GREMLINS TEAM PAGE (8U)

Hi Gremlin Parents and Athletes,

We had a great meet last Saturday at Newbury  Park. There we a lot great moments where the kids were pushing themselves, trying hard, and competing. I am proud of how well they are doing and how much they are improving with all of their hard work.

Due to the rain and wind we will be canceling practice again today (Tuesday 3/21/23). I look forward to seeing everyone out on Thursday.

Coach Mike

805-320-3421

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Gremlin Families and Athletes!

We have our second meet tomorrow at Newbury Park High School.

Please arrive at 7:45 am at the track. The Newbury Park Panthers asked us to start warming up for long jump at 8:00 am and to start jumping at 8:15 am. Having our team there are ready to go will be important for getting the meet started and finished in good time.

When you arrive send your athletes onto the field for warm-ups. The will get their stickers on the field. They can leave their bags in the stands under the Tigres tent. I suggest that you write your kids names in their jackets, sweatshirts, and on their water bottles. This will help me get them back to them if they forget them.

Finally, please let me know if ASAP if your athlete is signed up for events, but will not be there. This is very helpful for relays.

I am looking forward to another fun meet and cannot wait to see the Gremlins compete.

See you tomorrow!

Coach Mike

805-320-3421

Hey 8U Families,

It looks like we are in for significant rain all day tomorrow (Tuesday 3/14) and we are going to cancel practice. See you on Thursday.

Coach Mike

Hello 8U Tigres Families,

It was a great practice meet, and I am very proud of all our athletes who participated on Saturday. All the kids were trying their best, and I think they had a lot of fun. Thank you to all the volunteers who showed up and got their first taste at what it takes to run an event at the meet. Finally, thank you to all the assistant coaches who made sure the kids were ready and at the starting line (or jumping pit) so that they could compete. I am grateful for everyone involved.

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

• As usual, Practice this week (3/7 and 3/9) 
• Saturday is our first meet at Buena High School please arrive at 7:45 am. 
• On time arrival is important so that we can sort out last minute relay changes and get the kids starting long jump ASAP.
• Track meets typically run 5 to 6 hours. If you want your child to be finished on the earlier side, I suggest signing them up for events that are closer to the start of the meet. The 200m is the last event of the day that 8U athletes can run in. See the order of events here: https://www.venturatigres.org/order-of-events/
• Please do not come on to the track. Parents are not allowed in the track area while watching their kids. Parents are only allowed on the track if it is part of their volunteer duty. There will be a couple of team parents in the stands at the 8U popup tent who can go onto the track to find kids and coaches if a parent needs to get a hold of them.

Things were fairly smooth at the start of Saturday, but we are looking to help the meet run faster and there is some room for improvement. Thank you for your patience as we make some changes and look to improve throughout the season. A couple of notes:

1. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FOR THIS WEEK: When you first get to the track, please find the coaches at the entrance to the track. They will guide the kids towards the long jump pit, which is were the kids will get their race bib (i.e. sticker). At this point the coaches will make note of their attendance, which will be important as we are looking for the kids during each event. Coaches will also start warming them up for long jump so we can get this event started.
2. If kids have extra stuff parents can put it up in the stands at the 8U popup tent. After long jump and the 4×100 relay the coaches will bring kids back into the stands to sit at or near the 8U popup tent.
3. This past Saturday went pretty fast because each age group only did a limited number of events. As a result, the 8U were brought down on the field and stayed there for a long time because once their first event was finished, they were already getting ready for the next. This made it difficult to go back into the stands to get sweatshirts and water. In the upcoming meets when we are competing against another club, everything will take longer. There will be much more time in between events and opportunities for the kids to come up into the stands between events. In fact, the kids will normally spend a lot of time in the stands waiting for their next event.
4. In the upcoming meets, the coaches will have the names of the kids running each event. When that event is called, the coaches will go into the stands to the 8U tent and find the kids who are running. Please be aware of what events your kids are participating in and bring them to the team parents (i.e. this is a volunteer role) when you hear the calls for the events. It also helps to sit near the team tent if you can. For home meets, if you are volunteering and your child is in the stands alone, please have them sit by the team parent.
5. Finally, one of the most challenging aspects of coaching Tigres is managing the relay teams. If your child is signed up, and you are going to be late or your child is going to miss the meet, it is very important to give me a heads up. You can text me at 805-320-3421. 

Thank you again for your support! As you probably noticed, it takes a village to make a successful track meet and track season.

Coach Mike

Hello 8U Tigres Families!

It has been a great few weeks of practice! Thank you all for getting the kids out there. We are very impressed with the effort that they have put forth. Also, thank you for your diligence signing kids in and out- please keep up the good work.

Meet Info: The practice meet is this Saturday, March 4fth at the Buena Track. The event options are limited for this meet since the primary focus is training the volunteers. For this meet only, 8U will be able to participate in 2 running events and one field event. Our running choices for this meet are: 4X100 relay, 400, 100. The only field event for 8U athletes is the Long Jump.

Parents, please help your 8U child with the following for all meets:

• They should know what events they signed up to run (we will try to make sure they are at the right events, but it is their responsibility to know what they are running).
• It will probably be a little cold, so send them onto the field with their jacket or sweatshirt.
• After their race they should get off the field and go back to the 8U tent in the stands – this is their home base – this is where we look for them when it is time to stage for an event and walk them back on the track – if they aren’t there, we cannot go looking for them.

The order of running events for 8U is:

• 4×100
• 400
• 100

Field events will include:

• Long Jump (8U usually go first at 8:30am so be on time!).

Arrival time: 7:45 in the 8U tent in the stands to get race bibs and organize relays as needed

Warm-ups: Start at 8:00am

Start time: 8:30am 

Finish: No guarantees, but this meet usually ends between 1200-100 pm. However, do not leave your volunteer position until you are done.

Sign Ups: Sign-ups will be on the clipboards at practice starting today Tuesday February 28th. If your child in not going to attend the meet, please have him/her draw a line through his/her name. Please do not email me after Friday at noon to add your child to the roster for the meet.  If your child signs up for a relay, please make sure they have attended practice to work on this skill. If we don’t have a multiple of 4, we may be unable to run everyone in a relay – please know I will do my best to give everyone a chance. Additionally, if your child signs up for a relay their other 3 teammates are counting on them to show up – if they can’t make it at the last minute, please let me know ASAP.

Volunteer Duties to be assigned this week: One of the goals of the practice meet is for volunteers to learn how to perform their duties and for the whole group to see what it takes to run a meet smoothly. Each family will receive notification by email or phone call during the week with your volunteer assignment for our practice meet on March 4 as well as our other home meets for the season.  If you have not received notification about your volunteer responsibilities by the Thursday prior to a home meet, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Jeremy Patelzick at tigres.ventura@gmail.com

Go 8U Girls and Boys!

Coach Mike

805-320-3421

Gremlin Parents and Athletes,

It’s hard to believe, but we are starting Week 3 of the season. The kids have been working hard and I am really impressed with their enthusiasm and effort. I think it is going to be a really fun season and I can’t wait to watch them compete.

I have a few announcements:

1. This week in practice we are going to go over the Tigres Code of Conduct. This is an opportunity for us to discuss our expectations for behavior and attitude throughout the season. Please talk to your athletes about it if you get a chance.
2. Next Saturday, March 4th is our Practice Meet. This will be an opportunity for everyone to experience a real meet, except it will be shorter. Not only do the athletes practice, but our volunteers also get a chance to learn how to do their role. FYI volunteer roles will go out next week. The volunteer coordinator will contact you.
3. The weather forecast does not look very good for this Thursday, February 23rd; however, we will plan on practicing and do not plan on cancelling until practice. Meaning- it will be a practice time decision. Please make sure to send your athletes in warm clothes.
4. Sign in/Sign out sheet. Several athletes have not been signed out over the past few practices. Please make sure to do this consistently. I will challenge the kids today to make sure they are signed in and out by their parents. If they can do it for two practices in a row, I will bring them a treat as an incentive.

More to come in following weeks. I look forward to seeing everyone out there this week. I you have any questions or concerns please feel free to e-mail, text, or call me.

Thanks,

Coach Mike

805-320-3421

tigres8u@gmail.com

Hello 8U Parents and Athletes,

This Monday (2/6) there is a parent meeting, and Tuesday (2/7) is the first practice for the 8U division. We are all looking forward to starting the season off on the right foot.

Thanks,

Coach Mike

Parent Meeting: Monday, February 6th at 6:30 pm at Buena High School Cafeteria. I highly recommend that you attend to get important information for the team and the season, particularly volunteer requirements.

Head Coach: Michael Oesterle

Assistant Coaches:

I am looking for 1-2 additional assistant coaches for the season. Please contact me if you are interested.

Goals for the season

1. Safety
2. Fun and an appreciations for the benefits of sports and exercise
3. Good Sportsmanship
4. Developing athletes abilities and helping them achieve their goals
5. Making friends

Practice:

8U (also known as “Gremlins”) will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-5:45 pm. Practice begins promptly at 4:30 at the track at Buena High School.  Please have your athlete there a few minutes early to get their name tag and get settled. Our warm-ups are equally important to the workout, and we need your athlete to be there on time.

Parents are welcomed to stay and watch in the stands, but only athletes and coaches are allowed on the field. At the end of practice, we will keep our Gremlins on the field until they get a visual of their ride home. There will still be runners on the track when our practice is over so please be mindful of the runner traffic before you call them over to you. We will be teaching our athletes track safety as well.

Sign in and out:

Sign in and out sheets will be on the fence at the track. Please remember to sign in and out! If you do not sign out, be prepared for a phone call from me checking on whether or not you have your athlete with you. Please be on time for pickup; a coach must stay with your athlete until you arrive.

Preparation for practice:

Please have your athlete dressed and ready to go in comfortable running clothes and shoes. Our athletes LOVE their Tigres gear, which means many of them have the same water bottles, bags, and sweatshirts. PLEASE label everything!! If they need a snack before practice, please have it be something easy to digest. They are only allowed to have water in their water bottles on the track. No food is allowed on the track.

Attendance:

We understand that other sports, illness, and injury may conflict with practice. You do not need to email me if your athlete will not attend practice, but I would appreciate knowing if they are injured as well as if they are not going to attend a meet.

Meets:

Gremlins will sit in the stands and we will have pop-up tents for shade

One volunteer role related to the meet are a Team Parent. They are there to help keep track of the kids when they are in the stands, take them to the bathroom, and to look out for them if they have events coming up. We are looking for 3.

Gremlins will have the option to participate in the following events:

Field – Long Jump (this is the only field event available for Gremlins)

Relay – 4X100 (this is the only relay available for Gremlins)

Distance – 800 and 1600

Sprints – 100, 200, and 400

Athletes can participate in 4 events at each meet with a maximum of 3 running events plus the long jump. Some athletes will already know what events they are interested in, while others are still deciding. We are going to encourage them to try everything until they decide which events they like the most. Event sign ups will be on Thursdays on a separate clipboard on the fence at the track.

Setting up the relay teams for the 4X100 takes time. Once you select the relay, your athlete is making a commitment to three other athletes on the team. Relay teams will be created based upon times and attendance. There may be times that I cannot build a full relay team due to numbers, but I will do my best to make certain it is a fair process.

I will send out more information regarding meets as the dates come closer, but for your future planning, the meet schedule on the website is accurate and meets typically go from 8:00am – 2:30pm or so. There is one night meet this season, which will start in the late afternoon and go into the evening.

If you pre-ordered uniforms (singlet & shorts), they will be available at a future practice closer to the first meet.  All your child needs is running shoes (no spikes at this age).

See you all soon!

Hi Tigres Gremlin Families,

I am reposting information below about the end of year picnic in case you have not seen it yet.

TEAM PICNIC THIS SUNDAY, MAY 15 AT BUENA QUAD
Tigres families are invited to a fun end-of-the-season family picnic on
Sunday, May 15 at the Buena High School Quad
The quad is located at the center of the school behind the cafeteria. Tigres will be providing a variety of pizzas! Families are asked to bring the following to contribute.
8U – Desserts
10U – Individual drinks
12U – Salads
Youth and Intermediates – Sides
Please bring enough for a dozen people and any serving utensils needed for your dish.
Picnic Schedule
Noon to 1 pm Lunch — Bring a picnic blanket or chairs
1 pm Club wide Announcements and Coaches Recognition (The club will be presenting all coaches with gifts at this time.)
1:30 pm Break into age groups for the remainder of the afternoon (Coaches will distribute all remaining ribbons at this time.)
Lost and Found Missing a sweatshirt, blanket, or bag? Maybe a water bottle or two? Check out the Lost and Found during the picnic to see if you can recover that lost item. ALL UNCLAIMED PROPERTY will be “up for grabs” at the end of the picnic and then all remaining items will be donated.

I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Thanks,

Coach Mike

Hi 8U Families:

Tomorrow is the last meet of the season for many of our 8U athletes. For our family, the season always feels slow at the beginning and then it’s over before we know it. The last meet is bittersweet- while I’m sure everyone will be happy to have their Saturdays back, there is also sadness to say goodbye to track and all the positive energy and competition that comes with it. I hope all of your kids had a great experience and will sign up again next year.

In terms of logistics for tomorrow, the meet start time is at 8:30. Like last week, I ask you to please get your athletes to the stands at Buena by 7:45 so we can get the long jump started as soon as possible. Most of the kids participate in long jump and that event alone can slow down the entire meet so we appreciate your help getting this going first thing in the morning.

I also wanted to let you know that the Junior Varsity meet involves 5 conference teams so it will be a very long day. Please plan accordingly by bringing lots of food and water and applying sunscreen. Also, because there are so many athletes participating, they will be waiting in the stands for their events rather than hanging out in the field. Please help the coaches by knowing what event your child is doing and listening for the call for that event.

Please text me if you have any questions, and thanks again for your support in making this a great season. I look forward to celebrating with your families at the end of season picnic on Sunday, May 15 from 12:00-3:00 pm at Buena High School.

Sincerely,

Coach Mike

805-320-3421

Hi 8U Families!

Tomorrows meet vs Newbury Park is at Buena H.S. The meet starts at 3pm, but we are going to get long jump started early. Please arrive at 2:15pm and check in at the Gremlin tent.

Thanks,

Coach Mike

805-320-3421