Track and Field Essentials for Your Elementary School Child

Elementary school children need a lot of exercise to stay healthy. Track and field is a sport that can help them achieve this goal. There are several aspects to track and field that can fit different styles of students. Short distance running, long distance running, jumping, hurdles, shot put, pole vault, and others are part of track and field events. Elementary students need to be prepared by buying the right track and field essential items to get them ready for the field. Things like good running shoes and proper workout clothes are required for participating in track and field events. Buying them can be easy and economical if the right research is done.

Running Shoes
The right running shoe can make a world of difference when competing in a track and field event. Running shoes need to fit the foot of a growing child. This means the toe area needs to be wide enough for the toe spread of a child. If the foot is compromised and the toes cannot be spread correctly in a child, their stability is compromised as well. This can cause injury during track and field events. Do not buy track cleats for elementary children. These are more harmful than helpful for this age group. Luckily, there are plenty of running shoes on the market for elementary school children. New Balance has a wide variety of running shoes in many different colors. ASICS is another brand that has a top selling running shoe. Buy Puma running shoes or Brooks Kids running shoes for any elementary school child to compete in during track and field.

Water Bottles
During vigorous activity, an elementary school child must stay fully hydrated. Good hydration helps enhance performance and minimizes risk of injury. For track and field, it is essential for elementary school students to bring a water bottle with them while they participate. Having their own water bottle will not only let them stay hydrated but it will stop them from passing germs to each other. There are several styles of reusable water bottles to choose from. There are some that have built in ice packs and some with removable bottoms to make it easier to wash. There are aluminum water bottles, BPA-free plastic water bottles, and stainless steel water bottles. All of these selections are great choices for elementary students to use during track and field activities.

Towels
It is important for an elementary school student to bring their own towel to use during track and field activities. This is to prevent the spread of bacteria and other germs. Since track and field is an outdoor sport performed in the heat, elementary students tend to sweat. This requires a towel to dry off from the heat. Athletic towels or gym towels are smaller towels that can be carried easily for quick drying off. They come in assorted colors and are reasonably priced. Towels are absorbent and super easy to store in a duffle bag or backpack.

Clothing
To perform at their best, an elementary student needs to be comfortable. Gym shorts and T-shirts are the best workout clothes for track and field events. Girls and boys alike can wear a wide array of shorts and T-shirts. Many schools will provide the children with track and field uniforms. Running shorts are great for track and field events. They feature a great fit to give support for fast-paced running. Tank tops and T-shirts are perfect to keep an elementary school child from overheating during a track and field event. On colder days, track jackets and track suits are perfect for keeping warm. They are lightweight and help keep moisture out. Staying comfortable keeps performance levels at their best for elementary students during track and field.

Stopwatch
A good stopwatch helps an elementary student keep track of their time performing the event. Stopwatches are used for practice and for actual events. There are two different types of stopwatches-- mechanical and digital. Both mechanical and digital stopwatches are good for elementary school track and field. The purpose of a stopwatch is to record the time it takes to complete a lap or run. It helps calculate the speed the runner makes in a particular distance. Stopwatch functions are start, pause, stop, and reset. They measure time accurately to help track and field participants improve the running scores.