Dear Parent/Guardian:
Your daughter has decided to be a member of the 2020 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy High School Track & Field Team. Practice for our upcoming season will begin on Monday, November 4th, 2019. Practice will take place at the Hudson & Campbell Sports complex located at 455 Massachusetts Street Gary, IN 46402. Transportation will be provided to practice from the school but will NOT be provided back to the school. Parents should pick up students from that location between 6:00p and 6:15p. Each track practice will begin at 4:00pm and end at 6:00pm Monday through Friday. We will practice indoors until Mid-March and then we will begin practicing outdoors. Once we begin practicing outdoors, student-athletes will need to be dressed appropriately. The only weather event that prevents us from practicing outdoors is lightning. Should we begin practicing and lightning is seen we will move the practice indoors. The only exception to this rule are the days we are involved in competition. Each practice is mandatory as each practice builds off the previous practice. You can expect your daughter to be ready to leave practice by 6:00pm every day and leaving early will count as an absence, six unexcused absences will result in dismissal from the team. Each athlete will need a pair of shorts, sweatpants, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and appropriate shoes to run in. A meet schedule and information pertaining to TBLA Girls Track & Field can be found at www.bowmantrackgirls.com
Students who are academically ineligible cannot represent Thea Bowman Leadership Academy in competition. Additionally any student with failing grades cannot practice with our team. A student athlete receiving one failing grade in the third quarter will be ineligible for the remainder of the track season.
In addition to being academically eligible, ALL student athletes must be physically eligible. Students must have a completed IHSAA Physically Eligible to Compete Form (physical) on file with the Athletic Office before November 4th, 2019. This is done by having a physician complete the form and return it to your coach. An athletic fee of $150.00 must be paid to remain eligible and an additional $25.00 per sport must be paid to remain eligible. Athletic fees may be paid to the front office and are due by January 21st, 2020.
Please be mindful of the fact that your student will be involved in strenuous physical activity for the two hours she is with the team. She will not be available for phone calls during this time and to help keep loss and distraction at a minimum, athletes are required to keep phones locked in a safe place for the duration of the practice. A safe place for phones will be provided.
If there are any questions regarding the above information, please see me between 6:00p and 6:15p any day we have practice.
Coach T. Douglas
Coach K. Gates
