2023 SMS Boys Track FAQ List
Is anybody doing pre-season workouts?
(Hmm... this seems like a question Coach Sears made up just to promote the SMS Intramurals activity called "Pre-season Track Workouts" which take place after school every Tuesday until 5 pm from now till the start of the season! Meet in room 230 after school on Tuesdays if interested.)
The answer to that question is YES. We had some dedicated track team members from last year's 7th Grade Championship team who asked if we could arrange something like this.
What days/times are the practices?
Practices start March 20, and they are almost every (non-meet) day of the season after school until 6:00 pm.
And when are the meets?
Meets are mostly on Tuesdays/Thursdays, with the exception of a Monday meet with Pierre Moran and the Big 11 tourney at end of season. Here is the current season schedule.
On Register my Athlete, I noticed there are try-outs involved.
Don't worry about tryouts. Any 7th or 8th Grade SMS boy is eligible for participation on the team as long as they are registered in RegisterMyAthlete.com (now called "Aktivate"). If a student's status is listed as "Ready for tryouts" or "Complete", they may participate starting on March 20. Additional steps are required only if the status is listed as "Not Complete" or not listed at all.
Is there a limited number of students you take per event, or how does it work?
In most regular-season meets, we have a limit of 3-4 boys per running event along with high jump and the throwing events (shot/discus). For long jump, up to 6 boys are allowed. Boys are allowed to challenge for a spot at practice on non-meet days, so we emphasize the idea that "EVERY day is tryouts."
Will I need spikes for track meets?
Unless you are sure you will be focusing on sprint events, we usually recommend waiting until you have been to practice a few times. We often have spikes that athletes can borrow to check out how they feel. Sometimes if it is a good fit they use them for the whole season.
Nobody actually asked this question, but... If I have spikes I no longer use, can I contribute them to the team's supply of loaner spikes?
Of course!
Should I buy new running shoes?
A good pair of running shoes would be one of the best investments you could make. You definitely are not required to buy any shoes, but if you are going to buy one thing for the season we would highly recommend running shoes if you do not already have a decent pair.
