MEET CHEAT SHEET:

WHAT TO BRING: Meets usually start between 8 and 9 am but may be different each track meet.  Please review our specific meet emails each week.  Meets can last several hours and weather can vary greatly so please plan accordingly. If at all possible, consider bringing folding chairs, umbrella, canopy/tent (tarp for under tent), or sport-brella to stay out of the sun. Bringing something to pass the time is also important. Tablets, phones, books are all good options. If you bring a tablet or phone, consider a battery backup or solar charger too for a little extra juice that might be needed on a long day.

FUELING: Food and drink are also important. Bring food items that will settle well on the stomach, crackers, pretzels, watermelon are all good options. Heavier food can be consumed post event if desired.  Please bring plenty of water and Gatorade. Often there are very little external fountains and refilling bottles can be difficult.  Athletes should hydrate with some electrolytes and eat well the day before the race. Please eat a light breakfast 2-3 hours before race or small pre-race snack 60 minutes before. Those competing all day will need to eat something between events to stay fueled. Most meets will offer a concession stand for spectators. 

WHAT TO WEAR/EQUIPMENT: Please wear the team tank and ALL BLACK shorts/spandex to all meets. If your athlete is a member of a relay team the exact uniform is critical as the team can be disqualified for not having the same uniform as the teammates. The sun can zap energy faster than almost anything so we strongly recommend that your athlete wear a light, long sleeve shirt and light pants for much of the day. Please also bring spikes and field event equipment if needed. 

ROLLING SCHEDULE: All track meets run on a rolling schedule, which means other than the events that are scheduled to take place at the beginning of the meet it is difficult to know the exact time when your child’s event will take place. As you gain experience with participation, you’ll begin to understand the pacing of meets. Of course, sometimes meets will have hiccups with equipment, injuries or other unforeseen delays, but generally once started the meet will not be stopped until the completion of the last event. Coaches can try to give you a best guess, but that’s truly all we can do. Meets last several hours so plan accordingly.

DEVELOPMENTAL MEET ORDER: Early season meets are often called developmental meets. In these meets events will typically run from youngest to oldest and alternate girls followed by boys unless otherwise stated. Most events will begin with the 8 and under girls, then 8 and under boys, then 9, 10, etc. Field events can vary depending on the number of pits, rings or runways the meet is utilizing so ask a coach if you’re unsure.

AGE GROUPS: Age groups are based on how old a child will be on December 31st of the current calendar year.  It is very important to understand this and listen for your athlete’s age and event to be announced. Coaches will have a list of athletes by event and age division at the athlete tent, but it is important for you and your child to know what division they are in so you can begin the warm up process with plenty of time to check in for the event in case the coaches are with other athletes during your athletes’ event.

TEAM TENTS: After you arrive at the meet and pay your entry fee (generally around $5.00 cash & athletes are free) look for the white canopy with the WilCo logo and members in our uniforms. We will have two or three team tents which will obviously not accommodate all members at one time. If you happen to have a tent, please bring it early (6:30-7 am). We will try to group them in the same area to accommodate as many members as we can.

ATHLETES WRISTBAND: After entering check with the coaches someone will give your child their athlete’s wristband at the team tent. Athletes are required to get their wristband prior to competing, so it’s very critical you plan to arrive early enough to allow time for this.

ATHLETE PREPAREDNESS: Coaches will make every effort to tell athletes when they need to begin warming up, but often times they may be busy with athletes currently competing. It is very important that parents and athletes are aware of the schedule of events and listen for events when they are called.  Sprinters, distance and field events may have different warm up protocols. Experienced athletes should start warm ups 30-45 min before they race. Team may warm up in groups as directed by the coaches. 

Events are typically called with a First, Second, Third and Final call pattern. For example, the announcer might say, “First call 9 yr. old boys 100m dash” then approximately 10 min. later they would say, “Second call 9 yr. old boys 100m dash” then after another few minutes the announcer will say something like this, “Final call….” or “Third and final call for the 9 yr old boys 100m dash.”  Athletes listen for *1st call and report to the team tent. By 2nd call go to the check-in tent (on the field or by 100m start line).  Sometimes it can be a LONG wait time from 1st call to final call, so on hot days, you do not need to report to the check in until 2nd call. On hot days, take umbrella, Gatorade and spikes if needed with you to check in tent.

OFFICIAL CHECK-IN AREAS: Once the final call is made it is critical that your athlete be at the track check-in area or contact the field event official at their respective event. For running events the check in area is often called the “heating tent or area”, “clerks area” or “clerking area”. If they do not report in for their event at the final call they can be scratched from the event by the official. Running events ALWAYS take precedent over field events, meaning if your child is long jumping and they call for a running event they are entered in, they should tell the official at the field event they’ve been called to the track and then proceed to the heating tent.

EVENT RESULTS: Event results will sometimes be announced over the PA and typically posted on a wall somewhere in the stadium near the awards tent area. There will also typically be on a Meet Live Results Link that we will provide before each meet.  Most meets require that a coach pick up awards, so please don’t send your child to get them. If you need to leave the meet prior to collecting your award, please let a coach know.

ATHLETES END OF MEET: When your athlete is finished competing for the day you are free to leave the meet unless you would like to stay and cheer on other WilCo Track Members. If you need to leave the meet before your athlete completes their registered events please notify a coach so that we are not trying to hunt down your son or daughter to get them to their event.  The meet generally finishes around 2-3 pm depending on the number of athletes entered.