The right to participate in sports.
The right to participate at a level commensurate with each child's maturity
and ability.
The right to have qualified adult leadership.
The right to play as a child and not as an adult.
The right to share in the leadership and decision-making of the sport.
The right to participate in a safe and healthy environment.
The right to proper preparation.
The right to an equal opportunity to strive for success.
The right to be treated with dignity.
The right to have fun in sports.
Welcome to the Camarillo Cosmos Youth Track & Field Team!
This handbook is intended to provide you with information to help you and your
athlete have a rewarding and enjoyable experience with the sport of track and
field. If you require any additional information, please contact your coach
or one of the board members.
Team Affiliation.
The Camarillo Cosmos Youth Track & Field Team is a registered team of the
non-profit Ventura County Youth Track Conference. The other teams in the conference
are:
|
Thousand Oaks Flyers |
Oxnard Stars |
|
Newbury Park Panthers |
Santa Paula Blazers |
|
Ojai Roadrunners |
Moorpark Striders |
|
Ventura Tigers |
Santa Barbara |
Practice.
Practice begins on the last Monday in February. Practices are held from 5:00
to 6:00 or 6:30 PM at Adolfo Camarillo High School track Monday through Thursday,
although some coaches may alter this schedule. Gremlins practice Monday and
Wednesday. Bantams practice Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Midgets and Youth
& Intermediates practice Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Make sure your athlete's
coach is on the field before leaving him or her at practice. Please pick up
your athlete promptly at the end of practice.
Fees.
Your registration fee is used to pay for such items as insurance, equipment,
facility usage fees, awards, supplies, and the uniforms, which the athletes
keep. Refunds are not available after the first meet.
Track Etiquette.
Only coaches, athletes and officials who are currently participating in the
events may occupy the field during the meets.
Clothing.
The Camarillo Cosmos uniform (jersey and shorts) must be worn to all meets,
but not to practice (except picture day). Shorts, T-shirts or tank top, and
running shoes should be worn to practice. A sweat suit or long pants and jacket
are also required at all practices and meets, to prevent cooling down too quickly
after a workout or race.
Running Shoes.
Each athlete must provide his or her own running shoes. The shoe you select
should be specially designed as a running shoe (i.e. not court, aerobic, multiputpose
or basketball shoes). The cost of shoes can vary greatly. Some of the local
merchants offer discounts on shoes and other running gear for Camarillo members
(Gary Tuttle's "Inside Track" on Main Street in Ventura). If you are new to
the program, you may wish to consult with your coach before selecting a shoe.
Track Shoes (Spikes).
Spikes may improve speed and running form, but are not required. Gremlins and
Bantams are not permitted to wear spikes. Once your athlete's events have been
determined, discuss with your coach which kind of spikes are best. Certain events
and facilities have restrictions on the size and type of spike allowed. Used
spikes may be available through the team from athletes who have outgrown them.
Spikes will not be permitted during the first two weeks of practice. When spikes
are allowed at practice, they should be treated with extra care. Spikes shall
be worn only for the portion of practice which requires them, then removed.
A non-spike shoe must be worn to and from practice.
Identify Your Equipment.
Please label every item with your athlete's name and telephone number. Spikes
should be labeled on the outside heel cup, since many others will have the same
type of shoe.
General.
All meets begin promptly at 8:30 AM. Athletes should arrive by 8:00 AM to report
to their coaches and receive event stickers. Most meets will last until mid-afternoon.
Please come prepared with sweats or warm-up for your athlete to wear between
events, water or juice, and a light lunch. You may also wish to provide change
for phone calls.
Age Group Classifications.
The Cosmos are organized into age group teams determined by birth year, and
further divided into Boys (B) and Girls (G) teams, as follows, from youngest
to oldest: Gremlin (GB,GG), Bantam (BB, BG), Midget (MB, MG), Junior (JB, JG).
What we used to call Juniors has been changed with the allowance for 9th graders.
Older 8th graders and all 9th graders are "Intermediate" (IB, IG)
, the younger "Junior" group is called "Youth" (YB, YG)
Competition.
Each age group competes against the same age groups from opposing teams. To
ensure fair competition, each age group is divided into both Junior Varsity
and Varsity category. At the end of the regular season there are separate finals
meets for Junior Varsity and Varsity athletes. Varsity "standards" are established
for each event in each age group and gender. An athlete may compete in the Varsity
category, with the coach's approval, without having achieved the standard in
that event, but must compete in the Varsity category if the standard for that
event has been achieved. The final meet of the season is an individual events
championship to determine the male and female county champions in each event
for each age/gender group.
Nutrition.
The night before a meet, the athlete should eat a low fat, high carbohydrate
meal, such as pasta, salad and fruit. The day of the meet, carbonated drinks,
candy, milk products, and heavy, greasy food should be avoided, as they are
hard to digest. Fruit juice, water, diluted sports drinks, and light foods are
recommended for consumption during the meet.
There will be about 200 young athletes at practice sessions and up to 500 at meets. In order to ensure the safety of all, a few rules must be enforced:
Post Season Event:
The Team will have a post season awards barbecue. Information about that event
is pending