Brighton High School

Track & Field

Participation Guide

Head Coach + Distance:Karen Smidt 303-655-4209 (BHS) 621-4540 (cell)

Throws Coach:Vicki 303-655-4159 (BHS)

Sprints Coach:Shalonda 214-478-7479 (Cell)

Mid Distance: Carl Arnold 719-459-6106 (Cell)

Jumps Coach:Phil 303-655-4068 (VMS)

Hurdles + Pole Vault: Christina 303-655-4117 (BHS )

Welcome to the 2014 Track &Field Season! With over 150 athletes signed up to participate and four new coaches on staff, we are excited about the possibilities ahead of us. This season we added several new meets to allow every athlete the opportunity to compete at the level to which they will see the most success. Many of our athletes dedicated their off-season to getting in shape and sharpening during Winter Track, so we will be starting out with a BANG! The purpose of this Participation Guide is to lay out how we run our Track & Field program at BHS and to answer any questions you may have throughout the season. Please read carefully and come back to it often, but feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions you may have. ~ Coach Smidt

COACHING PHILOSOPHY

We feel it is our responsibility to teach each athlete that sports are a lifelong endeavor and can serve as a metaphor to life. Balancing hard work with fun is the most important aspect of obtaining success on our team. During an athlete’s time on the team, we will strive to teach them the skills necessary to compete as well as instill life learning lessons such as responsibility, character, respect, confidence, leadership and discipline. If all of these aspects are applied, the wins, medals and personal records will come naturally on their own. Creating a fun & positive experience while in a competitive environment is our main goal.

Participation in sports provides opportunities for athletes to grow physically, mentally and socially in positive ways. We encourage all students who join our program to make the most of the experience that can come from participation. Our team is made up of competitors who will get the best training available to succeed in competitive situations and participants who will get the best training available to enjoy and grow from their sporting experience. We hope that our participants will one day be our state competitors.

COMMUNICATION

All upcoming meet information, updates, results, and general information will be sent via email from , posted on our web site at and tweeted using our twitter account (sign up with @BulldogTrack).

If you do not have access to a computer, please let us know so we can get printed copies out to you on a timely basis. Results and Ranking may also be found on or

If you have any concerns about your athlete or the program, please follow the chain of communication:

PARTICIPANT/PARENT Assistant COACH Head COACH ATHLETIC DIRECTORPRINCIPAL

PARENT BOOSTERS & FUNDRAISING

All parents are welcome to become a Booster for Track & Field. The Boosters will handle all fundraising for the team as well as organizing team dinners and other events. We will also need representatives for the BHS Umbrella Booster Club. Tracie De Feo is currently the contact for Track Boosters: .

Much of our team expenses will be funded by the proceeds from our two home meets; therefore, it is imperative that every family helps out to ensure they are first-class events. Mercury Classic Invite March 19th 2:00p.m. – 7:30p.m. & Fresh-SophMeet April 26th 9:00a.m. – 2:00p.m. We need assistance with setting-up, back-up hand timing, event crewing, announcing, computer timing, snack bar management, and results management.Contact Traci De Feo to help.

VARSITY & JUNIOR VARSITY REQUIRMENTS

There are no “cuts” or bench warmers in Track & Field and everyone has the opportunity to compete, so hard work plus dedication will guarantee success. While there are no clear divisions between Varsity and Junior Varsity, Varsity athletes are typically ranked as the top 5 in their event and will only run Invitational Meets / State Qualifiers in those events while Junior Varsity athletes are usually still developing in their events and will participate in QUAD meets and the Junior Varsity Championship Meet. No Varsity points will be awarded for scoring at a QUAD meet or the Junior Varsity Championship, but points may be earned by meeting standards at these meets.

In most Invitational Meets / State Qualifiers, only three entries per event areallowed and, in some cases, just two. For this reason, Varsity runners will be chosen based on the most consistent race results and/or consistent practice participationand/or ATTITUDE; therefore, the top Varsity members may change from week to week.

Lettering: Athletes who wish to letter must meet each of the following requirements:

  • Earn 15 Varsity Points either through scoring during competition or meeting event standards.
  • Compete in at least half of all Varsity meets + at least 3 Saturday Meets(Saturday meets are our most competitive meets that we try to win as a whole team; therefore, varsity members are expected to compete and represent BHS).
  • Participate as a team member at all practices and meets, which entails encouraging teammates, helping during meets, inspiring others through positive actions, and maintaining a mature and responsible attitude.
  • Earn 10Meet Volunteer Points and 10 Event Volunteer Points throughout the season.

Volunteer PointsPoints are earned by volunteering for track meets and track-related events (2 Categories).

You must have points from BOTH categories!

5 Points per Meet:

  • March 12th Thornton Invite @ Thornton
  • March 17th Middle School Meet @ BHS
  • *March 19th MercuryInvitational @ BHS
  • April 4th Middle School Meet @ BHS
  • *April 23rd Brighton QUAD
  • **April 26th Martinez CLASSic @ BHS
  • April 28th Middle School Meet @ BHS
  • May 1st & 2nd Middle School Championships @ BHS

*Mandatory for all athletes not participating in the meet

**Mandatory for ALL 11th & 12th graders REGARDLESS OF PROM!

5 Points per Event:

  • February 5th8th Grade Check it Out Night @ BHS
  • March 7th Spike Night @ RoadRunner Sports
  • March 8th Cajun Boil @ Adams County Fairgrounds (shift work)
  • Continuous: Selling 5 of the following (any combination): BHS Coupon Books/ King Soopers Cards (must be reloaded at least once to count)/ Cajun Boil Tickets/ Cajun Boil Raffle Tickets/ Rockies Tickets

Note: all hours also count toward BHS’s mandatory community service requirements

Varsity Points

  • Varsity Points are earned by scoring at an Invitational Meet (Top 8 places per event [10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1] typically scores). No points are awarded for QUAD meets.
  • Varsity Points can be earned by meeting or exceeding the BHS EVENT STANDARDS (See Below):

BHS EVENT STANDARDS

First Standard = 1 point

Varsity Standard = 3 pts

School Record Standard = 5 pts + considerationfor Automatic Letter (consideration depends on meeting ALL varsity lettering requirements)

BOY’S / GIRL’S
EVENTS / First Standard / Varsity Standard / School Record / EVENTS / First Standard / Varsity Standard / School Record
100 / 11.5 / 11.0 / 10.44 / 100 / 13.5 / 13.0 / 11.65
200 / 24.5 / 23 / 21.30 / 200 / 30 / 27.8 / 24.61
400 / 56 / 54 / 47.86 / 400 / 69 / 65 / 57.38
800 / 2:18 / 2:09 / 1:59.5 / 800 / 2:45.0 / 2:37.0 / 2:16.26
1600 / 5:15 / 4:45 / 4:19.93 / 1600 / 6:20.0 / 6:00.0 / 5:22.52
3200 / 12:30 / 11:30 / 9:27.81 / 3200 / 14:30.0 / 13:55.0 / 11:50.0
100H / 19.5 / 17.0 / 13.63 / 100H / 20.0 / 16.5 / 14.69
300H / 50 / 45 / 36.82 / 300H / 60 / 55.0 / 45.01
High Jump / 5'6 / 6’0 / 7’2” / High Jump / 4'6" / 5'0 / 5.5’
Long Jump / 18'5-5 / 20' / 23’8.5” / Long Jump / 14'5 / 15'7.5 / 17’11.5”
Triple Jump / 38' / 42' / 50’8.5” / Triple Jump / 31'5 / 34' / 36’3.5”
Shot / 37' / 45' / 57’11” / Shot / 27' / 35' / 42’5.5”
Discus / 90' / 120' / 163’5.5” / Discus / 80' / 110' / 132’0”
Pole Vault / 10’5” / 11' / 14’5.25” / Pole Vault / 6’0 / 6'5” / 7’6”

ATHLETE CONDUCT & TEAM CAPTAINS

ATHLETE CONDUCT

  • ELIGIBILITY

All student athletes must be enrolled in 5 or more classes, passing 5 or more classes, and earning no more than one failing grade to be eligible for competition.

  • SAFETY

The safety of all our athletes is extremely important. Make sure you know and understand the safety procedures related to your specific event and follow all rules while at practice and in competition.

  • ATTITUDE
  • Rules: Every athlete is expected to behave according to BHS school rules and all CHSAA Track & Field Rules.
  • Bullying: Bullying and/or taunting will not be tolerated—this includes bullying on and off the track (an athlete is responsible for their Facebook and other social media use). No form of racial, gender, ethnic, religious, or sexual orientation prejudice will be tolerated. On the first offense, the student athlete will be given a documented warning by a coach. On the second offense, the student athlete will meet with the coach and the Athletic Director. The third offense will result in a loss of eligibility for competition and/or expulsion from the team.
  • Respect: Every athlete is expected to treat other athletes and adults with respect. The Golden Rule works best: treat others as you wish to be treated. Captains, Coaches, and Officials should be held in the same respect.

Brighton High School promotes good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, and spectators. We request your cooperation by supporting the participants and officials in a positive manner. Profanity, racial or sexist comments, or other intimidating actions directed at officials, student-athletes, spectators, coaches or team representatives will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal. Please join Brighton High School and the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) in our efforts to uphold good sportsmanship.

CHEER FOR YOUR TEAM AND NOT AGAINST YOUR OPPONENT

TEAM: Teach, Enforce, Advocate, & Model Positive Sporting Behavior

TEAM CAPTAINS

Captains are team leaders—they have integrity, character, and charisma. Being a captain is a great honor, but it will not always be a fun job. Captains should ALWAYS set good examples in the classroom, on the field, and at home. Captains must be student athletes who are respected and supported by their teammates, who in turn respect and support their teammates at all times. Captains must never put themselves above the team. Captains must understand that they are subject to the same rules and consequences as every other member of the team. Furthermore, captains must be on the same page with the coaching staff. Captains should believe in the coach's philosophy and support it in front of their teammates at all times.These are a few of the characteristics the coaching staff will look for when choosing team leaders.

  • Experience
  • The best individuals understand our coaching styles, personalities and expectations. They must also know how to teach new teammates the routine at practices and meets.
  • Maturity
  • Captains are role models not just at practice but outside of practice as well. Prior season behavior in and out of practice is considered.
  • Initiative
  • Captains are virtually our assistant coaches. Our staff should not have to constantly remind captains (or even potential ones) to do their job. Showing initiative in recognizing a situation requiring their help or guidance is essential to a captain’s role.
  • Motivation
  • A negative attitude is dangerously influential on any team. Our captains should posses a consistent positive outlook while motivating their teammates.
  • Charisma
  • Natural leaders have charisma, but so do troublemakers. We are looking for athletes who can use their charm and magnetic personality to encourage others to stay positive, dig deeper, and become the best athlete and person they can possibly be.

PRACTICE

Practice Time 3:00 – 5:15

All participants will report no later than 3:00 every day for practice and run 2 lap warm-up. All athletes are expected to be lined up on the infield at 3:15. Practice typically lasts a bit over two hours. Every Tuesday, we will meet after practice for a team meeting, which will take approximately 20 minutes. We will try to give advance notice if we intend to release athletes later than 5:30. We may hold a practice from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the Saturdays when no meet is scheduled. Failure to report on time will result in the forfeiture of a spot on the team for the next meet.

What your bag should look like before leaving for school:

Think Before You Pack!!!

  • Over the years, many of our athletes have not come to practice adequately prepared to train in the varying weather conditions. Athletes need to realize that although temperatures may seem warm during the school day, they may change drastically by the time practice starts (this is Colorado, after all!).
  • **Parents: They need your help!

  • Running Shoes & running socks
  • Running pants/spandex, shorts
  • Long sleeve shirt, t-shirt, (sweatshirt & jacket)
  • Pack a dry shirt to change into after your workout!!!
  • LOTS OF WATER, Snack or energy bar for after practice
  • DIGITAL WATCH! ***MANDATORY for Distance.

Practice and/or Meet Conflicts

Conflicts with practice/meets will happen from time to time. All athletes will be expected to fill out a calendar indicating any expected absences. We must know the Monday before the meet if an athlete knows he/she will miss a practice or a meet. It is understood by the coaching staff that when a student signs up for a varsity sport, a level of responsibility and commitment exists. If he/she is missing too many practices or meets, they will ultimately forfeit the privilege to compete and possibly theprivilege to receive a varsity letter.

Absences & Tardies

All absences must be submitted and approved. If the absence is for academic reasons, the teacher must email Coach Smidt.Parents must email or call Coach Smidt [ or 303-621-4540] to report any missed practices. Please arrange appointments for Wednesdays between 1:30 and 3:00 if at all possible! Unexcused absences are not tolerated and will result in being pulled from the next meet (this includes class UAs). Athletes who consistently miss all or part of one or more practices a week due to another sport, employment, or club activity will be ineligible for varsity status but will be allowed to participate on the JV team. *PROM PREPARATION, CAMPING, or VACATIONS ARE NOT CONSIDERED EXCUSED ACTIVITIES!

TRACKMEETS

The official Track & Field season begins with a Track Camp to try “everything” out (February 18th – 21st). February 24this the first official day of practice. The last regular season meet is May 3rd followed immediately by our Championship Season (May 6th - 9th) and the State Meet(May 15-17). Any athlete wishing to participate in the State Pentathlon on May 28th must let Coach Smidt know no later than April 1st.

How to prepare for meets:

  • Training shoes, socks
  • Spikes or flats
  • Water bottle
  • Snacks
  • Digital Watch to planwarm-up
  • DRESS WARMER than it looks. running pants, long sleeve & short sleeve shirt, sweat shirt (your BHS gear)
  • UNIFORM
  • Cash (commemorative t-shirts and snack bars at invitational meets)
  • SCHOOL WORK
  • Blanket and pillow

***Cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, or other electronic devices areprohibited during competitions according to CHSAA rules. We cannot be responsible for any valuables brought to practice or to meets, so please leave all valuables at home!

Participation

Athletes are only allowed to compete in 11 meets per season. If an athlete starts a meet, that will count as one of their eleven. All athletes must have 5 practices before competing in their first meet.All athletes are expected to attend our home meets to either participate or compete. Mercury Invite, Martinez CLASSic, and QUAD.

WeekdayMeets

During the week we will compete against other schools in our league as well as schools outside our competition base. These meets typically begin between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. and will last three to four hours.

Invitational Meets

Invitational Meets are held on Saturdays (with a few midweek meets) and will take up half of the day. The bus will leave from the track around 7:00 a.m. for weekend meets (sometimes earlier if the meet is far). Some Invitational meets have standards that must be reached during the regular season; therefore, not all athletes will travel to every meet. If we have room on the bus, we encourage athletes to attend.

Traveling

Uniforms/warm-ups MUST be worn during the entire meet, including the bus ride to the meet. PRIDE!

BUS TRAVEL

We highly encourage athletes to ride the bus to meets as we often use the time on the bus as a pre-team meeting. Although meets can be rather long and some athletes may finish their event early, we encourage athletes to stay at the meet to cheer for their teammates. Only a legal guardian or parent is allowed to transport an athlete after a meet and this must be pre-arranged.

Championship Meets

Leagues (EMAC League: Adams City, Westminster, Brighton, Aurora Central, Hinkley, Prairie View, Gateway, Thornton, Northglenn, and Rangeview).

There will be a JVand Varsity League Championship; therefore, all athletes will have a chance to compete at a Championship level.

State

The top 18 ranked athletes from the 5A classification in each event will continue to State Finals. See MaxPreps for updated rankings.

EQUIPMENT

SCHOOL ISSUED UNIFORMS

Once an athlete is issued a school uniform he/she is fully responsible for returning the same uniform that was issued at the beginning of the season. Every athlete will return their uniform no later than the banquet date. Place the uniform and a slip of paper WITH THEIR NAME PRINTED NEATLY in the bag provided or a sealed grocery bag. This is mandatory. NO EXCEPTIONS! All athletes who fail to return the uniform will have a fee placed on their student bill.

SCHOOL ISSUED EQUIPMENT

It is imperative that athletes treat all school equipment as if it were their own. Any damaged equipment due to neglect, loss, and/or misuse will be the sole responsibility of the athlete.

Pole Vaults, discus, and shot puts must be certified prior to all competitions. No athlete should use any of these implements in practice or competition without adult supervision.

Shoes

Running shoes are vital to the health and well-being of each athlete! Street shoes, basketball shoes, and aged running shoes will cause injuries. Keep your athlete’s feet healthy and purchase a new pair of running shoes at least every 300 miles. We have Spike Night scheduled for Friday, March 7that 6pm at the Road Runner Sports in Westminster. The Track & Field Team will receive cash for attendance and all purchases made at Spike Night. If you cannot make it, we highly recommend that you go to a specialized running shoe store because they will fit the athlete with the correct shoe. Bolder Running Company and Road Runner’s Sports offer free gait analysis and discounts to high school students—just mention that you are competing for Brighton High.