TRACK & FIELD 101 - GENERAL INFO AND FAQ

Track and field at LCC consists of 8 separate event categories:

TRACK EVENTS

• sprints (800m races and shorter)
• relays
• hurdles
• distance (1600m races and longer)

FIELD EVENTS

• horizontal jumps (long jump and triple jump)
• vertical jumps (high jump)
• pole vault
• throws (discus and shot put)

Athletes are welcome to try any and all events to see what they enjoy and excel at. Each event category has its own set of coaches, though some overlap (sprints and horizontal jumps are coached by the same coaches, for example). 

Do athletes have to try out for track and field? Can they be cut from the team?
Track & field at LCC is a no-cut sport, which means everyone is welcome on the team, so long as behavior and attendance expectations are met. Simply show up to practices Monday-Friday from 4-6 pm at the LCC track (time may change based on bell schedule) with your athletic clearance already completed for track and field, and coaches will take it from there!

What is athletic clearance and how do I complete it?
LCC requires every athlete to be cleared to play each sport they offer each season. If the athlete has already played a fall or winter sport this year, simply confirm that their athletic clearance is active and covers track and field by emailing Char Grogan in the athletic dept. If the athlete has NOT played a sport yet this school year, follow the steps here to submit your clearance information online (be sure to check "track and field" when it prompts you for sports) and to get a valid sports physical (with hard copy paperwork signed by a doctor and submitted to LCC). In order to attend the first day of practice, we highly recommend completing the athletic clearance process no later than Jan. 30, as it takes LCC's athletic department a few days to process and clear athletes once everything has been submitted.

When is practice?
Starting Feb. 5, practice is every school day from 4-6 pm (may be earlier on A/B bell schedule days). Check our Instagram and team calendar on our home page regularly for when special bell schedules affect practice start times. At times, practice for certain events may end before 6 pm, but athletes should always plan for 4-6 pm.

What are "time trials"?
Early in every track and field season, several practices will be dedicated to "time trials". This is where coaches will simulate a race environment and athletes will get to try their best at various track AND field events. This helps coaches determine which athletes should begin competing in which events (though that can change throughout the season), and help them build JV/varsity/relay teams. Time trials for the 2023 season will be held on Feb. 7-8. Warmups start 15 minutes before practice begins. Family members are welcome to watch time trials from the stands if they would like. 

Who decides what event an athlete will do in a meet?
Coaches will work with an athlete to determine the best events to put an athlete in, based on interest, performance, and team needs (we do earn points for each event that goes towards winning as a team). Often athletes will do different events in different meets. Athletes cannot do more than four events in a single league meet.

What do athletes wear to meets?
Show up to a meet by the warmup time set by the coach, already dressed in your uniform and warmup sweats (tops and bottoms), and with a full water bottle. Jewelry sometimes will not be allowed at meets; be prepared that some officials may ask for jewelry to be removed. Shoes will be determined by the event; see below for more on shoes vs. spikes.

What shoes do athletes need?
Each event has special shoes that can be worn to enhance performance (and prevent slipping/injury) during competition. Athletes will often bring "spikes" (athletic shoes with screw-on metal spikes on the sole) to wear for actual races, but will warm up in running shoes (no spikes). Spike type and length are determined by the meet; most meets require 3/16-inch needle spikes. NOTE: Often pyramid spikes are what come with spike shoes when you purchase them, so be sure to check and purchase 3/16 needles if needed (can purchase from team liaison or find them on Amazon). There are specific spike shoes for high jump, horizontal jumps/pole vault, sprints, middle distance, throws, etc. Typically the longer the run, the more cushioning and slightly heavier the shoe. Jumps, vaults and throws spikes have different spike placement on the soles, as well as more structure to the shoe to prevent heel/ankle injuries. Event coaches, seasoned athletes, RoadRunner Sports and this article are great resources. Gently used specialty spike shoes are often available on eBay for a great price.

Do athletes compete in ALL the meets on the season calendar?
No! All-team events (where everyone competes) are NOT shaded on the season calendar. All other meets (shaded in green) are invitational meets; some are event-specific. Coaches will notify athletes in advance if they will be invited to compete at one of those invitational meets. Often invitational meets have performance qualifying standards an athlete has to have recorded before they are allowed to compete (like a certain jump height or race time), and sometimes a meet will be geared towards a particular level of athlete (novice vs. elite). If you have questions about invitational meets, speak with your event coach directly.

Do athletes need to pay to attend invitational meets?
There is a registration cost for invitational meets, but that cost is covered by the team, thanks to parent/guardian donations. If an invitational meet is out of town and requires travel expenses, some travel costs may be covered by the team and others may need to be covered by the athletes themselves. Speak to your event coach if you have questions about travel costs.

How do athletes get to away/invitational meets?
The district provides bussing only for non-invitational away meets. For all other meets, athletes must find their own transportation to the meets; we encourage athletes to carpool if necessary. Upperclass athletes and track and field families are often happy to assist with carpooling! Please reach out to the parent liaison at trackandfield@lccteams.org. if you need assistance with getting your athlete to/from an away meet.

Any additional questions? Reach out to your parent liaison here!

TYPICAL LEAGUE MEET EVENT ORDER

Start times and jumping start heights may vary at league meets, but event order usually doesn't. Events follow a rolling start; the next event begins right after the previous event ends. This schedule assumes a 3:45 pm meet start time.

Track (left column) and field (right column) events begin simultaneously, and typically follow this order. Sometimes meet hosts will delay a field event for a short while or swap the order of a field event to try and accommodate an athlete who is competing in a track event close to the same time, so the athlete can do both track and field events. Also, if there aren't many runners for a particular event, they may combine it (like JV + Varsity or Boys + Girls) to speed up the meet. This is why it's always wise for athletes to stay alert and listen for their events to be called, as sometimes the order WILL change.

FINDING MEET RESULTS

Most meet results (all-team and invitational) can be found on Athletic.net. Coaches will enter new athletes into the site, and then once entered, parents can "claim" their athlete to follow their results. You can also follow LCC track and field on there by clicking here once you register for the site (free).

Meets that LCC competes in as a whole team will appear, and then you can select the event to see meet results. You can also search for a meet (like invitational meets where LCC as a team did not compete, but individual LCC athletes did) or an athlete's name to find their meet results.

EVENT INFO 101