TIPS FOR THE 2006 TRACK SEASON
Its hard to believe that the first track meet of the 2006 season is a few days away. We've all been practicing in the evenings for the past 3 weeks. Everyone has been working hard in getting ready to compete. So lets not forget some key the things that can make the track meets ahead and the year safer, shorter and a much more pleasant experience for us all.
Sunscreen Is A Must
Its Spring now, the Sun in higher on the horizon and more of its rays are hitting the ground. We've been practicing in the evenings and its a easy thing to overlook at this first Meet so lets not go away from a winning day with a nasty sunburn by forgetting the sunscreen. PF 20 or greater is recommended and don't forget hats and jackets. It may be a high of 70 but the wind chill early in the day can make it uncomfortable when your out in the open.
Fruits, Veggies and Water
Lets all make sure that we pack up some Fruits, Veggies and Water for our Student Athletes to snack on throughout the day. Track meets make for a 4 to 6 hour day including travel time and with many of the sites at remote locations, the typical concession fare at an SYS Track Meet is not going to meet the nutritional needs of our participants. Yes, we want to support our member Areas that are hosting the meets by frequenting their concessions but the kids will between event running fuel. Grapes, bannanas, apples, carrots, strawberrys as well as oranges and string cheese make for great inbetween race snacks and don't forget the water. Water may or may not be available at the finish line so make sure to bring your own.
Guns Up at 9 A.M. Lets Pitch In and Help
SYS is an all volunteer affair. Yeah you paid your money for your child to participate but without your support, the meets can make for a long drawn out day. At the begining of each Meet, you will hear a call go out for parent volunteers to man everything from the stop watches to the longjump pit. By volunteering, you can make your day pass faster. You will also get a birdseye view of the competition you would otherwise miss by being in the stands. So help make for a great day by pitching in. For 40 years, Elmore Park has had an active tradition of volunterism so lets do our part in keeping this great tradition alive at Elmore Park. Remember, first guns up is at 9 a.m.. That means the meet is scheuduled to begin. 8:30 is when the first calls goes out for the first events, so you need to be at the Track Site no later than 8:30 unless instructed otherwise by your Coach. If you see things moving slowly at the begining of meet , its ususally because of a lack of volunteer support. If the call goes out for volunteers, do your part this season and pitch in and help.
Sportsmanship
Sportmanship is key to a winning season and even winning at life. Yes we are out to compete and yes we are out to win but instilling in our children a sense of sportsmanship and fair play make us all winners at the game of life. There will be controversy, bad judgement calls that should be considered part of the the game.
That said, never approach a parent, coach or child on yours or the opposing team in an aggressive manner. Same goes for game officials which you will see in white or black hats administering the days events.
If you run into a problems address it with your coach. If you are not satisfied move up the chain of command to your Area Director. Lets cheer our hearts out and be there at the finish line to support out kids win or lose. Also remember that parents are not allowed on the track unless they are working the meet.
REMEMBERING WE ARE GUESTS
Each week of Track season Shelby Youth Sports is the guest of Shelby County or Memphis City School Systems. This means that we can end up in situations where we might not be invited back to a school or even be allowed to participate if we don't do our part to take care of the facilities in our charge. Its important to remember as guests to leave the venues in as good a shape or better than we found them. Lets all do our part to take care of our track sites.
Treating All Children As We Would Our Own
There are going to upwards to several hundred kids at each track meet. Some may not be as well supervised as others and well.....as we know even with our own, its hard to keep up with them on Meet Day. So lets keep a close eye on our youngsters," treat them as you would your own" tell them to quit running in the bleachers, or quit hanging out in the bathrooms and stay out from under the bleachers and oh yeah....no throwing food from the top of the stands.
Most of what you will run into you should be able to handle yourself, if you ever run into a situation where you feel unconfortable feel free to find an "SYS Game Official" head coach or your Area Director. and let them know your concerns.
EPP PEEWEES WIN 2006 HOT SPRINGS NATIONALS
Congrats to our EPP Pee Wee Cheer Squad for winning the Hot Springs Nationals. This is this squads 4th Natl's in a row.
After taking 3 in a row at the Mardi Gras Nat'l the squad moved over to Hot Springs to show them what they've got. Way to go girls!!!! Thanks to Robin Garner and Dustin Blackman for all of their hard work over the past 4 years in making our squads some of the best in SYS. The cheerleading experience is a big part of Elmore Park Youth Sports. With numerous national championships under our belt and a top notch coaching staff the EPP Cheer Experience is second to none. For more information on being a part of the Elmore Parks Cheer experience contact Tony Miller at 647-6942
