| Common
Questions (and Answers!) If
you and your child are new to track & field it is likely that you
will have many questions. Even if you are a veteran of the sport, we
hope that you will find the following information useful. This
information will help you get the most from your track program. Please
ask one of the coaches if you have any other questions or need
clarification.
A.
What are the age
groups for youth track and field?
B. What
sort of shoes should I buy?
C.
What should I do if my child is sore?
D. What
should we bring to practice?
E. What
should we bring to a meet?
F.
Tell me about the different meets we can attend?
A. What
are the age groups for youth track and field?
Age grouping for Hershey, AAU and
USATF competitions is determined by your age at the end of the
calendar year. For example, even if your 13th birthday was not until
December 31, 2008, you would compete in the Youth (13 - 14) category
throughout 2008.
-
Bantam - Ages 9 & 10
born 1998-1999
-
Midget - Ages 11 &
12 born 1996-1997
-
Youth - Ages 13 & 14
born 1994-1995
-
Intermediate - Ages 15
& 16 born 1992-1993
-
Young Men/Women - Ages
17 & 18 born 1990-1991
AAU also has single year age
groups up to 14, including sub-bantam, sub-midget and sub-youth for ages
9, 11 and 13 respectively.
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B.
What sort of shoes should I buy?
What you wear on your feet is the most important item of clothing in
track!
For training you
should wear good cushioned shoes designed specifically for running, and
not basketball or tennis shoes which lack the support required. We
recommend you visit a specialist running store such as Potomac
River Running in Ashburn who offer a 10% discount to NOVA
Athletic Club. When buying training shoes you should ask them to analyze
your 'gait'. Three running styles are commonly identified:
- Neutral: This is where the heel
of the runner makes contact with the ground and the foot travels in
a straight line as it moves forward.
- Pronation: This is where the heel
hits the ground but this time the foot moves to the side as it
travels forward. It refers to the inward roll of the foot.
- Supenation: This is where the
heel hits the ground and the foot rolls outward.
Your training shoe
should have the correct type of support for your foot and running style.
For racing, many
athletes wear lighter shoes with less cushioning. These are often known
as 'spikes' because they allow short spikes to be screwed into the
underside of the shoe. Spikes help provide grip and keep the athlete on
their toes when racing. Again, we recommend that you visit a specialist
store and be sure to tell them the type of events you compete in, as
sprinting spikes are different from middle-distance spikes. If you
compete over a wide range of distances and choose one pair of spikes,
cross-country spikes offer the greatest flexibility.
Another lightweight
type of racing shoe, similar in appearance to spikes, are known as
'flats'. These are sometimes called 'spikeless' track spikes! They do
not allow spikes to be screwed in to the underside. Note: Hershey
competition does not allow spikes to be worn and so if your child will
participate in Hershey, and you do not want to purchase more than one
pair of racing shoes, it may be best to purchase 'flats' for all their
racing. Again, for training sessions you should wear cushioned training
shoes unless your coach asks you specifically to wear your spikes or
flats.
If you have any
further questions, please ask one of the coaches.
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C
What should I do if my child is sore?
It is normal that your child will be stiff and have some aches,
especially in the early part of the season as they get in shape. Two
great ways to help with recovery are putting Epsom Salts in their bath,
and by icing. Icing can be done either by placing an icepack on the area
(a bag of frozen vegetables works well) or by freezing water in a Dixie
cup and using this to massage the affected area. Make sure you have a
towel to catch the melting water! If the pain is sharp rather than an
ache, your child may have an injury. You should discuss this with a
coach.
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D.
What should we bring to practice?
For all outdoor training sessions;
dress in layers taking into account the forecast. Wear good cushioned
shoes and bring water bottles. We hold practice and run in the
rain. Make sure you eat and drink something at least two hours before
practice. It is a good idea to bring a snack, such as a cereal chewy
bar, for immediately after practice to help with recovery.
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E.
What should we bring to a meet?
For athletes to perform their best, parents must provide
them with the proper fuel at the start of the day to get them going and
also to make sure they have
energy throughout the day. This means giving them a good breakfast with
plenty of carbohydrate (for example: pancakes/waffles or toast, and
limit or no meat/eggs/dairy) before coming to the field; and providing
suitable nutritional foods to eat during the meet. Once your child is
finished their events for the day, they can enjoy a heavier meal.
Listed below are
suggested items to consider when preparing for long track meets. If you
are veteran of track meets, you probably already know what to bring, but
first-time parents may find these ideas helpful:
|
Food
Items
|
Weather
Protection
|
Comfort
Items
|
Keep
Children Busy
|
|
Water
|
Umbrella
|
Portable
chair
|
Books
|
|
Sports
drink
|
Blanket
|
Pillow
|
Puzzles
|
|
Fruit
|
Tent
|
Insect
repellent
|
Games
|
|
Pretzels
|
Sun
block
|
Cooler
|
Cards
|
|
Bagels
|
Light
jacket
|
Seat
cushion
|
HOMEWORK!
|
|
Low
fat pastry
|
Allergy
medicine
|
Blanket
|
Board
games
|
|
Trail
mix
|
Poncho
|
|
|
|
Orange
slices
|
Hat
(sun/rain)
|
|
|
|
Crackers
|
Socks
(extra)
|
|
|
|
Raisins
|
|
|
|
|
Juice
|
|
|
|
Tips:
- Arrive at the meet location 1 (one)
hour before the meet is scheduled to start. This allows the athletes
time to find their team, orient themselves and warm up before the
meet begins. Meets endeavor to run strictly to schedule and if
athletes are not in the report-in area at the designated time for
their event they may not be able to participate in that event.
- It is a good idea to put your child's
name on all pieces of track equipment (e.g. clothing, shoes, bag,
etc.)
- Some of the meets we will attend will
last for most of the afternoon. Large meets take nearly the whole day.
In these meets you can expect to be outside in various weather conditions from 8:00
am until late afternoon. Bring items that will allow you and your
child to be comfortable for the time period.
- Do not allow your child to
drink sodas the day of a meet.
- On hot/sunny days keep your child out
of the sun as much as possible, this will help preserve that
much-needed energy for their event(s). We will have one or more
tents/canopies to help keep them cool.
- Canopies that are put up by the
coaches are primarily for the athletes; parents make sure the
athletes are sheltered first.
- Athletes need to keep their sweats
(pants) on, when they are not performing their event, to keep their
muscles warm. This will help prevent injuries and enhances
their performance.
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F.
Tell me about the different meets we can attend
There are a number of different meets we can participate in. These are
shown on the calendar under Schedule.
The coaches will make sure that your child competes in meets that are
appropriate for their experience and development as an athlete. The
early season meets are ideal low-key events to get your athlete
introduced to the sport and to provide an appropriate level of
competition.
The Hershey
track program is an introductory program that has limited
events. No spikes or starting blocks are allowed, and the only field
events are Standing Broad Jump and Softball Throw. Age-groups are 9-10,
11-12, and 13-14. Age categories are described here.
The first Hershey meet is held at Heritage HS in Leesburg. The first two competitors in each event progress to a regional
meet, held in the Northern Virginia area (in 2007 it was also at
Heritage HS, in prior years in Falls Church). The first two competitors from this event qualify for the
Virginia meet held at the University of Virginia complex in
Charlottesville. Winning in Charlottesville does not mean that you
automatically qualify for the Hershey North American Final Meet held
over the first weekend in August in Hershey PA. Only one athlete is
selected per event based on their performances compared with others in
our region, South East, at their state finals. Our region includes
states such as Florida and Georgia which have very strong track programs
and so it is very tough to reach the National Final.
PVTC (Potomac
Valley Track Club) meets at Langley
High School are low-key all-comers meets. They are a great introduction
to track competition as they lack the crowds, noise and duration of some
of the larger invitational meets. Held throughout the summer and only 30
minutes from eastern Loudoun County, children get the opportunity to participate
in all types of events including throws and jumps. Relatively small
numbers of attendees and encouragement from adult organizers and
competitors mean that these events provide good competition while
providing an enjoyable learning experience. There are no concessions at
the PVTC Langley meets, but a small store with snacks and drinks is
available less than half a mile from the high school heading East. For
directions and more information, click here.
The
USATF Junior Olympic competition progresses from a Virginia State meet
in mid-June in Richmond, VA, to the Regional Finals, and then to the National Junior Olympics.
The AAU
Junior Olympics is very similar to USATF.
For dates and
locations for all meets we are considering, see the Calendar.
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