Track & Field FAQ

Q: What events are included in high school track and field here?
A: For both men and women, high school track and field in our league includes (click on each for a quick Instagram overview post):
- sprints (100m, 200m, 400m)
- distance (800m, 1600m, 3200m)
- hurdles (100m/300m for women; 110m/300m for men)
- relays (4x100m, 4x400m)
- high jump
- long jump
- triple jump
- discus
- shot put
- pole vault (LCC has had a pole vault program in the past, but are still in need of a pole vault coach this season - TBD)

Q: What if an athlete is still competing in their Winter sport by the time Track and Field starts?
A: We have numerous track and field athletes who join later in the season due to the length of their winter sports season. There is a place on the athlete registration Google form to notify us when they expect to be able to start attending practices, and coaches will be notified. Joining track and field later in the season does not impact their ability to compete or make the Varsity team, as performance and attitude throughout the season determines which athletes compete at the JV or Varsity level (see next question for more on JV vs. Varsity).

Q: How do coaches decide who competes on Junior Varsity (JV) or Varsity?
A: Track and field is a very objective sport; times and distances/heights will determine who competes at what level and when (with the exception of Seniors, who by CIF rules are required to compete on Varsity). The Time Trials held on 2/13 will provide initial performance data for coaches to begin to make those determinations. Typically - assuming practice attendance and attitude are not an issue - the four best athletes in any event will be on varsity and the remaining athletes in those events will be on JV. Many athletes may start out on JV, but due to progress throughout the season, move up to Varsity. League rules stipulate that we are only allowed to have a maximum of four athletes entered in each Varsity race/event. Invitational meets may have different qualifications/quotas. 

Q: What is the difference between a league meet and an invite (invitational) meet?
A: Meets on our season schedule will be designated either as "pre-season", "league" or "invite". The best 4 athletes/event with sufficient practice attendance and attitude will compete at league meets (the district provides bus transportation to these away meets). Pre-season meets are scheduled with local non-league schools to provide early meet experience for all athletes. 

​Invite (or "invitational") meets are separate meets where at times an athlete would need to show that they have achieved a time or mark that satisfies the meet's qualification standards (for example, if a meet requires a 6' high jump to enter their meet, an athlete has to prove they have jumped that high or higher at an official meet within the season or previous season to be allowed to enter). Coaches will determine which athletes will be competing at which invitational meets, and will notify those athletes in the days prior to the meet. Most invitationals are held on Saturdays during the season; the team (thanks to parent donations) covers the cost of invite meet entry fees. Transportation is not provided for athletes to invite meets (typically athletes/families/coaches will carpool).

Q: Who is in our league and how does league competition work?
A: LCC is in the North County Coastal (NCC) - Coastal (yes, we are doubly coastal) league, which includes Torrey Pines, Sage Creek, Carlsbad High, Canyon Crest Academy (CCA) and El Camino High School. We will compete against each of these schools once during our season, and points are earned based on the place athletes finish. Points are tallied and then groups (Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, JV Girls, JV Boys, and overall team) can win the meet if they have the most cumulative points vs. their opponent. The teams with the best record in League meets then can win the season. Team placement in league does NOT impact who advances to compete in League Finals meets; typically each school can enter their top four athletes per event in the League Finals meet. There are then specific qualifying standards to advance beyond League Finals and into the Division/Section/State Championships.

Q: What do athletes wear to practice and meets?
A: Athletes are welcome to wear whatever workout clothes they are comfortable in to practice. Girls typically wear sports bras, t-shirts or tanks, and compression shorts or running shorts. Boys typically wear t-shirts or tanks and athletic shorts. At meets, all competing athletes are required to wear the provided LCC uniform (CIF rules do dictate that competitors must match). All athletes MUST wear sweats over their uniforms to meets; either the varsity sweatsuits provided to them or their own grey, navy or black sweats if JV. This is a coach rule, which exists to ensure that their muscles remain warm enough to prevent injury during competition.

JV Boys often find that they prefer to wear compression shorts underneath the provided (and admittedly short) uniform shorts. This is completely optional; if they choose to wear them however, they must purchase their own and they MUST be either navy or black and have no large logos or any patterns. If they are part of a relay team at a meet, CIF rules requires that every relay runner must match - so they either all wear the same color compression shorts or no compression shorts. Here are examples of the type of compression shorts athletes can choose: Amazon, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Big5.

Q: What shoes will athletes need for the season?
A: The team (thanks to parent donations and some district support) provides all the equipment required to compete in high school track and field EXCEPT for footwear (so uniforms, throwing implements, relay batons, starting blocks, etc. are provided). Standard athletic sneakers that students would wear for PE are fine for practice (common brands worn are Hoka, Nike, Adidas and New Balance) except for distance athletes who will be doing significant mileage. We have organized a RoadRunner Shoe Week (2/19-2/26) at the Carlsbad location, where anyone can mention "LCC Track and Field" to receive a 10% discount and raise money for the team. If planning to purchase running shoes for practice, we strongly recommend that your athlete get fitted in person at a RoadRunner store (even if planning to purchase shoes elsewhere online) as running gait and arch analysis can greatly impact shoe fit and potentially avoid injury.

Spikes are specific shoes designed only for competition; they are lightweight and often have areas on the sole of the shoes where metal spikes can be screwed into them for better traction. There are different spike shoes designed specifically for different events, but multiple sets of shoes are not always required. Spike shoes can be purchased at RoadRunner Sports, and also purchased online. Spike shoes are not required for competition, but aid the grip and speed for athletes, so most of our athletes will purchase and wear them.

We strongly recommend that your athlete practice for a week or two prior to purchasing "spikes"/"spike shoes", and to  ask their coach what type of spikes to purchase BEFORE purchasing them. 

We do have some gently used spikes available; please contact the parent liaison for more information. **Note: the metal screw-in spikes that come in the box with the spike shoes usually are NOT the ones that can be used for high school competition. Most meets (including all our league meets) require 3/16" needle spikes. Bags of those sized spikes will be available for purchase from the parent liaison for $5 throughout the season, and also online here.

Q: How do meets work? What events will athletes compete in at meets?
A: League meets are typically on Thursdays (we do have one Wednesday league meet this season), and are either held away (bus transportation provided by LCC/SDUHSD) or at home. Meets typically begin at 4 pm, and can run anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on the number of schools competing and how efficiently the meet is run. Below is a typical meet schedule; events run on a rolling basis, which means the next event begins immediately after the previous event is finished. Field events typically begin simultaneously (so long jump starts at the same time that discus starts). There is no way to know what time an event will start or finish; we know that makes it tricky for families and friends coming to watch any event other than the very first one! You'll get a feel for approximately when your athlete's events typically will take place as the season goes on. Note that the meet host can always switch the order of events or combine events (like running the 1600m girls and boys together, or combine JV and varsity events at times). Sometimes field events will be delayed in order to allow an athlete to finish competing in a different event. Athletes can be entered in a maximum of 4 events per meet. Coaches will determine who will compete in which events, and notify athletes usually 1-2 days prior to a meet. Only athletes, coaches and approved volunteers are allowed on the track infield during meets; please cheer from the bleachers or along the outside of the track or field event area.

Q: How many events can an athlete do in a single meet? How many meets in a single season?
A: Athletes can do a maximum of four events in a single pre-season or league meet. This includes any combination of track, field and relay events. Per CIF rules, athletes can compete in a maximum of 14 meets (league and invitationals combined) in a single season.
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Q: Can athletes drive themselves to/from the away meets? Can parents take them home after away meets?
A: For away league meets, athletes are required to take the provided bus transportation to AND from the meet. Coaches will notify school administration if athletes need to leave class early for meets, and teachers will be notified. Athletes MUST attend any class first if the early out time is after the beginning of that period. Athletes are strongly encouraged to communicate early and often with teachers to make up missed work and exams. They will be given a short time period to change into their uniform and then meet the bus at the front of school. They must stay at all meets (home or away) until the end of the meet; they are not allowed to leave after their last event. It is wise to pack extra water, snacks and warm clothing as meets can run long and be cold at the beginning of the season. If an athlete has a meet scheduling conflict with a school-related or club-related event that requires leaving early from a meet, they must email Coach DJ Moore 48 hours BEFORE the meet, AND receive confirmation from him before being allowed to leave a meet early or take alternate transportation home from an away meet.

Q: Are there lockers at LCC where athletes can store their athletic bags/gear?
A: All track and field athletes can store their bags in the equipment room next to the Athletic Director's office, in the main Admin building. They can access this room before and immediately after school hours, so that they don't have to carry around their athletic bag during the school day.

Q: Will there be spiritwear available for purchase?
A: Our spiritwear store has already closed for the season. If you'd like to inquire if we have any remaining inventory for sale, please contact our Spiritwear Chair, Krystal Kermott here.

Q: Does the track and field program require a donation?
A: No. As as CIF sport, all donations made are completely optional, and do not influence the athlete's ability to compete (donations are accepted only by the parent liaison; coaches are not aware of who has/hasn't donated). We do have to rely on parent/supporter funding to run the bulk of our program, however; the district only covers the cost of some coaches and limited equipment from time to time. In order to run a robust and competitive program for 150+ athletes, covering uniforms, equipment, meet timing, meet registration fees, website hosting, senior appreciation, coach appreciation and our end of season banquet, we ask each family for a $350 donation each season. This is a tax-deductible donation, on par with other CIF sports teams at LCC, and with previous years' track and field programs. We gratefully accept donations in any amount and encourage you to inquire about employer matching as well; please click here to donate. 

Q: How can I volunteer to help the team?
A: We welcome parent/family volunteers, and have many ways to support the team, from volunteering at meets, with uniform or spiritwear distribution, with senior appreciation, and with the end-of-season banquet. Please click here to view the available volunteer slots; more will become available as the season goes on. Thank you for offering to help our team this season!

Any additional questions? Reach out to parent liaison Karina Shaver at [email protected] or by text at 858.232.4590.