Track events???

ok so i am in the 8th grade and i'm doing track for the first time and we are choosing events tomorrow and we need 3. i have no clue what to do, long distance is NOT an option, i was thinking the 100, maybe the 200, and then a field event like discus and maybe the tripple jump. what events are most popular and competetive? which ones do you need to be more skilled and experienced to be good? I was also curious what a meet is like, do a lot of people watch when you do your event? i am wicked scared i don't want to blow it and make a fool of myself.

Track events???
middle school? Don't listen to everyone telling you how hard or w/e the events are, it's middle school.





the 100 and 200 are really fun. The 100 esp. It's an all out sprint that you don't even get tired from.





Triple jump is really fun too, as w/ long jump just run really fast and you'll do good.





The 300m hurdles and 800m dash are the 2 hardest events in all of track.





throwing? easy and fun
Reply:I Love track too. My favorite event is the 200. It's awesome it's quick but slow at the same time. At my school (I'm also in the 8th grade) we have the long jump. That is most popular in my state. High jump is fun, but it;s good to have long legs. Umm, All the events are good. Short distance is for quick runners. Long distance is to build good stamana. Good luck.
Reply:I ran track in college and when I first started in high school I was terrified as well. Track meets are filled with lots of spectators and other athletes. It is understandable to be scare or a little frightened your first time, but in time you will learn to love the environment. Since you are in the 8th grade and you have already said that distance is out... I would say to do the 200 and 400. Why?? The 100m is loaded and if you are not semi-fast I would not do it. It is too short of a race and you must be fast. The 200m and 400m are also fast races as well, but they are also the races where youth of your age will give out the fastest. If you have a little endurance and some heart, you will be able to run these races and only get better! I never did field events, but if I had to choose one it would have been the discus because of my arm strength, and long jump because I could jump. Long jump will not take you very long to learn the steps, but in time you will have to learn your marks in order to get better. I am sure you will not make a fool of yourself. Work hard this week and you will eventually find your nitch and be a great athlete!
Reply:ask your coach what she thinks that you would be good at. since it is your first track year experiment!! try different combinations of what you run and make sure your running events aren't too close together. 400m, 800m, and mile relay is good ; ) that's what i run!
Reply:i'm on my third year of track. don't do any of the jumps unless they taught you how to jump. expecially triple jump. there are certain techniques too jumps that you should learn in practice before running at a meet.





if your good at pacing yourself then the 800 is good, and its only half a mile.





the 100 is super fast but its a short distance so it will be over soon enough.





the 200 is half a lap and you have to make sure you sprint the whole thing. if your good at sprinting then its a good event





the 400 which is one lap can be hard because it is longer but you will have more time to catch up to your competiters.





since you need three events maybe do a relay. relays are alot of fun, just make sure someone shows you which arm to catch the baton in.





depending on the meets it can differ on the amount of people watching you. usually your team will be cheering you on the whole time which is fun to hear your name called. if its an away game it wont be too scary cause most of the ppl there you wont see ever again [ except for your team mates] . i was really scared my first meet too but don't worry, it's only one meet and you will improve as the season goes on. good luck!
Reply:Don't worry about people watching you, the nice thing about track is there are usually small crowds and you can't really blow it. Even if you fall over in the middle of a race, everyone is just concerned and relieved when you get back up. I did track for 8 years, so I can promise that. Plus you generally make really good friends with your teammates, my best friend and I have been running buddies since track 8 years ago. So it's actually fun to compete, and fun to attend the meets since you get to hang out.





As for events, the 100 and 200 are nice shorter races, have you thought of doing a 4*100 relay? you'd need to practice hand offs but if you like the sprints, that'd be fun. I was a jumper and can say that without training you can still throw out a decent long jump and a decent triple jump. High jump you need to train for and work on technque to get good at, but it's incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun.





All the events can be pretty competitive, but track people are good people, so it's not in a mean way.





Just get out there and have fun, and good luck!
Reply:The 100 and 200 are quick races, and you have to be extremely fast. I would suggest the 400, once around the track, and the 800, twice around the track. They are not long distance either. In field events you have to be extremely good to come in the top. I am a track runner, but I have never participated in a field event. If I had to choose I would be high jump or long jump. Pole Vaulting seems like fun, but you have to have a huge amount of upper body strength. I suggest you give one event a try and if you don't like it switch to a new event. Just remember there is always room for improvement in any event. Good Luck.
Reply:So if you are a beginner go for the 100 and 200 and for feild events I go for long jump