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FAQ's about the Summer Program

BLUE / GREEN                ELEMENTARY PROGRAM               CYCLONES                       PARENTS

The Needham Track Club summer program meets twice per week at Wellesley High School (summer 2008) from mid June through July.   Meets start at 6:30pm and generally run to 8pm.   The club is divided into three groups-   the elementary program, which involves children age 6 to 11 is the largest.    Older participants (ages 11 to 14) belong to our Cyclone group, and our youngest members (ages 4 & 5) partake in the Blue & Green groups.

ELEMENTARY PROGRAM

Our largest body of athletes.    They are divided among 6 teams identified by their t-shirt color.  During a meet, children convene by age group and gender for competition.   Each age group may have from 20 to 35 children on a given evening, and will consist of representatives from the 6 teams.   The young athletes compete in events trying to win points for their team.   Every child is awarded a ribbon for every event he/she partakes in.  Competition and awarding is done in heats of no more than six competitors.    Scores are tabulated by team, and the teams are awarded meet ribbons at the conclusion of the evening.

The events include dashes  (50m, 100m, 200m, hurdles), jumps (high, standing broad, triple, long ) and throwing (shot put, softball throw), as well as an occasional "special" event.     On a typical evening, an age group will compete in three or four different events.    Kids will thus take home up to 5 ribbons from each meet !  

Every meet concludes with popsicles.

CYCLONE PROGRAM

For children nearing or in Middle School age span, this program involves more technical training.   Inter-club meets are scheduled with other youth track clubs.   Full uniforms are available to these athletes.   The program is flexible, and can readily be directed at the interests of those participating.

BLUE / GREEN

Lots of fun for kids aged 4 and 5.    This is a minimally competitive introduction to track and field basics, often disguised in games.   Lots of ribbons are given out making it a special activity for developing young athletes. This program runs from 6:30-7:30 PM.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

The Needham Track Club is a family participation organization.  Parents most frequently take on the role of traveling coach, which means they organize an age group and take it to each event on the evening's schedule.  At the event, parents organize the heats, hand out ribbons and record the results.   Parents need little knowledge of track and field to be a traveling coach, they just need to enjoy being with enthusiastic kids.   So don't just spectate... PARTICIPATE !!!

The State Hershey meet is part of a national youth program sponsored by the Hershey Corporation and typically administrated by community parks and recreation offices.    Athletes age 9 through 14 compete in this meet.   Athletes first compete in local meets for the right to represent their town in a state meet.   Winners at the state meets then submit their results for comparison with other regional states to determine which athletes can compete in the National meet in Hershey, PA.

The Northeast Indoor Classic is an indoor track meet sponsored, hosted and officiated by the Needham Track Club.  The first such meet took place in 1999 at Boston College High School.  The second meet saw the venue moved to the indoor track at MIT.  This event, held in mid winter, will be accessible to youth from age 5 to 16.

The Needham Youth Classic is an open 2 day meet held at the end of the NTC summer season.  This meet attracts athletes from all over the eastern US.    Ages 2 through 16 compete in this event.  The event gives out more awards than any other meet anywhere in the world !!!  In addition, the competition is segmented by one year age groups ( very rare for youth track meets!).

Frequently Asked Questions about the Summer Track Program

1. Can I be a parent volunteer even if we will miss a week or two of the program?

 YES!! But you must commit to being an active volunteer for at least 6 sessions.

2. Can I volunteer even if I don't want to participate in the on-field activities?

YES!! There are several important jobs for volunteers:

• Information table - Take registrations, hand out T-shirts, pass out daily agendas
• First Aid - Assist with minor medical issues that arise
• Refreshments - Organize the counting, pick-up and distribution of nightly popsicles
• Scoring - Tabulate team scores and determine nightly team standings
• At-home work – Office type work (putting on labels, stamps; sorting, etc.)

3. What is the Cyclone program and just who is eligible?

The Cyclone team is our Middle School track program. They meet on the same nights, same hours, and same location as our other programs. The program is open to boys and girls who have completed the 5^th – 8^th grades. The focus of the Cyclone program is more on training and individualized instruction, although there will typically be one “ribbon” event per evening. Many 5^th – 6^th graders and some less competitive older children elect to participate in the regular program where the focus is on fun with limited instruction. Children can switch between programs after the Summer season starts.

4. What days of the week is the Summer Program scheduled for?

Usually, Monday and Wednesday if possible. The program runs from mid-June through the end of July. We will publish the schedule on-line.

5. Why is my child in the age group you assigned to them?

Our experience in running this program for 25 years has shown us that children’s activities work best in groups that are divided by age – not by grade in school or other factors. If you would like your child in either a younger or older age group than they would normally fall, please write a note on your application. (Example: if you’d like your 5-year-old in the regular program rather than the pre-school program.) We can also make changes after the Summer program starts.

6. Given the construction of the new track at Needham, where will the Summer Program be held in 2008?

We are making arrangements with the Town of Wellesley to hold the 2008 program at Wellesely High School.