The Solano Thunderhawks track and field program:

• Distance focused running club (400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and 5K)
• Early March to mid-June
• For ages 7 to 17 years old
• For experienced and novice athletes
• Practices held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30PM to 6:00PM
• Practices held at Al Patch Track, Lagoon Valley Park, Centennial Park and Andrews Park
• Meets and other public running events held on select Saturdays throughout Northern California during the season
• Periodic special Saturday practices and other running events or activities

What to Expect

Practices

The "General Conditioning" phase of training occurs during the first several weeks of the season. The athletes will work on improving their endurance, strength, coordination, biomechanics, and flexibility through a variety of drills and activities. The "Competition Preparation" phase focuses on assessing the skills and abilities of the athletes through time and distance trials, and aligning them with functional groups that best suit their skills and physical abilities. During the remainder of the season, the athletes will spend most of their practice time in event-focused skill groups completing drills and activities specific to their events. Due to adaptation and physical growth, athletes may be moved amongst different skill groups during the course of the season. The skill groups consist of:

• Speed Group (400m)
• Middle Distance (800m and 1,500m)
• Distance (3,000m and 5,000m)

During the various "Competition" phases of training during the season, the athletes will focus more time on improving speed and distance through repetition and technique refinement. 

All athletes are expected to arrive to practice on time and prepared, which includes:

• Bring a water bottle to EVERY practice!
• Having gone potty before leaving the house
• Well hydrated throughout the day, and not just right before practice
• Had a carbohydrate snack prior to practice (not protein as it can cause gastrointestinal issues)
• Wearing appropriate athletic wear for the forecasted weather
• Wearing well fitted running shoes that are not worn out

For the concern of the health and safety of the athletes, only those athletes who have received advanced approval from coaching staff may wear track spikes at practice. 

Track and field season practices are primarily held at varying locations to take advantage of different terrain and elevations to achieve training objectives. Locations include Al Pack Park track, Lagoon Valley Park, Centennial Park and Andrews Park all in Vacaville. 

The Thunderhawks exercise a number of health and safety precautions to mitigate possible illness and injury of our athletes:

• All coaching staff are required to complete and maintain compliance with USATF "SafeSport" program
• Should a child require to go to the bathroom, they will be escorted to the exterior of the building by a coach and at least one other teammate
• A first aid kit is maintained at all practices with a list of emergency contact numbers
• At least one coach must have a working cell phone throughout practice
• As warranted, coaching staff will discuss safety measures with athletes and establish safety parameters with field implements or other potential safety hazard
• Athletes who are not picked up timely by parents will be supervised by coaching staff until pick-up

Meets

The Solano Thunderhawks participate in a number of club, USATF and AAU meets throughout Northern California. Their is no obligation to attend the meets. Athletes compete against age-group peers. Fees for the meets are due typically a week before the meet and are collected by the team. The fees are typically less than $20.00 per athlete. The meets are generally one day in duration, but some of the larger and championship meets are typically two days long. The meets are held at high school or college facilities with areas for pop-up tents and bleacher seating. Sitting together as a team helps the athletes to build bonds with their teammates, and for coaching staff to timely communicate instructions or important changes to the athletes. The meets typically begin early in the morning, and can end in early afternoon or continue throughout the day.  While the Thunderhawks encourage families to stay through the duration of the meet so that all athletes receive the support and encouragement of their teammates and parents, we recognize that may not be possible for some families. Below is a list of recommended items to bring to the meets:

• Pop-up tent
• Chairs
• Bleacher seats/pads
• Cooler
• Snacks and beverages
• Cash for vendors
• Blankets or layered clothes
• Sunscreen
• Books, magazines, games and toys to pass time