS* Forsyth County Championship April 24 & Parkview HS State Championship *We are hosting the County Championship and will need parent volunteers Winter Track Weather and How to Plan For It The main difference parents and other spectators will appreciate between our winter and spring meets is the weather, and preparing for the weather is the first step when planning for a meet. Although we ve experience dual meets under beautiful conditions, many have been quite cold and windy with one particular Wednesday evening featuring temperatures near freezing at the end of the day. Regardless, the bottom line is that if kids are being sent to track meets in shorts and a tank-top they will be miserable the entire meet, they re risking a needless injury by being unable to warm up before their race, and they are certainly not going to do their best in any of their events. We are outside for the entirety of these dual meets and all runners must stay on the football field between events. These meets sometimes start as late as 5:15 PM, and by that point most of the track is in shade, and none of the stadiums in Forsyth County are situated to block the wind. Athletes who know better will bring a warm hat, their team hoodie, a turtleneck, gloves, sweatpants, and a blanket with them to each of our dual meets. Arguably our best male sprinter in 2013, Trae Dunn, wore full leggings under his track shorts to each of our dual meets that year (a season that featured an exceptionally cold March), and for those who find such a setup comfortable, it is advisable. Generally, our runners have been well-prepared for the weather and I believe that the simple act of dressing properly has contributed greatly to our recent success. The importance of dressing warmly begins on the first day of conditioning workouts in the two weeks prior to the tryouts in early February. Never assume that we are training indoors because of the cold - steady rain is the only guarantee that we will be inside for an afternoon practice, and after a few consecutive rainy days, we are all eager to work outside. The hat, gloves, turtlenecks, warm track pants, and other cold weather gear need to be available from day one. Rain will also cause the rescheduling of our dual meets, but outside of Forsyth County, only thunder and lightning will cause the postponement or cancellation of an event or

7 meet. If the the prediction is for rain during the spring season, make sure to be prepared for it as the show will go on. Running Shoes All athletes will need a training shoe that provides cushion and support for their feet. Often, students invest in replacement insoles to give them more arch support. We strongly encourage our distance runners to purchase lighter weight racing shoes (either spiked or road racing shoes) for meets and for our sprinters to acquire spiked sprinter shoes prior to their first meet. Spiked shoes are also a solid choice for long jumpers, especially on a damp track. Sprinter s spikes for hurdling are a must as their soles provide the extra stability that can make all the difference in preventing injury when running on a wet track or during an awkward landing. Practice Schedule Practices are scheduled from Monday to Thursday each school week. Children will be ready to be picked up at the back of the school by 6:15 PM each evening. We don t have practice on Fridays, but we reserve time at South Forsyth s track each weekend of the season, and when possible, we hold two practices over a single weekend. These weekend practices are optional, but anyone interested in participating in one of the socalled skill events (jumps, throws, hurdles, relays) will need to become a frequent attendee to these weekend workouts as they are the only time that we truly practice these events in conditions that resemble our meets. We understand that springtime is a busy sports season, and we work hard to accommodate the needs for our two-sport participants each year. For the most part, athletes who play soccer, swim, or play baseball have successfully balanced the demands of both sports quite well. Students in such a position should talk to the coaching staff as early in the season as possible.

8 Goal Setting The two tables below are included to help those new to the sport gain some idea as to the times and distances of top performers at the middle-school level in Forsyth County. These statistics are from the county Track and Field Championships, which is the final meet of the year and usually brings out the best performances of our runners, throwers, and jumpers. Eighth-place is included as that position is the last point-scoring place at the county meet. County records have been kept since Girl s Event County Record 2014 Best th Place 100m m m 1: : : m 2: : : m 5:20 5:20 6:13 100m hurdles x x400 4: : :55.63 high jump 5 6 (!) long jump disc shot

9 Boy s Event County Record 2014 Best th Place 100m m m m 2: : : m 4: : : m hurdles x x400 3: : :19.97 high jump long jump disc shot With nearly all of our top times and distances occurring in the past three years, Forsyth County has improved considerably and is certainly one of the more competitive counties at the middle-school level in the state. To see what these performances mean in a broader context, I recommend the web site ga.milesplit.com, which maintains a record of every FAT open, college, high school, and middle school track meet in the state. Performances can be viewed by athlete, by meet, or by event. Our team rosters are listed on the website, as is a calendar of track meets throughout Georgia.

10 We Need Help There are lots of ways that parents can contribute to their child s development and the team s success. Here are a couple to consider: Meet Volunteers We will be hosting two track meets in 2015, including the county championship. Parents who wish to help with admissions, concessions, raking longjump pits, and recording distances and heights in the field events are greatly appreciated and absolutely necessary. Filming and Photography Even with a large coaching staff, it s difficult to find time to record events, though having film would be helpful to all coaches. Pictures and film also go a long way into making the banquet slideshow a little more interesting and inclusive of all athletes. For those who like to use their smartphones or tablets to film, I strongly recommend the app Coach s Eye - less than $5 and a great tool for any sport. If you ve got questions about any aspect of our program, please ask them, and the best way to do so is through at roswald@forsyth.k12.ga.us. You may also direct your inquires to any other member of our staff: Jon Kent, Head Track and Field Coach Ben Cochran, Assistant Coach, Throwing Events Shawn Hughes, Assistant Coach Julia Ware, Assistant Coach jkent@forsyth.k12.ga.us bcochran@forsyth.k12.ga.us shughes@forsyth.k12.ga.us jware@forsyth.k12.ga.us Hoping that you consider becoming a part of our Track & Field family, Robert Oswald Head Track and Field Coach Piney Grove Middle School