ATHLETIC SURFACES
Photo courtesy of Fisher Tracks , Inc .
FIELD EVENTS Field events are an aspect essential to a fully appointed competition track . These events are classified as follows :
Jumps : High jump , pole vault , steeplechase , long jump , and triple jump Throws : Hammer throw , shot put , discus , javelin Although tradition would have as many of the field events as possible located within the track oval , today ’ s school tracks often surround football and multi-sport fields that are constantly in use , making that impractical .
“ I am really seeing the desire to have the events inside the oval and the main driver is coming from the coaching staff , who want to have all of their kids within one viewing area ,” said Fisher . “ Obviously , the throwing events are outside and usually on a practice field nearby . A few schools — mainly new schools with a lot of real estate — are tending to put the event areas outside of the oval and within a fence .”
Field surface is a key consideration in determining the location of throwing events . UEFA , the European governing body for soccer , has guidelines on synthetic
Photo courtesy of Huntress Associates , Inc .
28 SportsField Management | February 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com