Uniforms, Care, and ‘Inventory’

Uniform Information—Some Rules and also some Suggestions, and how to take care of our great new gear!

Our team has invested in some pretty great gear—for the first time in memory, our cross country team and our track & field team will have matching race uniforms, warm ups and even track bags!  Together with the various team t-shirts and sweatshirts that our team has and will continue to add to our collection, our team is going to look pretty terrific at our meets for years to come.  We should feel great about ourselves on the field!

There are also California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules about uniforms—and these rules can be very strictly followed particularly at the big meets.  Every year, I see an athlete DQed because of uniform rules.

This post will familiarize you with the Monta Vista team and CIF rules—as well as some suggestions so that we all look our best!

Uniform Tracking and Return

Every item–shorts, jacket, bag, singlet, pants–has a number written on the item.  (The numbers don’t match all the time–that is because you all want different sizes so we don’t have everything 4-4-4-4-4!  Sorry.)  You got a form with your gear that had the numbers of every item.  Please keep track of this we want you to return the same item!

Remember, you are responsible for returning each item that you were loaned in good condition.  You agreed to pay $50 for every lost or damaged item!

How to care for your uniform.

Uniforms are for racing only!  (if you love running in the shorts or singlet and want to work out in these items, you can order non-customized gear directly from Running Revolution).

Please take good care of your uniform so that you can return it in good condition and the uniform can be used again the following season.  Any lost or damaged item must be replaced for $50 per item.

Washing:  DO NOT BLEACH!  If stained, spot treat with Oxyclean spray stain treatment but NEVER BLEACH!  Wash the uniform in cold water with a mild detergent and no bleach and no fabric softener.  Dry on LOW and remove promptly, or you can hang to dry.  Be gentle please!  Do not iron!

Be careful of other colors you put in with the uniform—the purple is a strong color and may turn your other laundry purple too (or maybe a pale violet color!).

 Removing Hip # Sticky

1. The best answer is—remove the hip number right away!  Don’t let your hip number go through the wash!
2. If the hip number does go through the wash, we have a problem.  Honestly I’ve never left a hip number on through the wash but I’ve seen the results and it’s ugly!  Here are some odd suggestions I’ve found on Dyestat.com:
   1. Spray spot with WD-40, then wash area with Dawn dishwashing liquid, then rewash as usual.
   2. A cleaning product called M-30 found at some drug stores…put it on the area and leave on overnight, then wash.
   3. Goo-Gone or Krud Kutter (where do they get these names?)

But the best thing to do is just not let the hip number sticky go through the wash!

Uniform Options

Shorts:

Monta Vista provides all team members with uniform shorts for racing; the current shorts are:

ASICS Interval Split Short Purple-White Boys TF1069-6301/Girls TF1014-6301

We understand some of you don’t like the split shorts.  If you would like a slightly longer short you may purchase this yourself.  The alternative short is:

ASICS Interval Short Purple-White Boys TF1068-6301/Girls TF1013-6301

Running Revolution store will special order these shorts (or any of the other gear listed here) for you.

Running Revolution

511 East Campbell Avenue

Campbell, CA 95008-2101

(408) 374-9307

If you want a longer short to wear during warm ups (not races), we suggest you purchase a long white or purple short as a cover-up.  This short may also be used by the throwing team in competition.   The recommended short is:

ASICS Player 10” Short, White on white BT881-0101

The Rev (Running Revolution) can order this short for you, too.

During warm ups or after competition, we suggest you wear one of the many Monta Vista cross country, track, athletic department or Monta Vista event t-shirts you might have, something purple, yellow, or white, or a shirt from an invitational where you have competed.  Especially our new gray MVXCOUNTRY or MVTRACK&FIELDtech shirts!   Wearing this gear supports your team and gives us a nice group look!  We request that you do not wear college gear, pro gear, or other random colors to meets.  We are not going to spend any time enforcing this particular request but we hope that you show your team spirit—and respect the money that the school has invested in your uniform—by supporting your team in the way you show up and represent at our competitions.

 Some Important NFHS Uniform Rules

These are NOT suggestions, these are rules in place by the folks who run the leagues and the meets.  So follow these rules or you could be disqualified!

• Must wear a school issued track top and track bottom.
• The uniform must be worn as intended by the manufacturer.
• The top may NOT be knotted.
• The top must hang below or be tucked into the waistband of the bottoms (no bare midriff tops).
• High cut apparel is not acceptable as a uniform bottom.
• The waistband of the bottom must be worn above the hips and not rolled over.
• Any visible garment worn underneath the uniform top and/or bottom shall be a single, solid color ( for Monta Vista, either white [preferred] purple, gold, or black [less preferred] and if more than one garment is worn under the uniform top or bottom, then all must be the same color).
• Removing any part of the uniform (except shoes) while in the area of competition is illegal.
• Special considerations for cross country and for relay teams:
  • All members must wear the same color and design of uniform although the length of the bottoms may vary.
  • Any visible garments under the uniforms must be the same color, and the same color for all teammates wearing this garment (although length may vary).
  • Jewelry may not be worn by any contestant.
    • This includes all jewelry, and yes, LIVESTRONG bands and similar bracelets are considered to be jewelry.
    • Medical alert medals are not considered jewelry.
      • Must be taped to the body; alert may be visible.
• Religious medals are not considered jewelry.
  • Must be worn under the uniform and taped to the body.
• A watch may be worn around the wrist.
• Hair ties must be soft (not hard pins or barrets).  Hair ribbons are acceptable but must be school colors (purple, gold and white) and the same for the team.

Note to Our Parents

First, thank you very much for allowing your children to join the cross country and track & field teams.  We realize that at Monta Vista, there is a constant tension between academic achievement and extracurricular activities.  We are very aware that coaching your children is a privilege and, as coaches, we take our responsibilities seriously.  Our goal is to give all the members of our teams an athletic experience which continues their education, improves their health, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and provides opportunities for fostering personal growth.

We had a lot of discussions among the coaches, with administration, and with some parents about whether or not to charge athletes a ‘uniform fee’ to pay for the investment in our new uniforms.  Ultimately, we decided not to have a mandatory uniform fee.  The primary reason is that we believe that running in high school has the potential to change a person’s life—running can be the start of improved health and better life for the rest of our students’ lives—that we did not want to put any barriers in the way of any student joining the team.  At the same time, we believe that high quality uniforms create a great team atmosphere, make the athletes proud, and subtly improve the experience of being on a team.  So, while we have made a considerable investment in clothing that we believe will make a difference in the way our athletes feel about themselves and improve their experience, there will be no mandatory charge.

However, if your family has the financial capability, and if you believe that the Monta Vista running program is providing some benefits for your child, we would like to ask you to consider an additional voluntary contribution to the Boosters fund.   This donation will be tax deductible to you.  You can make a donation to support Cross Country or Track at any time by providing a check to the head coach.  The check should specify that the donation is made to support the cross country and/or track teams, and the check can be made out to either Monta Vista Athletic Boosters or Monta Vista ASB.  Thank you so very much for even considering further financial support for MV Running!