Outdoor Season-Firebird Track Club members range in age from 6 to 18 years old (18 years old not turning 19 years old before August 1, of the current year).

Indoor Season-Members range from 6-14 years.

• To successfully train and develop all our youth to become more knowledgeable about track and field and to reach his or her optimal achievement level of competition

• To promote the importance of academic success and support our athletes to prepare them to compete in the classroom as well as on the track.

• To reduce obesity by getting kids moving toward an active lifestyle, focusing on proper nutrition, and conditioning.

Clothing:

Athletes should come to practice in comfortable workout clothing/sporting attire (sweatpants, long sleeve shirts, light jackets or sweaters for cooler weather) suitable for running. No jeans, jean shorts or pants allowed during practice.

Running Shoes:

Our athletes’ feet are very important to their success. If they are wearing the wrong type of shoes, it will cause foot/leg/ankle/heel and/or hip problems. For track season, all athletes are required to practice in running shoes. The proper running shoes are designed to protect the feet from all of the injuries noted above.

NO basketball, crocs or casual shoes. 

Tip: Most running shoes will have "running in the name".

Example:

Spike Shoes are needed for every track meet; all athletes are encouraged to run in spike shoes, referred to as “spikes”.

Spike shoes have holes in the sole that accommodate metal replacement spikes.  The maximum spike length allowed for running track and field events is ¼” Pyramids.

There are spikes made for different events (shorter distance/sprinter; long distance; field event), so please purchase the proper spikes for your child’s events.

If you have questions about purchasing spikes (sizing, fitting, type, etc.), please speak with a Firebirds coaches or staff for assistance.

We recommend that you purchase your child’s spikes within the first two weeks of the outdoor season.

Please be aware that inventory shortages and shipping delays are common at the beginning of the outdoor season.

Parents of young athletes should check their child’s spikes after every few meets to determine if they need to replace the spikes in the spike shoe.  Please also purchase an extra bag of spike replacements ( ¼ “Pyramids) to have on hand to replace in your athlete’s spike shoes as needed.

A sports physical form is not required to participate, however, due to the strenuous nature of some activities, parents are urged to have  consult with their child's physician concerning his/her fitness to participate.

Suppose the athlete has had a change in their physical condition at any time during the season, such as illness, injury, or hospitalization. In that case, parents should let the Coaches know as soon as possible.

Some conditions can be made worse due to the strenuous nature of some of the activities

Primary Hydration:

Water, Water, Water

• We cannot stress enough the importance of drinking enough water and being well hydrated to participate in practice and meets.
• We recommend your child drink water throughout the day: at least three to four (3-4) 16.9 fluid ounces before 4:00pm on the days that they come to practice and lots of water throughout the day during meets.
• Hydration is critically important for safety and health each day, but especially so on practice and meet days.  As the outdoor season progresses and the weather gets warmer, hydration is extremely important to help avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Secondary Hydration:

May be used during the track meets.

• Gatorade and Powerade are good but should be monitored to make sure they are being used properly.  These drinks are meant to replenish the electrolytes that have been lost through perspiration.
• Pedialyte, Liquid IV are believed to be better electrolyte replacements with less sugar than Gatorade and Powerade.

ENERGY DRINKS -NOT ALLOWED

• Monster
• Red Bull
• 5-Hour Energy
• Rock Star
• Etc.

The Firebirds strongly discourages the consumption of Sports/Energy Drinks and/or soda as a form of hydration for our athletes.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-energy-drinks-for-kids-a-good-idea/

Athletes must be on time for practice and meets, however we understand that families have a life outside of track.

•  If an athlete is planning to be absent during practice, the parent or athlete should notify the Club  of his/her absence via the TeamSnap  Calendar.
• If an athlete is arrives late to practice, the athlete should see one of the assistant coaches to properly warm up before joining the team practice.

The Firebirds coaches and staff will

• Update the TeamSnap app and send a chat message
• Email through TeamSnap.

It is always a good idea to check the TeamSnap app before leaving for practice during suspected inclement weather.

During thunderstorms, the club will suspend practice and find appropriate shelter until there is an all-clear from any lightning strikes.

If practice is cancelled due to repeated lightning strikes, the club will notify Parents through the TeamSnap app.  Athletes will not be dismissed until a parent has picked them up.

PLEASE NOTE:  Track and field events are routinely held during the rain.  Competition or practice is only suspended or cancelled for lightning strikes

 Prior to ordering, each athlete must be fitted to ensure parents  order the appropriate uniform kit.  

Step 1: Get fitted! 

Firebird Uniforms are custom-made uniforms and the sizing does not run true to standard sizes—so everyone must get fitted.

The fitting dates will be provided on the schedule in TeamSnap at the beginning of each season.

Attend a fitting and try on samples to find the best fit. Staff members will be available to assist with questions.

**Size adjustments are available: longer/shorter (but not wider/tighter).

Step 2: Confirmation!

After finding your sizes during your fitting, we ask that you go back to the check-in table and fill out an order ticket (which will be used to place your order).

**Don't miss this step: You must complete and confirm your order ticket at the check-in table to receive the link for ordering.

Step 3: Order!

Once step 1 and 2 are completed, you will receive the team store link via TeamSnap or email to place your order.

**Important: Do not place an order before being fitted

All athletes will be required to have these 5 pieces:

• Warm-up jogger hoodie
• Warm-up jogger pants
• Dri-fit warm-up shirt
• Compression jersey top
• Compression shorts

The package pictured above covers all 5 required pieces for $115.00. 

**Customization: First initial + last name

***No returns on custom gear – if there’s a production issue, the vendor will replace the item.

Step 4: You're ready to race in style!

Estimated delivery is 3 weeks after the order was placed.