CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

STUDENT ATHLETE HANDBOOK

2016 -2017

Dream Big, Work Hard, Succeed!

  1. Mission Statement
  2. T-R-A-C-K Concept
  3. Team Leader Expectations
  4. Practice Expectations
  5. Meet Expectations
  6. General Strength, Conditioning, and Mobility
  7. Event Specific Training Plans
  8. Goal Setting
  9. Track Uniforms
  10. Lettering
  11. Team Website and Social Media
  12. Eligibility
  1. Mission Statement

The Kennedy High School Women’s Track and Field Student Athletes are committed to achieving the highest standards of excellence on and off the track. Team responsibilities are to develop a winning attitude through trust, respect, commitment, kindness and sportsmanship all of which are the building blocks to self-worth and social responsibility.

To keep sports in perspective and have fun with it.

  1. T-R-A-C-K Team Concept

T-trust R-respect A-accountability C-commitment K-kindness

●Trust is having confidence in my coaches and teammates. I depend on them for their support and in return I will give my support whenever, and wherever, needed.

●Respect is giving and receiving admiration from my coaches and teammates. It is not something that is given to me, but earned through my positive actions within the team.

●Accountability is knowing when I make a mistake and taking ownership for it, not placing blame. Only then can my mistake be corrected.

●Commitment is promising to be on time for practices and meets.It is promising my coaches and teammates that I will bring my best work ethic and attitude to practices and meets.

●Kindness is showing my team mates I care by listening to and helping them to achieve their personal goals. Having words of encouragement for my teammates, is something I will strive for every practice and meet.

Remember, success is going to bed at night knowing you gave your best effort and did the

best that you could. It’s not having everything go right, but facing whatever goes wrong; it’s

not being without fear, but having the determination to go in spite of it. Love what you do,

do the best you can, and you’ll succeed. At the end of the day we are a team. We practice as a team, we compete as a team, we win as a team, and we lose as a team.

  1. Team Leader Expectations
  1. Be the first to lead by example and the last to violate team code.
  2. Be the first to communicate between the coach and team and the last to withhold information.
  3. Be the first to praise others and be the last to brag or draw attention to you.
  4. Be the first to defend and the last to criticize.
  5. Be the first to confront team conflict and the last to ignore it.
  6. Be the first to encourage and the last to become discouraged.
  7. Be the first to serve and the last to be served.

Anyone on the team has the right to be a team leader, but only if they follow the T-R-A-C-K Team Concept and Team Leader Expectations. Being a team leader is a privilege and is never to be abused. Remember that we are a team and no one individual is above the team.

  1. Practice Expectations
  1. Practice begins 20 minutes after the last period bell at which time all athletes are required to be at the designated location, ready to warm up. Saturday practices may be required; the coaching staff will communicate the time and locations.
  2. In the event there is a scheduled early dismissal, practice will still be at the normal time. Weather related cancellations will result in practice being cancelled as well.
  3. All absences must be communicated personally to the athlete’s respective coach prior to practice start. Absences not communicated to the coaching staff may result in athlete’s being removed from an event for the next meet.
  4. Athletes that are multi-sport, have work conflicts, or are injured will need to communicate these with the coach. We will attempt to be as flexible as possible without

sacrificing the integrity of our team. Multi-sport and injured athletes will require our coaching staff to be in contact the other coaches and athletic training personnel to ensure

proper coordination. We will require at least two attended track practices per week to qualify for that weeks meets.

  1. Athletes are expected to follow the T-R-A-C-K Team Concept at all times during practice. Any disruption will result in a meeting between the athlete and coaches, and possibly parents, to resolve the issue.
  1. Meet Expectations
  1. Athletes should review the season meet schedule so they can plan accordingly.
  2. Meets held in the Cedar Rapids Metro Area (Kingston Stadium and Linn-Mar) will not have transportation provided by Kennedy High School. The athlete is responsible for getting to and from the meet.
  3. For meets held away from the Cedar Rapids Metro Area (Iowa City, Waterloo, etc.), transportation will be provided by the Cedar Rapids Community School District.
  4. The head coach will post the meet line up the day before the meet so everyone knows the schedule. Remember the coaches will determine the lineup based on what the needs of the team are for any particular meet. The lineup is subject to change based on the individual athlete’s condition, injuries, etc. Please respect the coaches’ decisions.
  5. Athletes, coaches, and fans are expected to follow the T-R-A-C-K Team Concept at all times during meets. Remember that we are representing Kennedy High School and want to demonstrate appropriate sportsmanship.
  6. Coaches, athletes, and officials are the only personnel allowed in the track and field competing areas. Athletes can be disqualified from the meet if it is determined that a parent or fan was inside the competing area. Please communicate with spectators outside the track fence if you wish to discuss something with them.
  7. Please respect the athletes, coaches, and officials of our team, as well as those of our competitors.
  1. General Conditioning, Mobility, and Strength

Kennedy High School promotes multi-sport participation throughout the year as a benefit for continued physical and mental development of our student athletes. However, in instances where student athletes aren’t involved with another sport, we encourage you to

contact the track and field coaches for out of season training. Speed/agility sessions, mobility sessions, and weight training are all available out of season. Again, contact your coaches to get a schedule of what you should be doing. The main benefit of these workouts is to get stronger and improve performance while decrease the risk of injury.

  1. Event Specific Training Plans

Track and Field is a year round sport that requires planning if you are to be successful. Coaches will be able to give athletes an individualized training plan that follows their event specifically. Skills assessments will be given at the beginning of each season to help the coach create an athlete specific training plan.

  1. Goal Setting
  1. Establish realistic goals that you can reach. Dream Big!
  2. Measure your progress weekly, monthly, and yearly. Work Hard!
  3. Adjust your goals as necessary to keep them in perspective. Be Flexible!
  4. Dedicate yourself to your goals through planning and sacrifice. Work the Plan!
  5. Success is measured by striving to reach your personal goals. Celebrate Your PRs!

Successful track and field athletes should have clear goals of what they want to achieve. The coaches will help each athlete establish realistic goals based on their current skills and fitness level. The goals should serve as a motivator for giving full effort at practice and meets to achieve success. Don’t focus on other athletes from your own team or your

competitors. You can only control your plan for success so bring it every day! Trying to reach our teams goals throughout the season should be our first priority.

  1. Track Uniforms
  2. Competition uniforms will be issued prior to the first meet and used by all Cougar athletes. These uniforms are expensive and the athlete will be responsible for replacing any that are damaged or lost.
  3. All clothes worn under the uniform that can be seen will be black and tight to the body. An example of this is Under Armor Cold or Heat gear.
  4. No jewelry at any times is allowed during meets. Medical and religious jewelry must be taped to the body.
  5. Warm up apparel will be offered via internet order form at the beginning of the season.
  1. Lettering
  2. Earning a varsity letter is a reward for the athlete’s accomplishments. The criteria are as follows:
  3. Scoring in the top 50th percentile of varsity teampoints by at the seasons end.
  4. Score 6 or more points either in the Home Meet, Conference, District Meet, or State Meet.
  5. 4-year Track and Field participant (Senior) in good standing adhering to the team rules and expectations.
  6. Absent from 3 or less total varsity meets. (Indoor and Outdoor combined).
  1. Track Team Website and Social Media
  2. The Kennedy High School Website is TrackCentral.net. We ask that athletes and parents both use this site for season schedules, rosters, meet results, and general coaches communications.
  3. The High School Athletic Administration and coaches please ask that you be responsible when using social media sites and messaging applications as they pertain to our team.
  4. If it is found that a person(s) connected to our team is involved in social media misconduct, there will be a meeting between the coach, parent and athlete to determine an appropriate course of action.
  1. Eligibility

Refer to the Cedar Rapids School District Policy #410 concerning eligibility policies and conduct rules. Any violation of the rules can lead to dismissal from the team. The following are violations of the Good Conduct Rules:

  1. Possession, use, or purchase of tobacco products.
  2. Possession, use, or purchase of alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine.
  3. Possession, use, or purchase of illegal drugs or unauthorized possession, use, or purchase of otherwise lawful drugs.
  4. Engaging in any act that would be grounds for arrest or citation in the juvenile court system, excluding minor traffic offenses.
  5. Inappropriate or offensive conduct including but not limited to fighting, insubordination (talking back or refusing to cooperate with authorities), hazing or harassment of others.

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