Thoughts on a longer Track & Field season

[wrsmith]

I'm interested in getting thoughts (especially those of coaches) on the idea of making the season longer in Tennessee. As most of you know, some of our neighboring states (e.g., Kentucky and Alabama) have indoor seasons with indoor championships. I would like to see either an indoor season or simply see a lengthening of the current season. If adding an indoor season would create the need for a state championship and that would be costly to schools, perhaps there could just be an extension of track season without calling it an "indoor" sport. It wouldn't matter whether the meets were indoors or out.

 

For example, for this coming season, track practice can begin February 10 and the first meet can be held March 10. If we pushed those dates back and said practice could begin December 1 and the first meet could be December 15, this would allow our Tennessee athletes to participate in the big-time indoor meets that only allow participants who are representing their high schools (and this includes almost all of the really big meets). I'm very frustrated by having a son who's a nationally competitive athlete and yet he can't compete in the meets in New York, LA, etc. because Tennessee's season starts so late.

 

I'd like to know if coaches would support some sort of arrangement that would allow Tennesee's athletes to compete in meets in December, January and February. Your thoughts?

[Guest kenwoodrun]

A complete indoor season, complete with an indoor state champs and stipened coaches is not going to happen in Tennessee. It's brought up every single year at the rules meeting in January (which Ronnie Carter conducts), and it goes down in smouldering flames annually. It's a combination of financial issues, lack of a centralized indoor facility (NOTHING in Nashville...only good facility in the state is all the way in Johnson City), and good old fashioned apathy. There are some coaches who are rightfully concerned that five months including the physical stress of indoor (tight turns, etc.) will subject their kids to just too many races in one long season...but that should not exclude others who see the benefit in the early competition and can model a collegiate type schedule (with some rest built in in late Feb, early March...).

That said...TN's current approach of "run whatever the heck you want as long as you run unattached and it's legal for them to allow you to do so" is a good solution for a state that doesn't want to commit to a real season...as long as the OTHER meets cooperate. That's the issue that's bothering WR I think, having a hard time getting into certain meets with an "unattached" status. I didn't realize that meets were that strict about that, I assumed that TN unattached athletes were ok to goto LSU and UK and the other big meets around here.

I'd for one be interested in having a brief indoor season running January and having a championship the first or second weekend of February. Of course, this completely obliterates all "first legal dates" on the current calendar, that'd have to be reworked. You would have such low participation that you wouldn't have to have any regionals...just run section vs. time at a 2-day indoor championship. And to truly make it sweet, throw in a DMR like most major collegiate conferences run indoor as a championship event. Could you imagine that? It's SUCH a great relay. As long turnout stayed small (which it obviously would), MTSU could even be used as a location.

OK, that's enough rambling from me!

[Edited by kenwoodrun on 11-4-02 10:54P]

 

[BPolley]

my feelings on the matter: first, since when has the tssaa cared about central location! they moved outdoor to memphis, why not indoor in johnson city? my guess about the funds is that if they really cared about indoor track they could find the funds if they wanted. also, i ran in a number of indoor races my junior and senior years (well mostly junior as i was hurt all winter before my senior track season). you just have to make sure the meet accepts runners who cannot compete for a school, you compete unattached, cant wear school uniform, and have to go out of state to run, but it can be done. myself, austin weaver, will denbo, and many others competed in indoor. it stinks though. i hated it.

[mchsballer]

unfortunaltly some track/cross country runners play basketball,and would interfere with that.

[wrsmith]

Thanks for the responses so far. I was certainly hoping to hear from Kenwoodrun.

 

As far as an extended track season conflicting with basketball, yes, that would be true. I would want you to consider two things on that issue: (1) not many athletes would choose to participate in indoor meets, (2) this problem of conflicting schedules already exists with numerous sports, e.g., football/basketball, basketball/baseball, baseball/track, etc. A circumstance that's unique to my son's situation is that he's a jumper (high jump, pole vault, triple jump) and wouldn't have some of the concerns that runners would have with an extended season.

 

As Kenwoodrun mentioned, the meets in the southeast already allow unattached athletes to compete (e.g., LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, etc.). The problem arises when the athlete wants to compete in meets that try to attract a national group of athletes. These meets are going to be sanctioned by the National Federation and the Federation will not allow an athlete to compete unless s/he is officially representing their school. I'm not being critical of the meets that are held in the southeast but if an athlete has aspirations to compete on the national stage, he needs to be able to participate in these types of meets in order to get a feel for what it's like and the talent level that will be required to be competitive.

 

Thanks for giving me things to think about. Keep it coming if you have other thoughts since I plan to try to generate some publicity on this issue with the press and it's always helpful to understand as many sides of the issue as possible.

[Guest StevenW]

blackman is running an indoor season... not sure on exact details but starts in december...

[wrsmith]

What and where is Blackman? Is this a high school? In Tennessee? Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Opedawg21]

Yeh, man; Blackman is a AAA high school in Murfreesboro (Rutherford Co.)...It's one of the three major Murfreesboro high schools, along with Oakland and Riverdale.

 

Btw, you probably know, but just in case...Murfreesboro is located almost exactly in the center of TN; it's kinda btwn Nash and Chattanooga. If you told me some city on the extreme east or west of TN, I might not know about it, but I'm glad to help since I live basically close to Murfreesboro.

 

BTW, while we're on the "longer T&F season" I'd say this:

 

As long as I'm healthy, I don't mind the length, but as I get better so does everybody else. Having a "TN-Universal" Indoor League would be quite a large jump, but at the same time it'd be quite hard to ease into it and still get anything going. I look at it this way: XC gives you enough running in the fall, if you wanna stick with it over the winter; fine-on your own time...and then you got from late Feb to the end of May for Track season. That's plenty of time as far as running goes, and if you want a longer Track & Field, you're starting to cut into my summer vacation time...and that can't happen. Besides, you've got sunburn, heat cramps, dehydration...ok-it's not much different from right now. I say let somebody else decide, and I'll stay passive.

[4AFAN]

Any Tennessee high school athele can run indoors, but they may not have the school they are running for in high schools uniform or outfit on. If we extend the high school track and field you would lose most of your athletes to basketball etc. WRmith, look at what the Nashville city paper owner wants to do. He wants to play the championship of what ever high school football team he picks to play after the TSSAA state championships to decide who is the best of all the champions that he thinks. This would go farther into basketball season than in already does. You are asking to extend seasons of sports that are already overlapping and causing problems. Football over basketball, basketball over track and baseball. I coach Football and track, and enjoy basketball. We are using the same athletes for almost all three seasons. There are several indoor meets that your son may compete in. I am not at all saying your son should not compete, but I am just saying how we are all fighting for the same athletes. The kids are losing out. I want my kids to be the best at all they do. I agree that indoor track would be great for my track team, but financially would not survive. There is no revenue in track unlike football and basketball. We all know how our athletics survive, and it is not from tax dollars.

[CoachG]

I need some explanation on this "Attached/Unattached"

What exactly does this mean?

 

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[PLACALL]

G-

It is to my undestanding that TSSAA will allow any high school athlete to compete in the indoor track league. One of the meetings with Ronnie Carter last year he said that they may compete, but may not supported or wearing any of the apparel with the high school name that you run for in TSSAA track. Im not sure why, but that is what he told us a Webb High School meeting last year.

[CoachG]

Thank you for the explanation.

It seems like a silly rule.

 

I think you would want to showcase the talent of the state if an athlete has the capabilities of competing at a national level. It may bring recognition to the state.

 

Who knows???? :confused: