Dear Track Athlete,

Welcome to our TRACK & FIELD program and congratulations on your decision to join the WHS team!  I personally am looking forward to (as are the other coaches on our team) working with you and in helping you develop your skills and abilities in our sport!

TRACK has been very successful at WHS over the years (151-44 lifetime record for the boys and 168-27 for the girls).  Track not only provides great opportunities to its athletes to develop into elite performers in league, CIF and State competitions, but also experience high school sports, become physically fit, meet and make new friends, and learn the skills to become successful in any aspect of our lives.  Our athletes in the past have valued the fun, excitement, and lessons learned during their time in TRACK & FIELD and have used the discipline and self-confidence gained in our sport to also succeed elsewhere. 
   
This will be our first week of the season.  We want to welcome all of you that have joined us for the season and ask that each one of you will do the following:
  
1)  Enjoy the experience of being on a high school athletic team.
  
2)  Take advantage of the opportunities available in track & field to improve as an athlete, make new friends, have fun, achieve some athletic success, and mature as an individual.
  
3)  Complete your clearance card and all the other requirements expected of our track athletes (read below).
  
4)  Start your 2 laps of warm up at 2:25pm each day even if the coaches are not on the field yet.  

5)  Go to the weight room at the end of our practices Wednesday and Friday of each week.

  
We expect the following from all of our athletes:
  
1)  Be positive, cooperative, pleasant, and enthusiastic at all times.
  
2)  Come to all of the practices (this includes the Spring Break Practices) and give your best effort at these practices.  Everyone practices each day regardless of individual situations (2-hr walk or help set up/take down equipment, assist coaches, weightroom for sick or injured athletes).
  
      a)  9 non-participation marks (excused or unexcused) due to missed practices or

           meets will result in partial credit for the class.

      b)  5 unexcused non-participation marks will result in an F in the class, being

           dropped from the team, and transferred to 0 period.

   
      c)  For disruptive behavior, each athlete will be given a verbal warning.  A second

           warning will result in push-ups, bear crawls, or a similar punitive task.  Any

           other issue that day will result in dismissal from practice and a non-participation

           mark.  No warnings will be given for cutting runs, including the warm-up and

           cool down laps.  Non-participation marks will also be issued for not being

           properly dressed out for practice or leaving for detention.  

      d)  3 unexcused non-participation marks will result in suspension from a meet. 

  
3)  Attend all of the scheduled meets (injured athletes or ill athletes that attend school must also come to the meets and help with the coaches).
  
      a)  If you miss a meet, you will sit out a similar meet.  If you fail to complete all

           of the events expected, unless due to injury sustained during the meet, you

           will sit out a similar meet.
   
      b)  If you miss a meet where you are expected to participate, you will forfeit

           a varsity letter.

   
      c)  If you miss the League Prelims or Finals, you will not pass the class.
  
4)  Be a team player.  Put the team needs ahead of your own wants. 
  

5)  Have an ATHLETIC CLEARANCE CARD COMPLETED IN THE OFFICE:  Each athlete must have an athletic clearance card turned in to the athletic office in the Activities Center.  This card has a doctor's signature stating that there exist no medical reasons to keep you from participating in sports.  Physicals can be obtained from the WALK-IN Clinics around Irvine (with no appointment) if seeing your own doctor takes too long.  Pick this card up in the Activities Center before you visit the doctor.  If you participated in a fall or a winter sport, you should already have one of these on file and therefore you do not need a new one for track. 

6)  Ride the team bus whenever a bus is provided and be properly dressed.  Only athletes wearing school issued apparel will be allowed on the bus.  Change before arriving to the bus.