FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Track & Field

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

Track & Field only requires a few pieces of gear to be an effective athlete.

Training shoes: A good pair of training shoes is vital to stay healthy all season and maximize performance and bodies health. When purchasing track & field shoes, go to a store where the staff can properly outfit you with foot gear for your specific event. Expensive is not necessarily better. Do not buy Nike Free, or minimalist/barefoot shoes, unless you have first cleared it with the coach. These shoes are designed for a specific training purpose and should not be used as an athlete’s primary training shoe. If you want to buy a 2nd pair of shoes to be used for interval days then a lighter training shoe can be purchased. Talk with your event coaches, they are happy to help.
Water bottle: It is important to stay hydrated before, during, and after practice, so bring a water bottle with your name on it.
Training socks: Blisters are a necessary evil for athletes. Proper shoes and running socks can help significantly in preventing blisters.
Training clothes: It is not necessary to buy expensive running tops and shorts, just be sure to wear comfortable clothing to practices.
Cold weather gear: Spring in the NW is full of rainy, windy, and cold days. Long sleeve T-shirts, sweatshirts, running pants, a hat and a pair of gloves will be helpful for training. Gortex rain jackets will be checked out to each athlete to wear at meets. If the jacket is not returned at the end of the season a fine will be issued.

WHAT IS A NORMAL PRACTICE?

Practice is Monday-Friday and most Saturdays (event specific).
Here is a typical practice day (specific event groups may vary):

3:45 Meet with Event coach.
3:55-4:10      Warming-up
4:10-5:45    Workout (rarely do we ever go past 5:45)
5:45-6:00      Cool-down (5 min jogging, 10 min stretching)
6:00              Go home

If you must miss a workout for an appointment or something, try not to miss a hard day, as you will fall behind the rest of the team. If possible, plan your appointments for after practice. Note that we plan to be done most days before 6:00, but this can’t happen if you are not prompt about pre-warm up and warm-up.

WHAT IF I MISS A PRACTICE?

In order to compete in the first meet you need 10 practices, starting from the time you turn in your eligibility card. (In order for a student to be able to participate the first day of practice, they must have completed all the eligibility forms and have clearance from the main office. Athletes will not be permitted to practice without proper clearance).
If you miss a practice you MUST notify your event coach. If you notify your coach before missing a practice, then verbal notification is acceptable. If it is the day after then you will need to bring a note (or email) by a parent, and this must be given to your coach the day after you were absent. Attendance will be taken DAILY. (Practice starts at 3:45, unless otherwise noted by event coach)
If you have an unexcused absence from practice (no notification or note) you may not be allowed to participate in that week’s meet. This also applies to Invitationals, Kingco, Districts and State.
As a general guideline: Two days missed in one week means you will not be allowed to participate in the next meet. (NOTE: The T&F week runs from Friday to Thursday).
If you have three (3) unexcused missed practices, then you will have removed yourself from the team.
Be prepared for all practices and meets. Warm-ups (long-sleeve T-shirt, sweatshirt, running pants, etc) are REQUIRED for all practices and meets where there is even a slight chance of rain, or it is below 70 degrees, for at least the warm-up. Failure to do so may result in being sent home that day, which counts as an absence.
Occasionally some practices will be offsite from EHS. Event coaches will communicate those practice locations and dates. This is most common for the Distance squad. Therefore, we need to drive from Eastlake to the practice. This has been an awesome privilege, as running around Eastlake gets very monotonous and the roads/sidewalks are harder on the body than trails resulting in more injury.

HOW DO I EARN A VARSITY LETTER?
Track and Field is an extremely difficult and rewarding sport. The following formula will be used to award varsity letters.

Varsity Letter Awards recipients must fulfill 2 of these 5 requirements:

Kingco, or State qualifiers
3.5+ GPA
No unexcused absences and attending all meets
3rd+ year out for T&F
PR at Kingco (JV or Varsity) in 1 or more events.

HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON?

Effective communication from athlete to parents for a team of more than 180 athletes is often difficult. We employ several forms of communication to try and solve this challenge.

PARENTS:

WEBPAGE: Wolvesxc.com will be your primary resource. Meet Info: Athletic.net

EMAIL: We have an email list that we leverage for communication to parents. Emails are attained when you register.

FACEBOOK: Please follow Eastlake Track & Field

ATHLETES:

TEAM MEETINGS/COACH

TEAM REACH: Please download the app and join.

PRACTICE: We expect athletes to communicate any changes to practice schedule or meets to parent. We rarely change practice locations or times, but we will let the athletes know at least the day before of any practice changes.

TRAIN HEROIC: TrainHeroic app (download & sign up on your mobile device) or via www.trainheroic.com

WHAT IS A NORMAL PRACTICE?

Practice is Monday-Friday and most Saturdays (event specific).Here is a typical practice day (specific event groups may vary):

3:45 Meet with Event coach. 3:55-4:10 Warming-up4:10-5:45 Workout (rarely do we ever go past 5:45)5:45-6:00 Cool-down (5 min jogging, 10 min stretching)6:00 Go home

Practice is Monday-Friday and most Saturdays (event specific).
Here is a typical practice day (specific event groups may vary):

3:45 Meet with Event coach.
3:55-4:10 Warming-up
4:10-5:45 Workout (rarely do we ever go past 5:45)
5:45-6:00 Cool-down (5 min jogging, 10 min stretching)
6:00 Go home