One of the most frustrating things at youth and high school track meets is when your child does not know how they performed during or at the end of the meet. What I mean is that meets are being hosted and times and the results are not immediately available. To make matters worst it is taken some meet host days before they post the results. This is unacceptable. We would not leave a football, basketball, baseball or any other sport for that matter without knowing the outcome. Why then do we as parents and coaches allow our athletes to walk away from a meet not knowing how they did? In track and field your success is not only measured by whether or not you cross the finish line first but it is mainly measured by how fast you ran, how long or high you jumped and how far you threw etc...
Most meets are run professionally and as soon as your event is done you immediately know how you performed which is how it is suppose to be. I understand some delay in time posting when it is hand timed, however, when you post that your meet is going to be F.A.T. then there is no excuse for the ridiculous delays that are taking place at some meets. Times being posted almost a week after the meet is over sometimes later. Our youth and high school track athletes deserve better than this and we the advocates for the athletes need to demand better. If the meet you are hosting is suppose to be an official meet and you’re not experienced with timing then hire professional timers or experienced timers to run the meet.
Written by JNunley
