Junior Olympics
Saturday, April 26, 2008 @ Mountain View High School:

The Los Altos School District is proud to offer you a fun-filled day: this year’s Junior Olympics! This means that each and every one of our Oak School 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students are eligible to participate. This is the culmination of their training and a chance to shine and go for a personal best in an athletic event. This is a chance to support your child and the Oak School student body through your attendance, volunteer efforts and cheering of all these fantastic kids!

In this site you will find the following:

• Description of Events: A reminder of what each of the events entails.
• Parent Volunteer Opportunities:: Junior Olympics could not happen without the dedicated support of so many parents. Being part of JO can be so much fun! Please review the volunteer time slots available to Oak parents and let us know how you want to help on April 26. Return this form to the Oak office by April 8 or email your choices to Pat Kapp
• Event Schedule: The times at which students of different grades and gender will compete. This is a very useful tool to use in determining parent volunteer sign-ups.
• Event Map: A map of the Mountain View High School and the location of each event.
• 2008 Junior Olympics Results

Students have already ordered any required t-shirts during their PE instruction. We expect that most 5th and 6th graders will re-use the shirts they received in prior years. Students must wear these t-shirts to compete in their events. New t-shirts, confirmed event selections and detailed day of information will be sent home two days before the event on Thursday April 24.

For those families who have a student participating in the 1320 run, please remember that this event takes place prior to Opening Ceremonies on the day of Junior Olympics. Participants in the 1320 event should plan to be at Mountain View High School no later than 7:30 am on April 26.

Junior Olympics is an exciting, full day, a fantastic climax to the effort put forth by our students during the training period. We need to have all participants ready for opening ceremonies at 8:45 am in the MVHS main parking lot. The opening ceremony begins at 9:00 am with a parade of all district participants around the high school track. Individual events begin at 9:35 am (with the exception of the early morning 1320 run) and conclude in the early afternoon allowing all families and students to observe the relay team competitions. Participants receive a souvenir award and first through sixth place ribbons will be awarded in all events. The “Oak School Tent” will be available for students and families to congregate and “take a break”.

Please remember, your kids need guidance in good rest, nutrition, and the benefits of training and appropriate, safe attire. And, you, our parent volunteers, are essential to ensuring that all event preparation tasks and event day activities are executed and completed successfully. We strongly encourage you to make this year’s Junior Olympics a family event!

Thank you for your support.

DESCRIPTION OF JUNIOR OLYMPICS EVENTS

Note: This is just an overview of the events. A detailed training guide will be distributed to volunteers at the Train-the-Trainers sessions and during training by P.E. Specialists. If you would like one, please see your school representative or call one of the chairpersons.

FIELD EVENTS:

BASKETBALL FREE THROWS:
Score is counted by number of baskets made out of 12 attempts. 4th graders are allowed to use the 12 foot line, 5th graders are allowed to step or jump over the foul line (the 15 foot line) and 6th graders will use the 15 foot line. Two practice throws will be given.

CHIN-UPS:
Using either grasp (palms facing you or palms away from you, or mixed grip), hang from hands on a high horizontal bar so that the body is vertical and the extended toes not touching the floor or ground. By bending the elbows, raise body until the chin is raised above the bar. Relax arms, lower body until arms are fully extended before “chinning” the bar. Repeat until limit is reached. No swinging of body while chinning.One attempt is given.

STANDING LONG JUMP:
The feet may be placed in any position up to, but not touching, the starting line but shall leave the mat only once in making an attempt to jump. Rocking forward and backward, that is, lifting heels and toes alternately from the ground, is permitted but both feet must leave the mat at the same time. Measurement is made from the starting line to the nearest mark on the mat by any part of the body at the completion of the jump. (Use heel, not ball of foot in marking.) A separate area will be provided for practice jumps. Two official jumps are given. Judges must consistently double-check for false starts.

SOFTBALL THROW:
A softball is thrown from behind a line, and the distance is measured from the line to the first mark made by the fall of the ball. An unlimited run is permitted, but the thrower must not cross the line in making the throw. Two throws are allowed. An 11-inch softball is to be used.

30 SECOND ROPE JUMPING:
Student uses individual rope, hanging from hands at hips with rope touching the ground behind the feet (rope should be turned forward). On a signal, the student jumps as many times as possible within the time limit. It is important to anticipate the speed of counting and judgment of both feet clearing the rope at once for one count. STUDENTS MAY JUMP WITH BOTH FEET SIMULTANEOUSLY OR IN A JOGGING FASHION, ALTERNATING FEET. The rope clearing the feet is the count. If a student misses, he again starts with the rope behind his feet as at the beginning and the count is continued. Time: 30 seconds. One attempt is given, with the total number of jumps counted, regardless of the number of misses. This event requires two counters per jumper and a timer. The official score will be the average of the scores of the two counters.

RUNNING EVENTS:

Note: No cleats, spikes, soccer shoes, track shoes, or bare feet. Students should warm up and stretch prior to each event.

75 YARD DASH:
A standing start, crouch, or sprinter’s start may be used (no starting blocks are used). Runners must stay in lanes and should sprint through the finish line. If they veer into another lane or have a third false start they are disqualified.

60 YARD HURDLES:
Three sets of 24” hurdles are spaced 15 yards apart with a 15-yard run to the finish tape. Runners must stay in lanes and should sprint through the finish line. If they veer into another lane or have a third false start they are disqualified.

1320 YARD RUN:
Runners will run on grass and finish on the track. They need to run relaxed using a consistent pace. They do not have to stay in lanes but are not allowed to cut in front of and cause another runner to break stride.

400 METER RELAY:
The 400 uses a staggered start, with each of the four runners going approximately 100 meters (4 x 100 = 440). Each team runs the whole race in its lane. The baton must be passed within the passing zone or the team is disqualified. A dropped baton can be retrieved and the race continued. When retrieving a baton or at any point in the race if a team member obstructs another team’s runner (causes them to break stride) the team is disqualified.

TRAINING:

Training will be initiated and run by the District P. E. Department at every school at the same time to insure that all students have an equal chance of success. Each school will train two times a week during regularly scheduled P.E. times. P.E. Specialists will be assisted by parent volunteers who attend a Training-the-Trainers session. P.E. Specialists will time each child at least once prior to formation of relay teams. Relay teams are trained by parent volunteers outside of school hours or during lunchtime and all schools will begin relay training at the same time. See Training Guidelines for more details.

Junior Olympic Volunteer Opportunities:

Saturday, April 26, 2008:

Below you will find several ways that you can help as a volunteer at the LASD Junior Olympics. Please review the order of events to help you with selecting a shift time that work with your child’s participation schedule. Please return a printable Parent Volunteer Form to the Oak Office by, Tuesday, April 8, or email your selections to Pat Kapp.

Name:_________________________________ Email:______________________________

Phone:________________________________ Cel #:___________________________

1st Position Choice:___________________________ Time:_____________________________

2nd Position Choice:__________________________________ Time:_____________________________

Event Schedule

Click here to see a Map of Junior Olympic Events.

Go Cougars!!!,

The JO Committee

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