Response to article on indoor track

(In response to an article published earlier this season in the Asheville Citizen-Times.) By Brett Honeycutt NCPrepTrack.com Indoor track may seem unusual to the casual observer, but it's common on the pro circuit and the collegiate ranks and is growing in popularity at the high school level, especially here in North Carolina. Recently, some have slighted the sport, saying training outdoors is odd and that participation numbers show the sport is not doing well. I take issue with this, mainly because it is untrue and secondly because I am a former runner and have done research to show the numbers used were skewed. Training outdoors for indoor track is common. People who think differently are just not informed. And numbers for participation for indoor track were the highest ever for boys and second-most for girls last year (see chart below story), so any throwing around of statistics to show that indoor track isn't popular is false and seemingly one-sided in its presentation. As far as training goes, I ran cross country and indoor and outdoor track for four years at a Division I school in the foothills of Virginia - and trained outdoors for indoor meets. Sometimes the gusting winds were unbearable and the rain seemed to never stop, but we trained. Runners who want to be good will do this.My competition did too, especially distance runners. Every school doesn't have an indoor facility, so you make do with what you have. Look around, most college programs at any level (NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA) don't have indoor facilities, but yet they train and prepare each year whether it's outdoors or in a modified indoor training facility. Indoor track is a growing sport, with the University of North Carolina opening a new indoor facility last year after years of having the "Tin Can" and hosting meets to promote a sport which 21 states host championships in because there is a need and desire for competition before the outdoor season. Appalachian State opened a facility a few years ago and plans on hosting a high school meet either next year or the year after, according to coaches I spoke to at the school. But there are more facilities in driving distance, and some, although out of state, are closer for some high schools than the facilities in North Carolina. Though UNC Asheville did not host a meet this season, they could do one and have in the past. Clemson, less than two hours from Charlotte, will be hosting a high school meet at their brand new 6 lane, 200 meter, flat, mondo surfaced track in March. Other schools like, the University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Fork Union Military Academy, are in reasonable driving distance for schools. Some may say, "We can't afford the costs of that trip or there aren't facilities close enough for us." That's why the NCHSAA agreed to host outdoor meets so athletes could meet indoor qualifying standards for the state meet. I'll be honest, I'm not excited about meets like this. However, it does meet a need for many coaches and athletes, as far as finances and participation are concerned. When I was in college, the Univeristy of Richmond would host an outdoor meet during indoor season and our school would send athletes. Although that's rare, it's not like North Carolina is doing something strange. As far as participation numbers go for indoor track, they hit an all-time high for boys' schools and for the girls, it was the second-most ever last year. In the boys, 176 schools participated, 38 more than the previous high of 138 in the 1999/2000 season. On the girls' side, 126 schools participated, the second-most behind the 127 schools that fielded teams in 1999/2000. Although participation numbers for individuals were down (1,521 for boys and 1,327 for girls), it was still the eighth best for boys since the N.C. High School Athletic Association began keeping these figures in the 1986/1987 season - the first year the NCHSAA sponsored the indoor state championships. The girls particpation numbers were the sixth best in 16 years. One could argue a reason individual participation was down last year was because the NCHSAA didn't announce there would be a state met until the 2001-2002 season was well under way, which hurt participation for last year. At one of the regional athletic director meetings, they actually said they weren't having a state meet. Many athletic directors told their coaches there would be no indoor track. Numbers for this season won't be available until next year. But I believe when they are released, you will see they are just as strong as in years past, and in some cases, maybe better. But remember these few things: 1) Training outdoors for indoor meets is common. Many colleges don't even have an indoor facility, but still field and indoor team. 2) Also, when people quote numbers and compare them with other things, make sure you have ALL of the facts and figures before you believe them or before you form an opinion. Remember, people can make stats show anything. That is one reason we are providing you with this chart below so you can see the rise in popularity of indoor track, instead of forming your opinion based on what someone else tells you. It shows participation levels since the NCHSAA began holding indoor championships. Numbers were provided by the National Federation of High Schools, which received their numbers from the NCHSAA. INDOOR TRACK PARTICIPATION NOTE: The number of participating schools is listed first, followed by the number of actual participants Year; BOYS; GIRLS 2001/02; 176; 1,521; 126; 1,327 2000/01; 117; 2,069; 111; 1,728 1999/00; 138; 1,990; 127; 1,742 1998/99; 132; 2,034; 120; 1,680 1997/98; 114; 1,786; 103; 1,486 1996/97; 125; 1,618; 118; 1,254 1995/96; 119; 1,895; 108; 1,550 1994/95; 112; 1,519; 96; 1,101 1993/94; 105; 1,400; 97; 988 1992/93; 99; 1,782; 90; 1,260 1991/92; 72; 1,181; 72; 749 1990/91; 75; 1,132; 70; 711 1989/90; 70; 1,050; 65; 715 1988/89; 87; 1,305; 72; 792 1987/88; 66; 1,320; 57; 1,140 1986/87; 41; 441; 13; 271 *The 1986/87 season was the first year the NCHSAA sponsored the indoor state championships. Brett Honeycutt Charlotte, NC

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