TRACK & FIELD SAFETY GUIDELINES

This school strives to protect each student from possible injury while engaging in school activities. The guidelines and practices identified below have been established for this activity in order to protect the student and others from injury and/or illness. Participants and their parents should recognize that conditioning, nutrition, proper techniques, safety procedures, and well-fitting equipment are important aspects of this training program. Each participant is expected to follow the directions/standards of the coach.

Transportation Safety Guidelines

Travel to and from off-campus facilities shall be in accordance with the directions of the activity coach.

Parent permission slips will be obtained for all students and it must be disclosed that the transportation will be by volunteer driver in a privately owned vehicle.

It is the parent’s responsibility to make transportation arrangements. If a parent allows their student to drive themselves to school or events, or if a parent decides to arrange a carpool with their neighbors, it is the parents’ decision.

Students will never be directed by coaches to ride with another student.

General Safety Guidelines are as follows:

1. Make certain that you wear all equipment that is issued by the coach. Advise the coach of any poorly fitted or defective equipment.
2. Advise the coach if you are ill or have any prolonged symptoms of illness.

3. Advise the coach if you have been injured.

4. Engage in warm-up activities prior to strenuous participation.

1. Be alert for any physical hazards in the locker room and in or around the participation area. Advise coach of any hazard.

6. Be familiar with basic first aid treatment for heat exhaustion, heat stroke, sprained ankle, or other runner-related injuries.

Field Events Safety Guidelines:

1. Recognize the safety rules for restricted areas, e.g., javelin, discus, shot put, pole vault. These areas must be supervised.
2. Check equipment, apparatus, field and pits thoroughly before each use, e.g., debris in jumping pits, placement of standards.

Running Rules for the Road

1. Run only on the course/route prescribed by the coach.

2.Athletes should carry some sort of identification, or the coach with each group should carry medical emergency cards/emergency medical authorization forms.

3. Stay on designated running courses.

4. Be alert for any physical hazards in or around the participation area.

5. Run in threes or fours.

6. Watch for objects being thrown from passing vehicles.

7. Approach dogs with caution.

8. Face the oncoming traffic when running on roads.

Throwing Events Safety Guidelines:

1. No athletes are permitted in the throwing sectors at any time an athlete is in or entering a throwing ring. This includes runners cutting across the infield.

2. When retrieving implements, athletes go in a group and walk backwards, facing the throwing rings.

3. Use of proper technique is essential. We will teach and practice the proper sequence of throwing mechanics.

Participation in the throwing events assumes a conscious understanding of the inherent dangers that a steel shot, javelin or steel/rubber discus can produce if it's momentum is

interrupted by a human body.

Lane Events Safety Guidelines

The hurdle event consists of athletes sprinting, in their lane, over barricades (hurdles) as fast as possible. Inherent in these events is the opportunity for injury from hitting the hurdle, improper form going over the hurdle which would cause the runner to lose their balance, and, potentially, from another contestant through contact with their arms and/or tumbling out of their lane having committed one of the same mistakes as previously mentioned.