Some of the most asked questions from parents:
What kind of shoes will my son/daughter need? Most athletes will need two different pairs of shoes. One pair should be training shoes (trainers). There are many styles and prices to choose from. The most expensive is not always the best for their needs. Generally, you want a well-cushioned, stable shoe for training. If your child has foot problems (like pronation) you may need a special shoe that provides added stability. The second pair of shoes that they will need is spikes or event specific shoes. Spikes provide added traction for racing or jumping. These shoes should be lighter and should have ¼ inch spikes in the footplate area. There are different spikes for sprinters, distance runners and jumpers. If you are not sure which events your son/daughter will try, there are some good general purpose spikes that will serve them well. Again, you don’t have to buy the most expensive model.
Where and when do we practice? On our website is a calendar containing all practice and meet dates. We use the locker rooms in the District Support Facility (adjacent to the track). Athletes should bring a lock for their locker. Valuable items should not be left in the locker area unsecured. Practices are generally every day after school from 3:30pm – 5:30pm. Some specialty practice may go until 6pm. Athletes need to plan to be there for the entire practice. Leaving early should only be done in an emergency situation. An early dismissal from practice must be prearranged with the coach.
Are there any cuts in track and field? Yes, cuts will be done in the first few days of the season. We try to give many athletes an opportunity by keeping a fairly large team. This means that not all athletes will be able to compete in all meets. We try to compete all athletes in our home meets but we are limited in our away meets and we are limited in specific events. For the away dual meets, we generally take 4-5 athletes to compete in each event. Some schools will allow only three competitors for those events which run in lanes. The Saturday invitationals will usually be limited to our top two competitors in each event. There also may be qualifying standards that must be met. We will announce the lineups as soon as they are known.
How can I support my son/daughter? The best way to support them is to be there to encourage them and cheer them on. Even if they are not winning the races, celebrate them lowering their personal records (PR’s). We have a very competitive program at CV. Not everyone will be a star, but everyone can benefit from the discipline and effort it takes to compete. You can also become an active member of the CV Track Boosters Club. This organization supports our program in many ways. You will probably be contacted to help at the Bruce Dallas Invitational or possibly our dual meets. Your help in these meets will be greatly appreciated!
In which event will my son or daughter compete? We will certainly ask each athlete which events they would like to compete in. We will also do some testing and time trials to determine which events they might be best suited for.
How do you determine who will compete? Track and field is one of the few sports where there is not much subjectivity involved. The athletes with the fastest times, longest throws or highest jumps will compete. We use meet performances and time trials to determine our lineups. We will also limit the number of athletes who are permitted to practice certain events. Most field events will have 8-10 athletes from each gender training there. They will be determined by the individual event coaches.
How do I get to away meets? Directions to away schools are listed on our school website. We appreciate your support at these meets.
Should my son or daughter do other sports? Yes, during the fall and/or winter season we encourage our athletes to participate in other sports. We have athletes from almost every sport that participate in track and field during the spring.
Can my child do other activities in the spring? We want our athletes to have track and field as their first extracurricular commitment in the spring. Please do not come to us and tell us that work schedules and other activities conflict with our meets and practices. In these cases, a choice must be made.
What are the best foods to eat? Nutrition can be a major problem for high school athletes. As a general rule, an athlete’s calories should come from 60% carbohydrates, 20% protein and 20% fat. Dairy products should be avoided at least 4 hours before practice and competition. Please keep in mind that it usually takes the following amounts of time for foods to digest: fat – 3 hours, protein – 2 hours, carbohydrates – 1 hour. It is generally accepted that a few small meals is better than one large meal. If an athlete eats a large meal one or two hours before practice, they can expect stomach problems. You can help your child by providing balanced meals and insisting that fast food meals are few and far between. It is also important that athletes hydrate throughout the day. You can not wait until right before practice or meets to take in water. Drinking water regularly is a good habit for our athletes to get into.
How much sleep is needed at night? Seven or eight hours of sleep a night is a good rule to use. Some athletes may require more. I know that amount of sleep is not always possible but lack of sleep will affect performance.
Where can I get the results from other track and field athletes across the state?
There is a website www.penntrackxc.com that has most of the larger meets in this state listed on it. It has pictures posted on it from many of the larger meets. It also has links to many different helpful sites.
Can my child get a college scholarship for track and field? There are college scholarships offered for track and field. They are difficult to obtain. An athlete who may look very good at the local level may not fair so well when compared to others across the state or the nation. We have placed over 50 athletes in NCAA Division I track programs. About half of them got partial or full grants for track. For others, track opened up doors for them at the college of their choice. I am very aware of what it takes to make it at that level. We have tried to increase the exposure that our athletes get by taking them to high level meets if they qualify. We have athletes in national caliber meets almost every year. I will be very honest when I assess your child’s talent. Times and distances are very easy to compare. Many athletes will be better suited for a Division II or Division III programs. There are many excellent programs out there at those levels. Make the academic program the most important part of the college decision. Would your child be happy there if they were no longer involved in track and field?
Is it worth it to go to a summer track and field camp? The answer to that depends on your child’s commitment to the sport and the camp that you are considering. I will be happy to give my opinion in both of those areas.
What is the best way to contact Coach Hockenbery? Email is the best way to reach me. You can send an email to [email protected]