TRACK MEETS FOR 5TH AND 6TH GRADES getting ready Dear Coach Ed, Our school district has a track meet each year that we have for 5th and 6th grade students. They will be competing in various events: 100, 200, 800, 1600. And a 4X100 relay. I have about 4 weeks to prepare these kids for the track meet. I obviously have a variety of different skilled runners. Could you give me some ideas for drills? For example, should I do certain drills with kids that will be running longer races than for those who will be doing shorter distances? If you could give me some tips, I would greatly appreciate it!! Thanks, Paul Uhler Dear Paul, I coach a team of young athletes ages 6 to 14. We practice 6 weeks before our first track meet but only one day a week and one optional day for an easy long run (1 or 2 miles). If your kids can fit in a two day a week workout you should be in great shape for the meet. Thursday, we have our long run and Tuesday, we have our regular practice. A regular practice day would be stretching for about 10 minutes. This is also a time when we talk about running, then we run 1 lap around the track slowly. Now drills, all athletes do the same drills: a game of tag for 15 minutes, wacky relay races mixing up ages and girls and boys. sometimes 5 kids on a team sometimes 7, sometimes 10; whatever the kids want to do. We do not time anything in practice. The only time the kids race in practice is if it is a wheelbarrow or three legged race. Our practices are just fun, fun, fun. We end the day with another lap around the track. You will be able to tell the distance runners from the sprinters by that last lap around the track. If you're not sure who the distance runners are after one or two practices just ask "who wants to run another lap." Those 'extra lappers' are your distance runners. While your distance runners are lapping the track have your sprinters practice starts. If you keep your practices low key and fun your athletes will not be apprehensive when they get to the track meet. They will be loose, ready to have fun, and they will rise to the competition. Good luck, Coach Ed Ed Poirier, "Coach Ed", recently was invited by the United States Olympic committee to attend a workshop and training seminar at the Olympic training center in California. Feel free to email the kid's editor at goodrow@infi.net with comments on this column.