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BELLA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD GUIDE

COACHING STAFF

Head Track and Field Coach:  Dave Unterholzner (jumps/hurdles)

Head Girls Track and Field Coach:  Rita Fagundus (Distance)

Sprints Coach:  Jim Ashen

Shotput/Discus Coach:  TBA

Pole Vault Coach:  Clay Taft

Main Office Phone:  971-5052; Boys Physical Education:  971-5032;  Athletic Directors:  971-5033

B.V. Track & Field Web Site  -  http://www.bvtrack.com

Our Goals:

1. To improve on last year’s Varsity and Frosh/Soph team records.

2. To become CAL champions.

3. To qualify more athletes to the SJS Divisional and Masters championships than any other school.

4. To work hard.

5. To have fun.

6. To learn something about ourselves.

Our Ways Of Achieving These Goals: Rules and Guidelines

A.      Practice Rules:

1. You must be at all practices on time (3:10 PM), with proper equipment, and prepared to workout.  If coming late becomes a problem then you will not be able to compete in upcoming meets or you will be suspended from the team.

2. If you are not able to attend practice, you must notify an on-campus coach or one of the team captains.  If you are unable to contact anyone please call (or have your parents call) 971-5032 and leave a message so we know where you are.

3. Absences from practice must be excused by the coaching staff.  Valid excuses for absences from practice do not include serving school detention, working at your after school job, doing homework, other club sports teams etc.  Any school detention should be served up to one hour at a time and then you should come to practice.  The coaching staff will be waiting for you.  If you miss a practice without an excuse my response will be something like: “Your name here, by missing practice on Tuesday without an excuse, you have chosen not to compete this week and I will honor your decision.”

4. Attendance at practice means completing the entire workout, including warm-up and cool down, as assigned by your event coach.  Leaving early and not completing the workout is considered an absence.  Two (2) consecutive unexcused absences will result in automatic dismissal from the team.  WE WILL PRACTICE RAIN OR SHINE.  IT NEVER RAINS OUT A PRACTICE AT BELLA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL!!!

5. All team members must be dressed appropriately during practice.  You should have the proper shoes, shorts, and shirt to work out in everyday along with some sweats for cold days.  In addition, when the weather gets warmer athletes should remember to dress modestly.  No sagging or rolling down of shorts and no plunging necklines.

B.      Meet Rules:

1. To get credit for participating in a meet, you must compete in at least two (2) and not more than four (4) events.  In the field events, you must complete all of the jumps or throws that your event coach has determined best for you and in the running events you must complete each race you enter unless you are injured during the competition.

2. During a meet you cannot pull yourself out of an assigned event unless you receive permission from the head track coach.  You cannot leave a meet before the completion of the final event unless you have received permission from the head track coach.

3. Failure to show up for any meet without the prior approval of the head track coach means automatic forfeiture of attendance points.  You have a meet schedule (click for schedule - http://www.bvtrack.com/tf_season_schedule.htm), make sure your work schedule, academics, appointments, etc. work around it.  Nothing will cause resentment, bitterness, and bad feelings more than leaving three teammates on the starting line during a relay meet.  If you are scheduled to compete in a Saturday meet, make sure you are there!

4. Club sports teams (soccer, volleyball etc.) are not a reason to miss meets.  If you choose to miss a weekend track and field invitational so you can go to your soccer game you will not be invited to the next weekend invitational.  If you miss two weekend invitationals for the same reason you will be restricted from them the rest of the year.  If you miss a Capital Athletic League (CAL) Center meet or the CAL Finals (usually Wednesdays or Thursdays) for this reason you will be dismissed from the team.

C.      Academic Eligibility:

1. Academics should be your number one priority – that is what school is all about.  As a member of the team, however, you have agreed to complete your studies in the evening and weekends – not during practice time.  You can accomplish both goals by organizing yourself.

2. In order to maintain your eligibility on any team at Bella Vista High School, you must maintain certain academic standards (2.0 GPA, with no F’s and a 2.0 GPA in citizenship).  If you are having academic problems in any class, let the coaching staff know as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to assist you in improving your grades.  Don’t wait until the six-week grade checks to let the coaching staff know that you are having an academic problem.  By that time, it may be too late to maintain you athletic eligibility.

3. If you have grade problems during the season you will be allowed one (1) three week intervention period where you will be required to attend tutoring three days a week.  After your tutoring is over for the day you will be expected to join the team practice.  During your academic intervention you are eligible to practice and compete in meets.  You are only aloud one (1) intervention per year.  If you have already served an intervention for another sport you cannot do it again during this school year.  If you are not eligible for an intervention you will be ineligible to compete in meets for three (3) weeks but you can still practice.  After three weeks you will be given another grade check to determine your eligibility for the next three weeks.

 D.    Sickness/Injuries:

1. All injuries must be reported to the coaching staff.  If it is serious enough you will be expected to see your family physician or a sports medicine physician, which we can refer to you.  If you need to miss practice because you are sick let a coach or captain know before you leave school.  If this is not possible call or have a parent or guardian call the school and leave a message of your where - abouts.

2. Because of problems in the past with the spread of viruses (colds, flu, mono) among the team, all athletes will be expected to provide their own water and food to meets and practice.  All athletes are strongly encouraged not to share water bottles, jugs, etc. with any other member of the team.

E.       Behavior:

1. No indulging in alcohol or drugs.  You will be automatically dismissed from the team if you are found to have been involved in this activity.

2.  Finally, no one person is above the team.  Fighting, “trash talking” to teammates or opponents, mouthing off, refusing to do the workouts, leaving meets early, showing disrespect for any adult, coach, members of an opposing team, or your fellow team members will not be tolerated.  Everybody on the team is important – no matter how fast he runs, and deserves your respect and encouragement.  If any of the above become a problem you will receive one warning and after that removed from the team.

F.       Uniform Rules:

1. You must wear the complete Bella Vista High School track uniform at all meets.  This includes the singlet, shorts, and sweats assigned to you.  You may wear additional sweats underneath your uniform sweats to keep warm, as necessary, but your Bella Vista High School sweats must be the outermost layer of clothing.  If you choose to wear undergarments (spandex, compression shorts etc.) under your shorts and singlet they must be a solid black – no exceptions!

2. The following is from the National Federation Track and Field rules book concerning uniforms:

SECTION 3 COMPETITOR’S UNIFORM (ART. 1-4)

ART. 1 … The competitor’s uniform shall be issued by the school, worn as intended by the manufacturer, and have the following restrictions:

a.        Each competitor shall wear shoes.

b.       Each competitor shall wear a full-length track jersey or one-piece uniform issued by the school.

1. When numbers are used, each competitor shall wear his/her assigned, unaltered contestant number.

2. The jersey and shorts may have the school identification and the jersey may have the competitor’s name.

3. The jersey shall not be knotted or have a knot-like protrusion.

4. A single manufacturer’s logo/trademark, no more than 2¼ square inches with no dimension more than 2¼ inches, is permitted on each item of apparel.

5. The American flag, not exceeding 2 x 3 inches, is permitted.

6. Bare midriff tops are not allowed.

7. The jersey must hang below or be tucked into the waistband of the shorts or briefs when the competitor is standing erect. (CIF requires jersey to be tucked in).

c.        Each competitor shall wear track short and/or one-piece uniform issued by the school.

1. The shorts may have the school identification.

2. Loose-fitting, boxer-type shorts are permitted for boys and girls and closed-leg briefs/shorts are acceptable for girls.

3. The waistband of a competitor’s shorts shall be worn above the hips.

d.       Visible Undergarments

1. Any visible shirt(s) worn under the uniform must be unadorned (except for manufacturers logo) and of a single color and hue.

2. Visible garments worn under the jersey and shorts do not have to be the same color.

3. French or high-cut apparel shall not be worn in lieu of shorts.

ART. 2 … Additional restrictions for relay races and cross country competition.

1. In relay and cross country competition, each team member shall wear the same color and design of school uniform although the length of the short may vary.

2. If worn by more than one team member (two or more) that apparel must be the same color, but not necessarily the same length.

3. Any visible garment(s) worn under the jersey and other visible apparel worn under the shorts must be unadorned and of a single (and the same) color.  Visible garments worn under the jersey and/or the shorts do not have to be the same color.  If worn by more than one team member (two or more) that apparel must be the same color, but not necessarily the same length.

ART. 3 … Removing any part of the team uniform, excluding shoes, while in the area of competition, as defined by the games committee, is illegal.

ART. 4 … Jewelry shall not be worn, except for religious or medical medals.  A religious medal must be taped and worn under the uniform.  A medical alert must be taped and may be visible. PENALTY:  (All articles) For an illegal uniform the competitor is disqualified from the event.

3.  You are responsible for any equipment assigned to you.  If your uniform is lost or stolen you must reimburse the Bella Vista Track Club the following amounts:

Sweat top and bottom care: Machine wash cold, gentle cycle (separately).  Do not bleach.  Line dry.  Do not dry clean.  Tank Top & Shorts Care: Machine wash cold with like colors, remove immediately after wash, do not bleach, tumble dry low, do not iron.

General Athletic Apparel Care: All athletic garments should be laundered immediately after they have been worn.  Do not allow perspiration soaked garments to lie in a pile or rest on top of each other for any period of time—garments that cannot be laundered immediately after wearing should be hung individually on plastic or wooden hangers.  Do not soak nylon or lycra garments.  Do not overload machine—make sure water level in machine is higher than garment level.  Do not use fabric softeners—fabric softeners deteriorate garments with spandex.  Remove garments from machine immediately after washing– this will help avoid color bleeding, particularly on color-blocked garments.  Do not soak or wash in sink– this will cause the colors to bleed.  Be sure garments are completely dry before storing– store in cool, dry places, away from direct sunlight & fluorescent light to prevent mildew or yellowing. Do not dry clean or iron garments– dry cleaning and ironing can discolor athletic uniform fabrics and damage imprinting.

In addition you will be held monetarily responsible for any equipment, such as shotputs, discuses, or starting blocks, that you lose or flagrantly break.  All equipment and uniforms must be returned to the head boys coach within five (5) days of the completion of your track and field season. Uniforms must be washed before they are returned.

BOY’S AWARDS POINT SYSTEM

Participation Points (must have 90% practice attendance and 100% meet attendance to earn letter):

Performance Points (Must earn at least 5 performance points to earn letter**): 

  There are a maximum of 40 "award points" available for your performance in practice meets and CAL meets.  Five (5) "award points" are given for every point you score in practice meets and ten (10) award points are given for every point you score in CAL triangular/dual meets and/or the CAL championship meet up to a maximum of 40 "award points".

Total Possible Performance Points = 40 points

Volunteer Points (Must earn at least 10 volunteer points to earn letter - formula = 1 pt./hour worked):

**Note: any volunteer points earned above 10 points can count as performance points.

Total Possible Award Points = 130 points

Total Points Needed To Earn Award:

1. Frosh/Soph Points: Freshmen and sophomores must earn a total of 70 award points to receive award certificate and 90 award points to receive numerals.  This includes 90% practice participation and 100% meet participation unless excused. In addition you must also earn at least 5 performance points and 10 volunteer points to earn your certificate and numerals.

2. Varsity Points: Varsity boys must earn 70 total award points to receive certificate and 90 total points to also receive letter.  You must also have 90% practice participation and 100% meet participation unless excused.  In addition you must also earn at least 5 performance points and 10 volunteer points to earn your letter.

3. Additional awards points can also be earned by placing in the top three (3) at the CAL Championship meet, top eight (8) in the Division 2 Finals, or the top nine (9) in the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Finals.

4. Late joiners (Basketball, Wrestling) must earn 75% of the total awards points possible to earn a certificate from time they come out. Varsity boys must earn 75% of the total awards points possible from time they come out to earn letter (with 90% practice participation and 100% meet participation for both a certificate and letter).

Special Awards:

A number of special awards are also given at the awards banquet.  These awards go to the team captains (captain's pins) and trophies to the most outstanding track athlete, most outstanding field athlete, most valuable athlete. 

Plaques are also given to those individuals with track and field performances which rank them among the top ten (10) on the school all-time performers list or have improved their ranking if previously ranked in the top ten (10), set a school class record (e.g., frosh, soph, junior, or senior), or were a member of school record setting relay team.  These tables can be found on the Bella Vista High School Web site – http://www.bvtrack.com. 

In addition, if the team wins the CAL dual meet championship, each athlete who has their 90% practice participation and 100% meet participation for the year will receive a league championship t-shirt.  Athletes placing first at the CAL Finals meet will also receive a distinctive "all-league" patch for their letter jacket. 

Hall of Fame Award

The Hall of Fame Award is the most prestigious of the track and field awards that an athlete can receive at Bella Vista High School.  Information on how to receive this award can be found at www.bvtrack.com.

GIRL’S AWARDS POINT SYSTEM

All awards are distributed at the track and field banquet at the end of the season.  The awards you receive at the banquet are determined by you, based on the following point system.

Participation - Award Points

There are 60 "award points" available each season based on your participation.  Participation points are earned for your attendance and participation at daily practice and competition at the pre-season practice meets, Capital Athletic League (CAL) triangular/dual meets, and the CAL Championship Meet.  Each athlete receives two (2) points for each daily practice session, five (5) points for each pre-season practice meet, ten (10) points for each CAL Center Meet or weekend invitational meet (for which you qualify), and twenty (20) points for the CAL Championship Meet.  At the end of the season, the total participation points accumulated by each athlete is divided by the total participation points available and the percentage multiplied by 60 to give the athlete's "award points" from participation.

Performance - Award Points

There are a maximum of 40 "award points" available for your performance in practice and CAL meets and team support activities.  Five (5) "award points" are given for every point you score in practice meets, ten (10) award points are given for every point you score in CAL center meets, and twenty-five (25) points for every point you score in the CAL Championship Meet up to a maximum of 40 "award points".  Performance "award points" can also be accumulated from team support activities (e.g. fund-raising activities, track maintenance) up to a maximum of thirty (30) "award points" in any year.  The distribution of available volunteer points is provided in Table 1:

Table 1. Annual Volunteer Points Available

Note: Volunteer points are earned at the rate of one (1) point per hour worked.

The "award points" for each year and for your four (4) years of potential participation are cumulative.  The annual and career awards based on "award points" are provided in Table 2:

Table 2. Annual and Cumulative Award Points vs. Awards for Bella Vista Girls Track and Field

Athletes achieving the following standards can receive their graduation year numeral and BV block in the same year: (a) maximize their participation points (60 points), (b) maximize their performance points (40 points), and (c) place in the top three (3) at the CAL championship meet or top nine (9) at the Sac-Joaquin Section Track and Field Meet in an individual event.

If you have previously participated in another spring sport at Bella Vista High School (e.g., soccer, softball, swimming), you will receive 50 points toward your "BV" block letter for each full year of participation in that sport.

Special Awards

A number of special awards are also given at the awards banquet.  These awards go to the team captains (captain's pins) and trophies to the most outstanding track athlete, most outstanding field athlete, most valuable athlete. 

Plaques are also given to those individuals with track and field performances which rank them among the top ten (10) on the school all-time performers list or have improved their ranking if previously ranked in the top ten (10), set a school class record (e.g., frosh, soph, junior, or senior), or were a member of school record setting relay team.  These tables can be found on the Bella Vista High School Web site – http://www.bvtrack.com/. 

In addition, if the team wins the CAL dual meet championship, each athlete who has a total of 55 or more participation points for the year will receive a league championship t-shirt.  Athletes placing first at the CAL championship meet will also receive a distinctive "all-league" patch for their letter jacket. 

During the CAL center meet season and for the CAL championship meet, an athlete will be chosen as the "Athleteof the Week" by the coaching staff. This award is based not only on how well you performed at the meet that week, but also on your improvement from the previous week and your work ethic during the week's workouts.  A special t-shirt will be awarded to this individual.

Hall of Fame Award

The Hall of Fame Award is the most prestigious of the track and field awards that an athlete can receive at Bella Vista High School.  Information on how to receive this award can be found at www.bvtrack.com.