MEET INFORMATION

Materials you should bring to the meet:

• Water & healthy snack (eat snack after school)
• Jogging pants
• Extra pair of socks
• Spikes (if you have them)

On rainy and/or cold days:

• Rain jacket
• Gloves 
• Hat 
• Hand warmers (optional)
• Garbage bag (to put your bookbag in if it's raining)
• Extra pair of shoes to change into afterward (you can change your shoes/socks and have dry feet)

After school:

• Change into your uniform
• Gather your materials
• Eat your snack
• Use the restroom (don't wait until you get to the high school, get this done before you leave)
• Review the order of events and meet information (be ready)
• While waiting for the bus, work on homework (if you have time)

When you arrive at the high school:

• Get off the bus
• Move your gear to the spot at the stadium designated for Avon Lake
• Gather your distance/sprint team together
• Two-lap warm-up, form-drills on the football field with the entire team
• Be aware that varsity athletes will still be practicing so make sure they have priority
• You can use the restroom AFTER YOU WARM-UP AND DO YOUR DRILLS AS A TEAM
• Relay participants: See coaches to go over exchanges on the football field (distance) and track (sprints)

Prior to your event:

• 1st Call: start your warm-up routine (again)
• 2nd Call: head closer to start line (distance start/finish locations will be at the same location)
• Last Call: head to start line
• NOTE: keep all your sweats on, including hat & gloves (when it's cold), until the official tells you to take them off, you will not get yelled at for issues with your uniform (coaches will be at the start line if there are any issues)

After your event:

• Two lap cool-down around the football field (stay on the turf) with everyone who just ran your event (include everyone)
• Check the order of events on your phone and make sure you're prepared for your next event
• When your day is over, follow up with a two lap cool-down the STRETCH

One last note (maybe the most important):

• When you are NOT COMPETING in an event tomorrow, you are a CHEERLEADER.
• Unless you are warming up or cooling down for an event, you are cheering on your fellow teammates. Track & Field is a team sport, but athletes line up for their races, get in the rings to throw, line up for high jump/long jump, and line up on the runway for pole vault ALONE. It's an incredibly isolating and anxious feeling. You will feel like everyone is looking at you (even though that's not really the case). Unlike other team sports, you are not in a huddle, you're not inside where you can hear your teammates/coaches yelling out instructions and words of encouragement, and you're not really working alongside someone. Instead, you're running your race and/or passing off your team's baton to the next runner. 
• So, it's important that you cheer on your teammates when they're running tomorrow. It makes a huge difference, it will pump them up, and they'll tell you afterward that it really helped them to push through the pain. It will also help with anxiety and you'll realize you're stronger after going through it all together and that you're not really alone.
• Focus on the things you can control tomorrow: WORK HARD (do your best), WORK SMART (proper warm-up, form-drills, cool-down), and WORK TOGETHER (be there for each other). If you do this at every meet you'll see growth in yourself, your team, and you'll get more confident going forward.