Dear Athlete and Parent,

The parish track and field team is one of seven sports coordinated by the St. Joseph-St. Thomas parish Sports Council. The track and field team is a member of the Catholic Youth Organization-Staten Island Track and Field Friends (S.T.A.F.F.). CYO, through STAFF, which is a group of volunteers, organizes a group of track and field meets for grammer school children. The STAFF volunteers serve as the officials at the meets.  The meets are operated under the National Federation of High School Track and Field rules with certain rules adapted, clarified, adjusted, nullified or emphasized depending on the necessity of the league and its growth. The league and our team exist for the youth of Staten Island.  The team competed for the first time in the 1995 meets.

The children can compete in a variety of individual and relay running events. The distances range from 50 meters to 1,600 meters depending on the meet and age of the student athlete. All track meets are held in April, May and June on Staten Island. The meets are usually on Saturdays.  In some meets, they compete against children of their own grade while in others, against children in a grouping of grades (1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8). In one particular meet, each athlete is teamed with another teammate to compete as a two person team in an event.  Their combined total is the team results. In all cases, they always compete against the same gender.

The meets also include competition in the Shot Put, Long Jump and Standing Broad Jump. There are also speed walking events for grades 3-8.

Metals are awarded to each child competing in individual, relay or the teamed competition who finish first, second and third.

Our team will continue to compete through the assistance of adults as group coaches or coordinators.  We ask that the parents step forward and assist and they will be trained to work with the children.  The assistant of group coaches would assist at the practices and the meets, if the schedule permits. Each assistant coach will work with a two grade group of the same gender, who's child is in that group.  We have been very fortunate in having some of the alumni, who are competing in high school track, to come back and assist in the coaching.  We also ask the parent to assist, when possible in the officiating of meets.

We have track team alumni who have competed for Virginia Commonwealth University, Monmouth University, Lafayette College, Marim College and the Oneonta State College in addition to Moore Catholic, Msgr. Farrell, Notre Dame, St. Joseph Hill, St. John Villa, Staten Island Tech, and Tottenville High School and St. Joseph by the Sea.  If anyone is interested in joining the Track and Field or Cross Country teams, they can print the registration form (see below).  If there are any questions, they should contract Robert Smith at 718-948-5026 or email Robert at TERRIER72@aol.com.

Dear Athlete and Parent,

The St. Joseph/St. Thomas Parish cross country team had it's inaugural season in the Fall of 2001.  The team is one of seven sports coordinated by the St. Joseph/St. Thomas Parish Sports Council.  The team is a member of the Catholic Youth Organization-Staten Island Track and Field Friends (S.T.A.F.F.).  CYO, through STAFF, which is a group of volunteers, organizes group cross country meets for grammer school children.  The STAFF volunteers serve as the officials at the meets.  The meets are operated under the National Federation of High School Cross Country Track and Field rules.  Certain rules are adapted, adjusted, nullified, or emphasized depending on the necessity of our league and its growth.

The children compete in specific distant races depending on their grades and gender.  All meets are held in Clove Lake Park on Saturday afternoons in October.  The meets are held in the park on Royal Oak Avenue.  The last of the meets is considered the CYO Championships.  Our practices are at Wolf's Pond Park and Clove Lake Park.

The distances for each group of boys are the following:
        Grades 7-8 (1 1/2 miles)
        Grades 5-6 (1 mile)
        Grades 3-4 (1/2 mile)
        Grades 1-2 (1/4 mile)

        Grades Pre-K (1/4 mile)
The distances for each group of girls are the following:
        Grades 7-8 (1 mile)
        Grades 5-6 (1 mile)
        Grades 3-4 (1/2 mile)
        Grades 1-2 (1/4 mile)

        Grades Pre-K (1/4 mile)
The boys and girls are grouped separately into the ten groups so that there are two grades in each of the eight races.

Our only cross country alumni/alumnae have or are currently running for Lafayette College, Notre Dame Academy, Staten Island Tech, St. Joseph Hill, and St. Joseph by the Sea. Registration forms can be downloaded from the parish website (see below) or coming to the registrations held in January a

nd June in the parish school.  Please see the parish bulletin for dates. 

If anyone has any questions, they should contact Robert Smith at 718-948-5026 or email Robert at TERRIER72@aol.com.