 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
TRACK MEETS/RUNNING TERRAIN
KR Kids Research Page, Featuring Coach Ed
Stretching after Warm-Up
Story and Photos by Carol Goodrow
Intro | Ed | KR Research | Links and Printables
| This piece highlights two low keyed Friday night kids' track meets with our Coach Ed and his kids. It also includes some data collected from kids on their favorite running terrain as part of our Dream Hour of Exercise unit. Please view this page, click on the links, and find some ideas to help build your own community running and fitness programs. |
INTRO
Kids of all ages participate in this Friday night summer track meet series. The youngest run the 50m free without registering and the others pay a small fee to help cover basic costs. Parents, grandparents, and coaches bring their kids for track and field events, stretching, and relays with the adults at the end of the kids races. Kids have fun, stay healthy, and get faster with practice. They receive ribbons, or other prizes (tees, sunglasses) and lots of support from the fans. All the kids are cheered on for doing their best.
ED
Ed coaches the Jaguars youth track team. I invited Ed to write an Advice Column on KR this year after observing him for years at events and track meets. He always had a smile and would come right up to me, say, "Hello," shake my hand and then get right back to his kids. He NEVER took his eyes off his kids, running sideways, backwards, or any which way, just to stay with them, and keep encouraging.
I had fun interviewing some of his team members about his coaching. Here are a couple of kid' comments:
- Coach Ed is fast!
-Coach Ed is very funny, always encourages people to keep going.
-Coach Ed is very helpful and he always cheers on everybody on the team.
-Coach Ed taught me to run on the inside lane of a track.
-I think Coach Ed is a great coach because he taught me many things in track.
Ed stretches with the kids.
KR RESEARCHThere's nothing like talking to kids about their preferences, and a meet or event is a perfect place. The question was, "What is your favorite type of terrain to run on?"
This was a group activity. Each kid runner who participated drew 2 footprints to represent his/her very favorite running terrain and drew another footprint to represent the second favorite. Then the runner had to find another child to add footprints to the favorite terrain pictograph until one column was filled. At this time a new pictograph was started by another runner. Completing this activity correctly and successfully took lots of communication and cooperation amongst the kids.
The kids were very willing to participate and wanted more to draw more footprints!
It's no surprise that TRACK won hands down at this event. Here's the total breakdown.
TRACK -35
FIELD, ROAD, and GYM -8
WOODS -7
YARD -2
BLACKTOP -1
BIKE TRAIL -1
BEACH - 0
These young runners participated in our Favorite Terrain activity.
TREND #1The kids love to run on a track.
TREND #2
The road, field, and gym were next popular.
TREND #3
Running in the woods brings out strong emotion in kids. While the woods only earned 7 footprints, the drawing of each was accompanied by strong exclamations of excitement, "WOW , the WOODS!" "YEAH, WOODS!!!!!"
The Mile is a Popular Event
LINKS AND PRINTABLESTerrain Pictograph Blank
Coach Ed's Column
If you don't see your photo on this page, please check Ed's column. I've will be adding many of the the Youth track photos to his page.
Journal Writing Blank
Journal Cover
Run and Journal Form
Run and Journal Picture Blank
Free Running Bookmarks
Janelle, Dad, and Meet Director Don Brunelle
goodrow@infionline.net
 Editor's Note: Running and writing are more fun when they are combined. Lace up your running shoes and get out the door. Start up slowly, then pick up the pace and have a great run. Cool down, drink and stretch, then break out that running journal and let 'er rip!
|
