Riverbank Track Team

Thursday, September 18, 2014

2 comments:

AnonymousOctober 3, 2014 at 4:45 PM
It is a really wonderful program
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Strategy

In an era when Children's health problems due to inactivity are increasing at an alarming rate, the Riverbank track team will respond on a variety of fronts to encourage children to improve their physical fitness and interest in physical activity. To do this it will:

A.) Provide a formal setting for children to work alongside their peers toward a shared goal of improving their performance. The coaches will provide workout programs appropriate for each athlete commensurate with their abilities and their goals.

B.) Provide children and families with information about physical conditioning, such principles of training, cultivation of proper running form, and an understanding of the role that nutrition plays in improving athletic performance and health. These are lessons that they will be able to make use of in all their athletic endeavors and throughout their lives.

C.) Introduce participants to a great sport. Track and Field has a rich tradition in New York City and over the years, our city's athletes, its running venues, and several notable events have become famous and well-respected around the world. The Riverbank track and field program will connect with that tradition while consciously cultivating a new tradition of its own.

As support for physical education diminishes in schools and technology and computer games compete for children's attention, it seems there could be no better time to reconnect with those traditions and pass them on to the next generation.

Metrics of Success

Growth and success of the track and field program will be measured in two different but complimentary ways.

(I.) The first metric of success is the number children involved. A track team can be scaled down to just a few members but it can also be scaled up to involve a hundred or more in events including jumps, shot put, and long/short distance running. On the one hand, no one who wants to take part will be turned away and on the other hand everyone on the team will be required to take his or her commitment to the team seriously.

(II.) The second way we will measure progress is through competition and improvement in individual performance. Athletes will be encouraged to set attainable goals and work toward them. Team records will be maintained so that children can learn to compare performance, draw connections between their hard work and improved performance, and to come to understand what is required to accomplish a difficult objective.

These two elements or metrics will be used together to cultivate a healthy team atmosphere. Competition and striving to improve is a natural outcome of bringing a team together. And, at the same time, the notoriety that comes from high-profile competition and achievement will help to attract more athletes.