practice starts
- Practices will start March 2017.
- All athletes must have a physical on file and have Osakis and MSHSL paperwork completed, unless you’ve competed in another sport this year. Appropriate athletic fees must be paid by the first day of practice.
COACHES
- Coach Lee VanNyhuis (Head Boys & Girls Varsity, Hurdles, Sprints, Relays, Horizontal Jumps)
- Coach Justin Dahlheimer (Assistant Head Coach, Distance, High Jump, Pole Vault)
- Coach Chris Stroup (Varsity Assistant Coach, Shot Put, Discus, Relays)
- Coach Julie Backes (Junior High Coach, Sprints, Relays)
CAPTAINS
- Girls- Kayla Sorenson, Jessica Bliese, Kari Didier
- Boys- Gage Larson, Ethan Eckel
EXPECTATIONS OF ATHLETES
- Attend all practices and meets.
- Be on time to practice. Practice will normally go from 3:20-5:30.
- Maintain communication with coaches. If you are going to be gone, let the coaches know. Coach V’s # 320-815-2299 (Put it in your phone!). Leave your name if you send a text.
- If you have an injury, let the coaches know. We don’t like to find out about an injury after you have seen a trainer or doctor.
- Maintain classroom grades. Academics come before athletics. Students/Athletes that are on the school’s failing list will not travel with the team to meets.
- Represent the team in all you do. Be responsible for your actions.
- Follow all MSHSL, school, and team rules.
- Be positive with yourself and others at practices and meets.
- Work hard in practice to improve yourself.
- Set challenging yet realistic team and personal goals.
- Pay attention to detail, Strive for perfection.
- Be willing to sacrifice personally for the betterment of the team.
- Take pride in our team, the sport of Track & Field, and our school. Be fully committed to your team, your teammates, and your coaches.
- Be wise when using social media including Twitter and Facebook. Don’t use it as a way to vent your frustrations with your coaches, teammates, etc.
- Treat your teammates fairly. There is zero tolerance on the team for bullying or hazing. Jealousy, gossip, and backstabbing can do more to ruin a team than anything else.
- Only concern yourself with things you can control. Some things are simply out of your control such as the weather, injuries, and the performance of your competition.
- Be willing to take risks, and get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you won’t reach your full potential until you try something new, or do something in a new way.
- Have patience with the process of improvement. Improvement is not always steady; sometimes it’s a roller coaster.
- Judge yourself not by the result of your performance, but by the effort of your performance, and the effort of preparing for performance. If you give great effort, you are successful.
EXPECTATIONS OF COACHES
- Focus on the process of development, improvement and effort, rather than outcome.
- Provide safe conditions for practice and competition.
- Be knowledgeable in content areas and provide feedback to athletes to aid their improvement.
- Attend coaching clinics as well as partake in other professional development opportunities to improve your craft.
- Be knowledgeable of the rules of the sport and teach those rules to the athletes.
- Be prepared for practice and competition.
- Be positive role models for the athletes.
- Foster the “Team First” philosophy, while helping individuals reach their goals.
- Listen to the concerns of athletes.
- Each athlete is important to our team, has a role, and should be coached to reach their potential no matter what their skill level is.
- Prepare the athletes “Mind, Body, and Spirit” for competition.
- Don’t get caught up in wins, losses, or statistics. Remember that the athletes are in sports to have fun.
- Be positive, fair, and honest in all situations.
- Have high expectations of yourself, the team, and individual athletes.
PARENTS
- Help encourage your son or daughter to get enough rest and eat well at home.
- Be positive with your son or daughter, focusing on their effort, not the outcome of their performances.
- Keep space between yourself and your son or daughter during competition, allowing them to be resilient when things don’t work out. Most meets only allow athletes and coaches in the competitive area.
- Encourage your son or daughter to advocate for themselves, allowing them to deal with issues that arise.
- If you have a question or a concern that your son or daughter cannot address, feel free to contact us. If your concern does not need to addressed immediately, please wait until the next day to discuss it, allowing everyone to reflect upon the issue. Coaches will discuss most topics with parents, with the exception of discussing other athletes, as well as the events that coaches decide to place athletes in at meets.
- Allow your son or daughter to hear “one voice” from the coaching staff. Different messages from different sources can confuse young athletes, making it more difficult to reach team and individual goal.
- If interested, the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) offers a free online course “The Role of Parents in Sports”. The course if available atwww.nfhslearn under the courses tab.
LETTERING
- No unexcused practices or meets.
- No MSHSL violations.
- No missed meets due to academic ineligibility.
- Finish the season in good standing.
- All seniors that have been out at least two years will letter.
- Score at least 8 points or more throughout the season
- 1 point for each top 6 place you earn at a meet, individually or as a relay
- 2 points for each top 6 place you earn at a conference, sub-section, section, or state meet.
SAFETY
- When running on public roads, always run on the left side, so you can see oncoming traffic. Yield to oncoming and cross traffic. No more than two runners should be running side-by-side. Never wear headphones or earbuds when running on public roads.
- Always run with a partner.
- The shot put and discus are potentially very dangerous. Throwers should always check and double check the surrounding area before attempting a throw, making sure it is clear inside and outside the throwing sector. Athletes retrieving implements should always keep an eye on the throwing circle in the case of an athlete throwing when they shouldn’t.
- Never work out on the track or in the weight room without someone around.
EQUIPMENT
- High quality training shoes are very important to prevent injury (especially for distance runners). Shoes have a “life-span”, and lose their effectiveness as they get old. Often, lower leg injuries can be prevented by having training shoes that match the feet of the athlete (low arches, pronation, etc). Many shoe stores can help fit runners with the shoes that will work the best for them. Most shoes last for approximately 300 miles.
- Compression shorts, pants, and shirts under uniforms must be of solid color and match that of relay members, if other members are wearing visible undergarments. Not all relay members must wear the same length undergarments though (ie. One member may wear tights under uniform, while the other three wear no tights) As a result of this rule, we recommend black visible undergarments for all athletes.
- No jewelry can be worn. The only exception is a rubber medical bracelet.
- During competition, including the field events, competitors must wear school issued uniforms, and in relays those uniforms must match.
- Please wash uniforms after meets on delicate, in cold water, and air dry only.
- Unadorned hair clips less than two inches long can now be worn (bobby pins). Hair bands with more than one manufacturer logo may not be worn. Other head bands, rubber bands, scrunchies, pre-wrap may be worn to control hair.
TEAM
- Everything that is done up to and through the conference meet will be done with the TEAM as the main focus.
- Athletes may be asked to make individual sacrifices for the betterment of the team.
- Some workouts and games will focus on building team unity.
- Each athlete is equally important to the team no matter what your skill level is.
- Leadership can be both positive and negative. Be a positive leader for the team.
INDIVIDUAL
- After the conference meet, the focus will switch to what is best for each individual or individual relay team.
- We will concentrate on what can be done to improve each individual, or individual relay’s chances of having the most success as possible in the sub-section, section, and state meets.
PARITICIPATION
- All athletes that are eligible will have opportunities to compete at meets.
- Some athletes may not participate at meets where we are trying to maximize team points, or at meets with limited entries. Participation and event participation will be carefully planned to give our team the best chance of winning.
- You are not guaranteed to participate in events of your choice. The coaching staff will take into consideration your strengths, your preferences, and the teams’ needs.
- Athletes in 7th and 8th grade may participate in Varsity meets or both Jr. High and varsity meets depending on the needs of the varsity team, the readiness of the particular athlete, and the events the athlete competes in.
- Some meets allow 9th graders to compete with the Jr. High. Some 9th graders
PERIODIZATION
- Track & Field is unique in that success is not based on season wins and losses. The only truly important meets are the ones after the first week of May.
- As coaches, we focus at the end of the year and plan everything backwards from there.
- Early season meets are viewed as high intensity practice sessions.
- Phase 1 – “Train to Train Phase” (Beginning of practice through early April)
- Practices will be designed to improve general endurance, speed, conditioning, and strength.
- Practice will not always be event specific, as this will be the foundation used for success later in the season.
- Intensity and volume of work will build through this phase.
- Athlete may participate in different events in meets for training purposes.
- Athletes will not taper before meets.
- Phase 2 – “Sharpening Phase” (Mid-April through Early May)
- Practices will be designed to be more event specific.
- Intensity and volume will remain high.
- Focus on improving event specific skill, conditioning, and strength.
- Athletes will not taper before meets.
- Intensity of workouts will remain high, volume will be decreased.
- Plyometrics and strength training volume will decrease helping athletes feel more “fresh”.
- Focus will switch to “Training for Best Performance”.
- Coaches will taper athletes according to their most important meet of the season.
- Phase 3 – “Championship Phase” (Mid-May through Early June)
STRENGTH
- Studies show that improving core strength is very important for athletes in any sport.
- You can think of your core as being from your knees to your chest.
- Most strength training we do will focus on the body’s core, using multi-joint, closed chained exercises.
- Individual strength training will be based on the athlete’s specialty, age, and ability.
- Weights, plyometrics, and whole body training will be used to improve strength.
- All athletes are expected to complete all strength training workouts.
- Most of our strength training should take less than 45 minutes.
FLEXIBILITY
- Flexibility is important for all areas of track & field, but you do not need to be a contortionist to be a good athlete.
- At the beginning of practice the focus will be on dynamic exercises to warm-up and prevent injury.
- Static stretching will be done after practice individually, in a small group, or as a team to improve flexibility in individual joints.
WARM-UP
- A dynamic warm-up will be done before all practices and meets. It will involve active, purposeful exercises that need to be done if specific ways.
- Start easy and progress to more rigorous exercises.
- The warm-up is essential to properly prepare yourself for peak performance and injury prevention.
- Parts of the warm-up may be specific to one’s specific event.
- Do the full warm-up. Many injuries are a result of improper warm-up.
- Warming up is especially important at meets. You should be “Red-Hot Warm” before competition.
POST WORKOUT/COMPETITION
- After workouts and meets, athletes will actively cool down and stretch. This is the time to increase flexibility. Cool-downs also aid in recovery and prevent muscle soreness.
- Eat a healthy snack or meal within an hour of workouts/meets. Chocolate milk has been shown to have almost a perfect blend of carbohydrates and protein to aid in recovery and muscle building.
REST & RECOVERY
- Continuous, high intensity training, is not when you become faster and stronger. It is the intervals of “rest and recovery” in between, where the body compensates for the stresses put on it during training. (Specific Adaptations to Applied Demands)
- Rest doesn’t mean you are sitting around. Rest can often be active, where you are stressing your body in a different way than the day before.
- If you have and injury, or are feeling run down, it is important to communicate that to the coaches to decrease your workload, or increase your recovery time. Also, athletes that are involved in other activities during the Track & Field season need to remember to get enough rest and recovery time. Especially if you are dealing with an injury.
- All injuries, no matter how small, should be communicated with the coaches before you see the athletic trainer.
- Athletes should get 8-9 hours of sleep per night.
- Regular sleep patterns help you recover from training and competition.
- Going to sleep at a similar time each night, including the weekends, is often overlooked as an important training tool.
VARSITY QUALIFYING STANDARDS FOR 7TH AND 8TH GRADE ATHLETES
EVENT100m dash
200m dash 400m dash 800m run 1600m run 3200m run 110m hurdles 300m hurdles Shot Put Discus Long Jump Triple Jump High Jump Pole Vault |
GIRLS' QUALIFYING STANDARDS14.1
30.1 73.0 2:59.0 6:59.0 14:55.0 21.6 61.5 23-5 66-6 13-6 27-0 4-0 5-6 |
BOYS' QUALIFYING STANDARDS12.9
25.9 64.0 2:32.0 6:20.0 13:30.0 22.0 53.5 32-0 78-0 16-0 31-6 4-10 7-0 |
- These marks have to be met in a meet, or be measured/timed by a coach at practice.
- 8th grade athletes that competed as a varsity athlete in the previous seasons’ conference, true team section, or sub-section meets as a 7th grader would automatically earn a spot on the varsity team.
- The coaching staff, at their discretion, may move individual 7th and 8th graders up to the varsity depending on the needs of the varsity team.
- Meeting a varsity qualifying mark does not guarantee a spot at a varsity meet when there are limited entries at varsity meets. This is the same for varsity athletes in grades 9-12.
event specific philosophy
distance
- During the early part of the season our main focus will be upon building an endurance (cardio-vascular) base.
- Later in the season, more emphasis will be placed on your individual race, and developing speed endurance.
- Interval training will be used to increase your body’s lactic acid tolerance.
- Mental toughness will be important for success in this area.
- We will be using digital wristwatches for practices that will be used to take your own splits.
sprints
- An athlete’s speed is determined by two variables which are stride frequency and stride length. Stride frequency is mostly genetically predisposed. Stride length can be increased by improving strength and improving running form.
- The more force an athlete can apply to the ground, the faster they will run.
- Explosiveness needs to be improved through plyometrics, and weight training.
- Learning correct sprinting mechanics will be a major focus.
- Focus will be put on good posture, arms swinging at the shoulder parallel to one another, knee drive, toe dorsiflexion, and cycling.
- Sprint endurance (lactic acid tolerance) will be improved through specific training.
- Proper starting technique is very important and will be focused on.
hurdles
- Hurdling can be thought of as sprinting over barriers, not jumping.
- The most important thing to becoming a good hurdler is sprinting in between the hurdles and maintaining speed over the hurdle. Because of this, hurdlers will do much of their training with the sprinters.
- Drills will be done to improve hurdling efficiency, such as, improving lead leg, trail leg, and to preventing over-rotation of the trunk.
- Hurdlers need to be strong, flexible, have good endurance, and have no fear.
relays
- Relay spots do not belong to certain individuals.
- Relay spots, and which leg athletes will be running, will dependant on several factors including (other needs the team has, which meet it is, chemistry and communication of athletes, experience, and the individual’s speed)
- 4x100, baton will go right, left, right, left.
- Runners receiving baton will keep hand flat, high, and steady when command is given.
- Incoming runner will run through the hand-off and find the hand.
- Important to maintain baton speed
- Acceleration zone will be used to increase speed before exchange zone.
- Outgoing runner will leave when incoming runner hits his/her mark. No verbal command will be given.
- A verbal command will be used to signal the baton exchange.
- 4x200 is similar except the # of steps for acceleration will be decreased.
- Special attention will be made not to outrun the incoming runner as the incoming runner will be fatigued.
- Runners may peak over their shoulder to see incoming runner.
- Incoming runner will hold the baton straight up and run through the handoff.
- Outgoing runner will face the inside of the track, judge the speed of the incoming runner, take three hard steps, turn, then grab the baton with their left hand.
- Running the first and last 50m fast is extremely important in having consistent handoffs.
- 4x400 and 4x800 relays will use a candlestick hand-off.
throwers
- Significant time will be spent improving strength and explosiveness in the weightroom and with plyometrics. Especially early in the season.
- The most important thing that will lead to improvements will be learning proper technique of the event.
- Athletes will learn to use their core strength in throwing.
- Proper footwork is important.
- Using the hips properly and stopping body rotation by blocking is key.
long & triple jumpers
- The most important thing will be improving sprinting technique and speed.
- We will use a 6-8 step approach (ie- 6-10 left foot strikes), a good approach is 75% of a jump.
- In the long jump the penultimate step (2nd to last) is shortened to prepare for takeoff. Somewhat like a lay-up in basketball.
- Maintaining speed during takeoff is important for a good jump.
- Triple jumpers need to run off of the board instead of jumping off the board.
- In the triple jump, all three phases of the jump should be close to the same distance.
high jump
- Emphasis will be put on strength training and plyometrics early in the season.
- Early season emphasis will be put on the approach (J-pattern).
- The approach and takeoff are the most important part of the jump.
- Technique on clearing the bar will be taught after the approach and takeoff are learned
sports nutrition
During high intensity sports such as Track & Field, athletes require fuel to supply their body with the energy required to be successful. Athletes often have diets that are not optimal for peak performance. This is a general guideline that athletes and parents can follow to stay healthy, prevent injury, and help attain the best performances possible. When athletes are training it is essential to fuel the body. Eating a good breakfast and lunch with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins is especially important.
recommended foods
- Complex Carbohydrates (Whole Grain Foods are Preferred)
- Cereal
- Oatmeal
- Granola
- Bread/Toast
- Rice or Pasta
- Beans
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Low-Fat Milk
- Protein
- Fish
- Skinless chicken
- Lean Red Meat
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Legumes (peas, beans)
- Fish
- Plant oils
- Nuts
- Unsaturated Fats (Most diets supply adequate amounts of fats)
recommended snacks
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Dry Cereal
- Granola Bar
- Power Bar
- Sports Drink
- Bananas
- Peanut butter- banana sandwich
- Apples
- Oranges
foods to avoid or limit
- Carbonated soft drinks
- Energy drinks
- Highly processed foods
- Foods high in saturated fat or trans fats
- Junk Food
- Greasy / Fried food
supplements
- A healthy diet should supply your body with the important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to be successful.
- If you feel your diet is not supplying proper vitamins, minerals, or nutrients, contact a physician or nutritionist for advice on which supplements may be needed.
- There is no magic pill that will replace hard work, rest and a good diet.
approaching competition
carbo-loading (endurance athletes trying to peak)
Carbohydrate loading aims to prevent the onset of fatigue during endurance events. If completed properly, carbo-loading can increase the normal amount of stored carbohydrate found in a trained person.
This can be achieved by altering your training load and diet over a seven-day period before the race. Moderate training and normal diet should be followed for the first four days. For the remaining three days, low to moderate intensity exercise and a high carbohydrate diet should be followed.
Carbo-loading also means reducing training load and resting the muscles to allow them to become completely loaded with glycogen. Since you want to start the race with as much glycogen as possible, resting (low to moderate intensity exercise) is as important as eating in the process of super-compensation.
This can be achieved by altering your training load and diet over a seven-day period before the race. Moderate training and normal diet should be followed for the first four days. For the remaining three days, low to moderate intensity exercise and a high carbohydrate diet should be followed.
Carbo-loading also means reducing training load and resting the muscles to allow them to become completely loaded with glycogen. Since you want to start the race with as much glycogen as possible, resting (low to moderate intensity exercise) is as important as eating in the process of super-compensation.
day of competition
what to eat
A pre-event meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates, and easy to digest. These include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks. Carbohydrates also help increase stored energy (glycogen) in the muscles. Depleted glycogen stores can result is "hitting the wall."
planning
Planning is essential if you are competing in an all-day event, such as track meets. Consider the time of your event, the amount of your meal and the energy required. Also, be aware of the amount of fluid you consume. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before and know will sit well with you. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.
suggested pre-competition foods
1 hour or less before competition
- fruit or vegetable juice such as orange, tomato, or V-8, and/or
- fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
- Energy gels
- up to 1 and a half cups of a sports drink, such as Gatorade.
2 to 3 hours before competition
- fresh fruit
- fruit or vegetable juices
- bread, bagels
- low-fat yogurt
- sports drink
- to 4 hours before competition
- fresh fruit, fruit or vegetable juices
- bread, bagels
- pasta with tomato sauce
- energy bar
- cereal with low-fat milk
- Sports drink
- low-fat yogurt;
- toast/bread with limited peanut butter, lean meat, or low-fat cheese
post exercise/competition
Research has shown that carbohydrate intake within an hour of exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for continued training. Waiting longer than that to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle. The reason for this is that carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, which aids the production of muscle glycogen.
More recent research has shown that combining protein with carbohydrate in the first hour after training, nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein. Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows re-hydration and glycogen replenishment.
Chocolate milk happens to have that 4:1 ratio, so it is a cheap, accessible recovery drink.
More recent research has shown that combining protein with carbohydrate in the first hour after training, nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein. Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows re-hydration and glycogen replenishment.
Chocolate milk happens to have that 4:1 ratio, so it is a cheap, accessible recovery drink.
nutritional problems
Athletes need fuel for their bodies. Dieting or restricting calories is not good when paired with intense workouts. Even though a person may seem to be eating enough food, they may not be properly replacing the lost calories from exercise. A healthy body is not a skinny body. Athletes need muscle to perform. I promise that you will perform better if you eat properly to give your body what it needs.
Irregularities in a female’s menstrual cycle may be a sign of potential nutritional problems. A female’s body that is lacking proper nutrition will go into survival mode, often stopping one’s menstrual cycle. In this survival mode bone density decreases, resulting in early onset osteoporosis.
It is important to inform coaches, parents, and physicians when there is a concern about potential nutritional problems.
Irregularities in a female’s menstrual cycle may be a sign of potential nutritional problems. A female’s body that is lacking proper nutrition will go into survival mode, often stopping one’s menstrual cycle. In this survival mode bone density decreases, resulting in early onset osteoporosis.
It is important to inform coaches, parents, and physicians when there is a concern about potential nutritional problems.