What You Need to Know About Outdoor Track 2013

As we wait for the outdoor races to begin (and the warm weather, too), make sure you know all the important info for the spring season.

 

Spring season practices are underway, and there are some important changes to the way meet results are going to be handled this season.  These changes will primarily affect those schools that are hosting meets, but all coaches, athletes, and parents should be aware of the changes.  NCRunners would also like to take this opportunity to direct you to a set of tutorials that will help you master the many functions of the MileSplit system, so that it can best fit your particular needs.  Please go on to the appropriate section of the article to find out the information that you need to know:

 

Information For:

Meet Directors  |  Coaches  |  Athletes/Parents

 

 

Information for Meet Directors

All meets that include NCHSAA schools (including small local meets) are required to submit results to NCRunners.  This is the same requirement that has been in place for the last two years for polar bear meets during the winter season, except that results do not go to the NCHSAA (send directly to NCRunners instead).  Here are the details of these requirements:

  • Directors/hosts are required to submit at least the regional qualifiers from their meets, and full results are preferred.
  • Directors/hosts are required to submit the results in some kind of electronic format (no faxed copies of hand-written results).
  • Meet results must include complete names, graduation years/school years, and properly rounded times (if hand-timed); results that do not meet these requirements will be sent back for corrections.
  • NCRunners will verify the regional qualifiers that are sent in, making them eligible for entry into the regional meets.

Due to the increased volume of results we expect to handle, only results in either RaceTab or Hy-Tek format will be published immediately.  Results sent in other formats (Excel, Word, hand-typed into emails, etc) will be sent to volunteers to put them into RaceTab, and that will delay their publication.

 

Tutorial for Meet Directors

 

 

Information for Coaches

As was the case last spring, the NCHSAA has chose to use MileSplit meet registration for entering the regional meets.  This requires that coaches maintain their roster through their school's team page.  Here are a few reminders and tips regarding that process:

  • Any number of coaches can have access to your team's administrative functions; there is NOT a single "magic account" that has to be passed on from coach to coach, as is the case with Direct Athletics.
  • If you have claimed your team in the past, you do NOT have to do it again this season; once approved, your access will continue until the webmaster is notified that you are no longer coaching at that school.
  • You do not necessarily have to add all the athletes to your roster by hand; our system will import new athletes from meet results, so you can wait for that to happen (unless you have to enter an early meet through MileSplit)
  • Please check your roster BEFORE typing in any athletes; they might already be on your roster from previous seasons, and if you type them in again it will create a duplicate profile.
  • A list of Team Admins appears in the bottom right of each team page, below the athlete roster.  Notify the webmaster if there are Team Admins that should no longer have access (because they have left the school).
  • You should use ONE CONSISTENT SPELLING for each athlete; changing the spelling or using nicknames can cause duplicate profiles to be created, and that can interfere with entering meets (including regionals).
  • If you find that you have duplicate profiles on your roster, email the webmaster to correct them.
  • If you are proactive in monitoring your roster and start early in entering regional meets, you will find the week of the entry deadline goes much more easily.

 

Tutorials for Coaches

 

 

Information for Athletes and Parents

Individual athletes and their parents can have a big impact on the quality, consistency, and depth of information on our website.  From monitoring your performances to contributing your own photos, you can play a major role in the NCRunners community and make the experience better for you and for others who use the service.  Here are a few tips that can help you make the most of the MileSplit system:

  • Hold your coaches accountable for submitting results, spelling your name correctly, and maintaining your team's roster.
  • Only athletes that are competing for their high school team can qualify for the regional meet (athletes competing for club teams or unattached cannot use those marks for regional entry).
  • You can claim an athlete profile (if you are the athlete or a parent) and correct information like the spelling of the name, graduation year, and hometown.
  • You can also enter a specialty (like sprints or jumps), and add a list of athletic honors, such as awards and championships won.
  • Don't be afraid to email the webmaster if you see problems with the rankings (you have to subscribe to see them).

 

Tutorial for Athetes/Parents: Coming Soon!