Post by wannabecoach on May 17, 2010 8:02:38 GMT -6
This letter is about a team state tournament. Something I believe in very strong.
I would like to recommend a change to the IESA Track and Field season. I believe that IESA should be the second sports organization to institute a true state team track and field meet. In junior high, track and field and wrestling (IHSA does have a wrestling team state champion series and an individual state meet) are the only sports not to have a true team state championship tournament. In all other sports all members of a team have the opportunity to participate in the state finals as long as your team makes it that far. An athlete in track will not have the opportunity to represent their team beyond the sectional meet unless they make it to the state finals by place or by state qualifying marks. It takes all the athletes including the 3rd through 6th place finishers to help win a sectional championship in track and field. The 6th place finisher is just as important as the number one athlete if you need one point to win. This person never gets a chance to represent their team in the state finals because they are not up to standards or not a 1st or 2nd place finisher. So in reality a substitute in another sport may never have played in a game to get to the state final and still receive an award by just being on the team. In track and field there are no substitutes, only alternates on a relay. I coach a track team and work with everyone out for the sport, not just the good ones that can qualify for the state series. What could be more rewarding than to help your team advance and be able to participate at the next level.
You are looking for ways to have more athletes participation in t & f. You need to make it a team sport where everyone on the team counts and they advance as a team. I believe it will increase the athlete participation when they don’t have to be one of the best to place in state. The fan following will also increase because they are following a team and not individuals. More athletes, more relatives and friends.
So right now when we go to the state track meet we have mostly individuals representing their teams. They maybe the only athlete to have qualified to go to the state meet. The 2008 state meet had 2 individuals place 4th in the team standings without a full team competing. I had an 8th grade girl place in 4 events to take 4th place as a team. They are not a team.
I mentioned the second sports organization because Nike organization is now going to hold the first Track and Field Team National Meet. For more information on that subject: www.american-trackandfield.com/read_new/nike-announces-inaugural-%E2%80%9Cnike-track-nationals%E2%80%9D-competition “We are excited to bring Nike Track Nationals to young high school aged runners as a way to recognize the unique and diverse athletic abilities it takes to make up a winning team” said Amy White, Nike’s Vice President of North America Running. “Track & field has traditionally been looked at from an individual sport perspective but for the first time ever, high school aged teams across the country will be recognized as a whole and a national champion will be crowned.”
I believe the change should come with the addition of a state tournament series starting with a regional meet made up of all the sectionals we have now. 3 sectional meets made up of 6 and one of 7 winning regional teams. A state meet made up of the top 2 or 3 teams from each sectional.
One regional first place plaque, one sectional first place plaque and the 4 trophies for state should be given out at the contest. Ribbons could still be given at regional. Sectional could be just the one plaque. At the state meet trophies for the top 4 teams and medals for the team members. The individual meet should still be held because not all of the best athletes are on good teams. Medals for the individual places should still be given out. The same amount of athletes would still be invited to the best of the best in the state of Illinois.
In all of the bracketed sports you have a total of 8 teams competing for the top 4 places in a state series. They go through regional and sectional tournaments. The time span from the first day of regional play to the last day of the state contest is 17 days and 6 days of actual competition for softball and up to 20 day span with 7or 8 days of competition for boys basketball. In track we are at 8 days and 3 days of competition. We can spend 2 more days on track to have a state series.
Some of the main reasons I believe we need a state team meet are:
It will help get more support from a school sending a team instead of individuals. School spirit and team pride. You might actually get a fan bus.
More fans would come because there would be a team member in almost all events.
It would give a team aspect to a sport that has always been an individual sport with a team
concept.
Making it into a team orientated sport might bring more athletes to track and field.
Thanks for listening,
Jim Newell
Track and Cross Country Coach
Illini Central Middle School
I would like to recommend a change to the IESA Track and Field season. I believe that IESA should be the second sports organization to institute a true state team track and field meet. In junior high, track and field and wrestling (IHSA does have a wrestling team state champion series and an individual state meet) are the only sports not to have a true team state championship tournament. In all other sports all members of a team have the opportunity to participate in the state finals as long as your team makes it that far. An athlete in track will not have the opportunity to represent their team beyond the sectional meet unless they make it to the state finals by place or by state qualifying marks. It takes all the athletes including the 3rd through 6th place finishers to help win a sectional championship in track and field. The 6th place finisher is just as important as the number one athlete if you need one point to win. This person never gets a chance to represent their team in the state finals because they are not up to standards or not a 1st or 2nd place finisher. So in reality a substitute in another sport may never have played in a game to get to the state final and still receive an award by just being on the team. In track and field there are no substitutes, only alternates on a relay. I coach a track team and work with everyone out for the sport, not just the good ones that can qualify for the state series. What could be more rewarding than to help your team advance and be able to participate at the next level.
You are looking for ways to have more athletes participation in t & f. You need to make it a team sport where everyone on the team counts and they advance as a team. I believe it will increase the athlete participation when they don’t have to be one of the best to place in state. The fan following will also increase because they are following a team and not individuals. More athletes, more relatives and friends.
So right now when we go to the state track meet we have mostly individuals representing their teams. They maybe the only athlete to have qualified to go to the state meet. The 2008 state meet had 2 individuals place 4th in the team standings without a full team competing. I had an 8th grade girl place in 4 events to take 4th place as a team. They are not a team.
I mentioned the second sports organization because Nike organization is now going to hold the first Track and Field Team National Meet. For more information on that subject: www.american-trackandfield.com/read_new/nike-announces-inaugural-%E2%80%9Cnike-track-nationals%E2%80%9D-competition “We are excited to bring Nike Track Nationals to young high school aged runners as a way to recognize the unique and diverse athletic abilities it takes to make up a winning team” said Amy White, Nike’s Vice President of North America Running. “Track & field has traditionally been looked at from an individual sport perspective but for the first time ever, high school aged teams across the country will be recognized as a whole and a national champion will be crowned.”
I believe the change should come with the addition of a state tournament series starting with a regional meet made up of all the sectionals we have now. 3 sectional meets made up of 6 and one of 7 winning regional teams. A state meet made up of the top 2 or 3 teams from each sectional.
One regional first place plaque, one sectional first place plaque and the 4 trophies for state should be given out at the contest. Ribbons could still be given at regional. Sectional could be just the one plaque. At the state meet trophies for the top 4 teams and medals for the team members. The individual meet should still be held because not all of the best athletes are on good teams. Medals for the individual places should still be given out. The same amount of athletes would still be invited to the best of the best in the state of Illinois.
In all of the bracketed sports you have a total of 8 teams competing for the top 4 places in a state series. They go through regional and sectional tournaments. The time span from the first day of regional play to the last day of the state contest is 17 days and 6 days of actual competition for softball and up to 20 day span with 7or 8 days of competition for boys basketball. In track we are at 8 days and 3 days of competition. We can spend 2 more days on track to have a state series.
Some of the main reasons I believe we need a state team meet are:
It will help get more support from a school sending a team instead of individuals. School spirit and team pride. You might actually get a fan bus.
More fans would come because there would be a team member in almost all events.
It would give a team aspect to a sport that has always been an individual sport with a team
concept.
Making it into a team orientated sport might bring more athletes to track and field.
Thanks for listening,
Jim Newell
Track and Cross Country Coach
Illini Central Middle School
