Cupertino High School Track and Field 2006
Home of the Pioneers
Program Goals
Coach Paul Armstrong
Track and Field at Cupertino High School
The
philosophy of the track and field team is to provide an environment for
the student athlete to succeed. Each student
athlete on the team is given the best coaching that we can
provide. I consider the
track and
field team to be an extension of the classroom and a good part of the high
school experience. The following are a few of the many things the
student athlete should
receive by being a member of the team: taking responsibility as a
member of the team, commitment to their goals and the team, care and
feelings for their teammates, development of a healthy attitude about
the sport, accepts rules as
presented, and tries to become a leader on the team, in
the classroom and in the school community. We currently have a no cut philosophy for
those who
lack skill or athletic ability. Any student athlete who is willing to
work and is open to growth
and a teaching
environment will be allowed to participate. Individual progress is a
key component in our environment.
Track and Field at Cupertino High School
should be a place for several types of athletes. First, we want our
cross
country runners to continue their progress with the faster and more
intense pace of track. We are looking for
fall and winter athletes who need competitive conditioning for their
sport. Field hockey, football, volleyball, tennis, soccer,
basketball, and
wrestling participants can benefit greatly from participation in track
and field. We are also looking for the person who had participated
little in athletics before but has the desire to do well and the
willingness to work patiently over several years. The concepts we
teach and the training we provide are easily transferable to other
sports.
Track and Field is a sport where a number of different skills are
needed. It is a sport where you can improve greatly over a period
of time. Most of the good distance runners of the world today are over
25 years of age, whereas in swimming, the swimmers of that age are
generally long over the hill. Also, most track and field activities can
continue well into old age.
Track and Field is a sport where everyone gets a chance to participate
in meets. It is also a sport where the small student has as good a
chance for success as does the larger participant. Track and Field is
not an easy sport and perhaps "desire and dedication" plays a greater
role than in any other sport; certainly size isn't critical. We
hope
we can attract more people each year, as that has been
one of our greatest problem --- team depth. My goal for everyone
on the team is to maximize their potential each year through goal
setting, rigorous training, and consistent practice.
We normally practice Monday through Friday at Cupertino, and Saturday
if
there is no meet. We
are forbidden to practice (coach and runners together) on
Sundays. I have imposed a mandatory rest day
on Sundays. I will not normally ask anyone to train on Sundays.
Our basic training regime is varied. One day hard and
the next day easy, as high school runners are too young physically to
train hard too many days in a row. Everyone needs a rest and a change
of pace. Freshmen and sophomores may be taking a PE class in addition
to their track training so they may get overly physically pushed.
It is expected that you will get dressed
and out to practice quickly so that the entire team can practice
together.