Track

You have to push yourself and your body to do things that it hasn’t done before in order to get better. Everyone, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ABILITY LEVEL IS, can improve as the season goes along if you work at it.

We have practice everyday from 4:00 p.m. until approximately 5:30 p.m. If you have excessive unexcused absences, you will be asked to leave the team. This means that doctor’s or other appointments and travel plans must be made around practice time. Unexcused absences are absences that you yourself did not clear with a coach, or your reason for being absent was not ok’d by the coach(es). We are willing to work with things that pop up in your life, but we need to know that you are committed to the team and to getting better. If you need to miss a practice or meet, you need to give Mr. Golka a note from your parent stating the reason for the absence.

Our teammates and coaches are counting on you. Always think about the needs of the team before you think about yourself. Cheer each other on—if you make others feel like they are a part of the team, you’ll never feel like you are going on to the track/runway/ring by yourself. When we all watch out for each other, each of us gets what we need (and that might be different from what we “want”).

When we all work hard to accomplish something, everyone wins. Peer pressure can persuade people to take the easy way out or it can make working hard something that is expected. Winning teams and true competitors thrive in an environment where hard work is encouraged and rewarded. You can make a difference and demand the best from your teammates and from yourself.

You will be competing in several meets during the season. Which meets and how many will depend on your level of talent. The top three available performers in each event (four in the case of relays) will compete in varsity events. The “varsity” can and will change throughout the year, so a person who is not in the top three at the beginning of the year may work their way up, and a person who starts the year competing on the varsity level may drop out depending on their performance.

Your behavior can have a dramatic effect on the team, positively or negatively. True athletes listen to coaches’ instructions, treat their teammates with respect, and conduct themselves in a manner expected of a Marian student. Any behavior or attitude that is harmful to the team will not be tolerated.

Our goal is to make being a part of the Track team a positive experience. If you work hard, compete well, get better, enjoy and encourage your teammates, this season will be fun.