Cupertino High School Track page

1) Keep your GPA up. You are a "STUDENT - Athlete". You are a student first, an athlete second.
o PE Credit for Track and Field are not given just because you are on the team. You must earn it. If you do not do the training logs and meet recaps, you will not get credit. If your attendance is less than stellar, your will not get credit. No grade means no credit toward graduation.

2) Practices are held everyday (Mon-Fri) after school from 4:00PM to 7:00PM or 3:15-6:15PM and Saturdays in February. You are expected to attend ALL practices and meets unless you have worked it out with a coach PRIOR to that day’s workout. Be aware of this commitment before you decide to join the Track team. We will be training on Saturdays if there is no meet. This means every Saturday in February is a training day. The Saturday workouts are required. We train as a team.

o We realize that everyone has conflicts. In order to handle this, we want everyone's conflicts, written down on paper with your name and signed by a parent, by February 18. After that date, they're unexcused absences unless discussed, in advance, with a coach. This applies to conflicts with practices and meets. Use the form for each conflict occurrence or type. Remember that it is up to you to organize your activities in such a way that will enable you to get everything done.

o DO NOT have your friends tell me that you won't be at practice. If it's important enough for you to miss practice, then YOU should tell me yourself. Absences should be reported to me by a parent.

o You must organize yourself so that you can take care of all of your responsibility at school and at home. Do not get sucked into a bottomless pit of activities over which you do not control or know the full requirements. Recognize your limited time availability. Get ahead in class and stay ahead. Get the assignments early. Take tests and quizzes early. Be proactive. Practice time is not the time to work on your school work or group projects.

o Proper sleep and nutrition are the basis for good performances at practices and meets. Get consist sleep of 8 hours. Limit your intake of sugar and fat. Eat breakfast. Have well-balanced meals.

3) Appropriate Behavior:
o No drugs, alcohol or tobacco - the location does not matter.. If caught, you're off the team for the rest of the season - don't take the chance.
o Excessive talking will not allow you to learn and focus on your training.
o No Foul Language or derogatory terms.
o Harassment is not allowed.
o Do not disrupt practice.
o Be courteous when we are training at other schools.

4) Before - During - After Workouts.

o Hydrate!! Drink water predominantly. Save the sports drinks for post workouts and meets.

o Before and after ALL workouts we stretch (5-15 minutes).

o After all distance runs and before most hard intervals and races we stretch. Most of the time we will do STRIDES, SPRINTS, or BUILD-UPS.

o Before all meets we warm-up as group with jogging and stretching, then you may do your event specific preparation. Be sure to include strides and sprints.

5) Wear pants during the warm-up!!! Your shorts can not cover your knees, i.e. no basketball shorts. Remember to dress for the weather.

6) Health Cards, Emergency Forms and Driving Note.

o Complete all basic paperwork - no one competes in dual meets or is in the Team Photo without them.

o Complete all other paperwork (training logs, meet recaps, etc.) to compete in invitational meets.

o Complete and submit Driving forms and/or get your parents to drive.
   The forms can be found on the web site (student forms) or obtained from Coach Armstrong (parent forms).

7) Recruit - Get your friends out to join the team if you think they can stick with it.

8) Do NOT leave the meet site unless you have checked with a coach first. At dual meets, you are required to stay until the meet is over for a short team meeting. At invitationals, you do not have to stay for the whole meet.

9) Hydrate!!

10) Make sure that your training logs and meet recaps contains all of the required elements. Training logs and meet recaps are due by Sunday night. They must be in an electronic format. I will not accept paper. Do not wait until the last minute to do it. You should be adding to it after each practice. A key part of the log is to convey how you felt about the workout. Just regurgitating the workout is not useful to you or me. It needs to be put in the context of how it made you feel. Make sure that you send your training log or recap to the appropriate email addresses.

11) During practices and meets, your focus should be on what we are doing. You are not allowed to hang out with your friends or family.

12) You are not allowed to participate in outside competitions or practices during our season.

13) You must have an email id or have access to one where you can receive email. Check frequently for schedule or practice changes and updates.

14) Always bring a pen or pencil to practice to write with.

15) You are required to show me your report card each grading period.

16) Have fun.