Track and field covers wide range of abilities
03/10/2008
Last Monday marked the beginning of the rites of spring for high school spring sports teams across Pennsylvania.
On baseball, softball and soccer fields, boys' and girls' teams began their first official practices of their 2008 seasons. While these athletes focus on skills that require hand/eye coordination and aptitudes few possess, other athletes of all shapes, sizes and abilities began their season the same way the ancient Greeks did over 2000 years ago: honing their running, jumping and throwing skills in the sport of track and field.
It is fitting that the civilization which brought democracy to the world would create such a democratic sport. There are no goals, points or earned runs. Simply, the athlete who runs the fastest, jumps the highest or throws the farthest is the winner.
Log more miles than your opponent, spend hours fine tuning your technique, or spend the winter in the weight room building your strength, and you are creating a winning formula for the sport.
There is no prototype track and field athlete. Sprinters are chiseled, muscular and fast. Long distance runners are lithe and gaunt. Jumpers have legs up to their necks. Throwers are built like offensive linemen, and pole vaulters are just plain crazy.
A high school track meet in Pennsylvania consists of running events of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (the metric mile) and 3200 meters (approximately 2 miles). Three relays are contested: the 4 x 100 meters, 4 x 400 meters and the 4 x 800 meters. All are run on a 400-meter oval.
Cinder tracks have largely been replaced by all-weather surfaces. In the Schuylkill League, Pottsville, Blue Mountain, Shamokin, Schuylkill Haven, Mount Carmel, Pine Grove and Mahanoy Area have all-weather surfaces.
In a regular dual meet, contested between two teams, competitors receive five points for a first-place finish, three for second place, and one point for a third-place finish. In the relays, the winning team receives five points and the losing team none.
Hurdlers compete in the 110-meter high hurdles (100 meters for girls) and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. These are grueling events. The high hurdles require speed, precision timing and proper steps; while the intermediates require brute strength to go along with speed.
Jumpers compete in the long and triple jump, the high jump and the pole vault. A long jumper is fast, but must also master a technique which allows him or her to maximize their speed while making sure their steps remain fluid and avoid fouling. The triple jump is really a hop, step and a jump, which requires a great deal of speed and coordination.
In the high jump, the competitor must get vertical without knocking off the bar. Practicing one's technique for hours is the only way to master the high jump.
The other vertical jump is the pole vault. A pole vaulter must utilize speed while carrying a 14-foot pole the length of the runway. Planting the pole in a small box, the vaulter must then propel his body skyward and twist over the bar, without knocking it off its standards. A pole vaulter has strong thighs, as well as biceps.
A shot putter achieves speed within a shot put circle, then propels a steel ball for distance. Shot putters are big and strong.
The ancient Greeks threw a frisbee-like object which we call the discus. Lighter than the shot put, the discus is also tossed for distance.
The javelin is a spear. It is tossed for distance, often by the quarterback of the high school football team. The point of the javelin needs to break the ground in order for a score to occur. Yes, there have been javelin accidents. In fact, some states have outlawed the javelin competition.
Track meets are a compilation of many activities, and can be confusing to watch. While events on the track seem to be most prominent, the other events are integral parts of the meet and factor enormously in the scoring of the meet. A total of 150 points are awarded in a high school meet, thus a team must earn at least 76 points in order to win the meet.
A track team consists of athletes who possess many different skills. However, a person who has displayed athletic ability in another sport may often join a track team and pick up an event or two on athletic ability alone. From there, coaching and hours of practice take over.
Schuylkill League track and field teams begin competition at the end of the month. Their season ends in May, with the Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships on May 7 at Mahanoy Area and the District 11 Track and Field Championships to be contested May 14-15 at Blue Mountain. Top athletes will compete in the PIAA Championships at Shippensburg.
It is fitting that the civilization which brought democracy to the world would create such a democratic sport. There are no goals, points or earned runs. Simply, the athlete who runs the fastest, jumps the highest or throws the farthest is the winner.
Log more miles than your opponent, spend hours fine tuning your technique, or spend the winter in the weight room building your strength, and you are creating a winning formula for the sport.
There is no prototype track and field athlete. Sprinters are chiseled, muscular and fast. Long distance runners are lithe and gaunt. Jumpers have legs up to their necks. Throwers are built like offensive linemen, and pole vaulters are just plain crazy.
A high school track meet in Pennsylvania consists of running events of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (the metric mile) and 3200 meters (approximately 2 miles). Three relays are contested: the 4 x 100 meters, 4 x 400 meters and the 4 x 800 meters. All are run on a 400-meter oval.
Cinder tracks have largely been replaced by all-weather surfaces. In the Schuylkill League, Pottsville, Blue Mountain, Shamokin, Schuylkill Haven, Mount Carmel, Pine Grove and Mahanoy Area have all-weather surfaces.
In a regular dual meet, contested between two teams, competitors receive five points for a first-place finish, three for second place, and one point for a third-place finish. In the relays, the winning team receives five points and the losing team none.
Hurdlers compete in the 110-meter high hurdles (100 meters for girls) and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. These are grueling events. The high hurdles require speed, precision timing and proper steps; while the intermediates require brute strength to go along with speed.
Jumpers compete in the long and triple jump, the high jump and the pole vault. A long jumper is fast, but must also master a technique which allows him or her to maximize their speed while making sure their steps remain fluid and avoid fouling. The triple jump is really a hop, step and a jump, which requires a great deal of speed and coordination.
In the high jump, the competitor must get vertical without knocking off the bar. Practicing one's technique for hours is the only way to master the high jump.
The other vertical jump is the pole vault. A pole vaulter must utilize speed while carrying a 14-foot pole the length of the runway. Planting the pole in a small box, the vaulter must then propel his body skyward and twist over the bar, without knocking it off its standards. A pole vaulter has strong thighs, as well as biceps.
A shot putter achieves speed within a shot put circle, then propels a steel ball for distance. Shot putters are big and strong.
The ancient Greeks threw a frisbee-like object which we call the discus. Lighter than the shot put, the discus is also tossed for distance.
The javelin is a spear. It is tossed for distance, often by the quarterback of the high school football team. The point of the javelin needs to break the ground in order for a score to occur. Yes, there have been javelin accidents. In fact, some states have outlawed the javelin competition.
Track meets are a compilation of many activities, and can be confusing to watch. While events on the track seem to be most prominent, the other events are integral parts of the meet and factor enormously in the scoring of the meet. A total of 150 points are awarded in a high school meet, thus a team must earn at least 76 points in order to win the meet.
A track team consists of athletes who possess many different skills. However, a person who has displayed athletic ability in another sport may often join a track team and pick up an event or two on athletic ability alone. From there, coaching and hours of practice take over.
Schuylkill League track and field teams begin competition at the end of the month. Their season ends in May, with the Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships on May 7 at Mahanoy Area and the District 11 Track and Field Championships to be contested May 14-15 at Blue Mountain. Top athletes will compete in the PIAA Championships at Shippensburg.
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