Forums >Racing>Do you think it is rude to leave a track meet early once your race is done?
Today, I had a high school track meet, everybody left once their event was over. There is no rules against it, but it is pretty rude to me.
Village people
My son’s track team strongly encourage the team
to travel to and from meets on the bus. Meets tend to drag on so
i can understand parents wanting to leave.
Don't really know how long track meets go on, but I'd think it's generally not the polite thing to do. Coaches have something to say at the end of my kids swim meets, the swimmers get to cheer on the milers and relay swimmers,they share some war stories, reminisce about how they could have swam .05 sec faster if only they breathed on their left vs on their right etc. etc.
It's a drag for the parents though having to sit there 2 hours after their kid is done.
Trails
I ran HS track in the 80's and we only went on the bus. None of my kids did track but they played a little soccer, basketball, softball, whatever they wanted...I had no problem waiting as it was for them. If the parents are bored or whatever maybe they should reassess what it's about.
Old , Ugly and slow
My son was a runner who liked to stay because of the social part.
My daughter was a thrower who most of the time left early.
But my daughter was stronger than most men and very mean.
So the coach was scared of her.
first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007
2019 goals 1000 miles , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes
As a coach, I prefer that my athletes stay until the end. It is very frustrating for athletes running the 3200 or the 4x400 and not having anyone cheering for them.
With that said, there are special circumstances and if those arise, I have no problem with someone leaving early.
And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx
Rob
Waltons ThreadLord
Really, the only way it should be allowed at all is if the people competing in the late events don't have to show up until shortly before their race. In general, the whole team should be there for the whole meet.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming races: RunAPalooza (Asbury Park) HM, 4/6; Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27
I'm kind of surprised it's even allowed unless a kid gets special permission from the coach. I'll admit that as a parent I've left meets after my daughter's event (nothing like 6 simultaneous dual meets at Reggie to overwhelm your senses!) But my daughter always rode the bus with the team. Home meets in the spring the kids were also required to stay and support their teammates unless they were out running warmup/cooldown in the immediate vicinity. Same as when I ran h.s. track in the 80's.
Runners run
As a coach, I prefer that my athletes stay until the end. It is very frustrating for athletes running the 3200 or the 4x400 and not having anyone cheering for them. With that said, there are special circumstances and if those arise, I have no problem with someone leaving early.
Is there a special order of racing for high school track?
There is usually a set order. I haven’t been at a meet since last year but I remember hurdles and dashes being first and 800m and relays at the end.
Are we there, yet?
There is usually a standard order, but that varies from state to state. Events will be spread out so runners can race multiple distances that are similar, e.g. 1600m near the beginning, 800m in the middle, 3200m near the end.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I seem to recall when we hosted a meet we had to put the equipment away after (pole vault and high jump pits), so yeah, it would be rude not to be there to help EVERY time. But skipping once or twice... Things come up.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
One day at a time
My kids' high school team was expected to stay for the entire meet unless they had a good excuse such as a doctor's appointment.
As you said, there are no rules against it.
I would agree that there are programs that it is mandatory for team members to stay for the duration of the meet. The main reason for that has little to do with team support. It is mostly regarding liability. If a team arrives together (travel on a bus, perhaps) then it is expected to return together. Imagine the crisis that would occur if a coach didn't know where an athlete was when it came time to load up and return to where they departed from.
That's why a coach will allow sign outs. This allows for accounting of the whereabouts of the athlete and also insures that they are planning on leaving with a parent or guardian. In some schools, they will ask that if an individual plans on leaving from the meet with a parent that a request be processed in the week prior to the event. It really all depends upon the school district policy. You did mention it was a high school track meet.
If the team didn't travel to the meet as a team, then I wouldn't think that they would have a grounds of expecting everyone to stay since they aren't providing a way to check to see if anyone left early. In this case, like a home meet, I think that it would come down to the expectations of the teams coaching philosophy (team support), and whether or not the track team members care about the performances of their team mates.
If a teammate doesn't want to watch others perform, then they are about themselves. I think that's known as being selfish. This is a pretty common trait amongst young people, and is actually quite normal. Typically, it has to be taught for someone to think about the wellbeing of others.
However, other than the liability part, and the team support part. Why would it be expected for an individual to stay around and watch other events that they may not have an interest in? First of all, I don't think that you can assume just because an event is under way that anyone is paying attention to it.
A high school track and field meet, as typically run today, can be a hugely boring event. Held for 6 to 8 hours, with no idea of results, never mind, lack of updated scoring for events. The meet is not created to be spectator friendly regardless of whether parents, or teammates happen to be in attendance. There are some that have an interest in watching, and others that are there strictly to watch an athlete or two. There is very little in the way of actual performing at a high school track meet. It is more of an opportunity for an athlete to create a chance to get a mark.
I've known track and field teams that compete on Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, and the following Saturday. Four times in the span of eight days. How can anyone's attention span cover that many competitions. Especially all day invitational meets.
If you were a participant at this meet, I would suggest that you concern yourself with your own actions during the meet. If you want your friends to stay and watch, ask them. If you don't know others, let them go about their business because they are likely not watching anyhow.
It's a bit like any awards function. People give free food to attract a gathering, since everyone is only there to clap for a few who happen to be getting an award. The same individuals that always receive the awards.
Is it more selfish to expect others to stay and watch, or to be the one that doesn't want to stay and watch. I would think that if you're worrying about it, it could mean something that you don't want to ask yourself.
Run your race, and don't worry about other peoples action. Do what you think is right for your own choice, and try to influence others in a way that will be helpful.
Good Luck
My kids went to catholic school that didn’t have a bus.
I think it matters what night of the week it is