Miss Penny: Hi, Kid Vision Kids.

I am so excited to be here at a track and field practice.

But before we get started, I think we need to learn more about where we're at.

Shiny, can you help us?

Great.

Kid Vision Kids, this is where the sport track and field happens.

Track and field is a sport that includes contest based on running, jumping, and throwing.

Let's break down the name of the sport, track and field.

The track is where the athletes run.

Each athlete runs on their own lane.

Depending on the race, the athletes run different distances.

Sometimes they run 100 meters, 200 meters, or 400 meters.

Wow.

400 meters is the entire lap around the track.

All right.

Let's talk about the field.

The field is where the athletes practice throwing and jumping skills.

I can't wait to learn more about track and field events with the Honest Runners team.

Let's go.

That was perfect.

Thank you.

Now we're ready for track and field.

Let's go warm up.

To prepare your muscles for practice, it is very important to warm up and stretch.

Now that we're warmed up, let's find out more about the sport.

What is track and field?

Coach Monica: With track and field, we have different events that the kids compete in.

We have the 100, the 200, the 400, the 800, the 1600.

We also have called a race walk.

We have long jump and high jump.

We have shot put.

That's another field event.

Kids participate in different events depending on their time.

A lot of kids participate with track from five-years-old into high school, into college.

And some might make it into the Olympics one day.

That'd be a good experience for our kids, so.

Miss Penny: Oh, it'd be great.

Coach Monica Yes.

Miss Penny: What is the job of a coach?

Coach Charona So the job of a coach is to motivate the kids, not to come down hard on them.

To let them know that if they dig deep, they can be whatever they want to be.

If they want to be the top athlete in their age group, just to try to motivate them to come to practice and practice hard every day.

Coach: Good job, good job, good job, good job.

Squat a little bit.

Now we're just spinning the top.

All right?

Good job.

And pushing out, one motion.

All right.

Focus.

Make sure you finish high.

It's on you.

Good.

Good.

Good, good, good, good.

Coach Charona: Practice, they're coming out here, they're warming up, they're learning different techniques, they're going to stretch.

And then they're going to do the same events over and over and over again.

It's going to be repetitive so they can build up the strength that they need to go and compete.

And once we get to a track meet, it's showtime.

It's time for them to turn it on.

They have to put forth their best effort because you only have one time to make it to the finals.

I'm out here to really motivate them and to teach them the fundamentals of track.

We are a teaching club.

So Honest Runners of North Miami is a nonprofit organization.

We're not only grooming young athletes, we're grooming productive citizens as well.

Coach Monica: Trying to mentor them to be better people.

Coach Charona: Children need something positive to do after school.

We teach the children from very young the techniques, how to breathe, how to stay in their lanes, how to just get out and run each event and run their own race and not be so concerned about the person next to them.

Track and field is also just about determination.

You know how the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

So as they come out here every day and they get accustomed to running, it gets easier and easier and easier.

Once you win, it's the best feeling in the world.

Miss Penny: Yeah.

Coach: Shot put, it's a fun event.

It's not all about strength.

People think it's all about strength, but it's not.

You have to learn a certain technique in order to throw the ball in a certain way.

You ready?

Miss Penny: Okay.

Coach: All right.

Miss Penny: I'm ready.

I'm ready.

Coach: You want to get this here under your neck, but under your ear but before your jaw bone, okay?

With your palm out, you press that against your neck.

All right.

This off arm uses as a momentum swinger.

All right.

This is what pulls your body for your throw.

All right?

You're also going to have to bend your knees.

Okay?

Bend your knees and twist your upper body.

Then you're going to have a pull and push action, pull and push.

Your elbow is going to pull here.

And this arm is going push the ball out.

Okay?

All right.

So it has to push from your neck.

That motion, just like that.

Finish high.

Miss Penny: The goal is to throw this far as you can?

Coach: Right.

Who can throw it the farthest, that's the goal.

Miss Penny: Okay.

Coach: You know what I mean?

But it's like I said, there's a lot of technique behind it.

But once you get the technique down, the better you can throw it.

All right.

Let's give it another shot.

Do it.

Hand out.

All right.

Let's bend and twist.

Push out.

Good.

Push.

Good job.

Good job.

Good job.

Push and pull.

Good job.

Good job.

Good job.

That was good.

Great job.

Miss Penny: Thank you.

Coach: All right.

No problem.

Athlete: Hi, Miss Penny.

I'm Tamaya.

I'm a thrower.

I do shot put and discus.

Miss Penny: And how do you feel about being on a team?

Athlete: I like being on a team.

It surrounds me by people who are positive about the sport and they're self driven as well so it makes me want to be good.

I like to see other people who succeed around me, so that drives me to want to succeed.

Miss Penny: Yeah, it makes a difference.

Athlete: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Miss Penny: It does.

And tell me about your outfit.

Athlete: These are my throwing shoes.

You wear the throwing shoes so it's better when you spin and it helps with the sport.

The runners have their spikes so we have our throwing shoes.

Miss Penny: What's on the bottom of your throwing shoes?

Athlete: It's nothing on the bottom.

It's pretty slippery.

So it just helps.

There's no groove or anything so it's easier to spin in a circle.

Everyone wears pretty much tight fitting clothing in track, something that's easy to move in.

If you wear something too loose, it'll hold you back.

Miss Penny: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Great.

Wow.

Your friends are really fast.

And it was wonderful to watch you when you were leading the warmups.

You're Maya, right?

Maya: Yes.

Miss Penny: It's so nice to meet you.

Maya: Nice to meet you too.

Miss Penny: Can you show me the proper running technique?

Maya: Just want to make sure your upper body and your hips, everything's straight.

And then you're just going to move your arms and you're going to bring your knees up and then also stay on the ball of your feet on your toes.

Miss Penny: It's a lot to think about.

Maya: Yes.

Miss Penny: When did you start running?

Maya: I started running when I was eight.

Miss Penny: You're a natural leader.

I loved to watch you lead the whole team in warmups.

How do you feel about leading?

Maya: It feels amazing.

Out here I feel like around a bunch of my family members, like we're all one big family.

Every day I come to practice I'm always laughing, smiling.

It's amazing to be out here with them.

Miss Penny: Yeah.

You really build relationships and they're going to last a lifetime.

Maya: Yes.

Miss Penny: It's wonderful.

Coach Charona: So I'd like to introduce you to my team.

Honest Runners Track Club.

Miss Penny: Hi everyone.

Group: Hi.

Miss Penny: It is so nice to meet you.

I'd like to ask you some questions.

Who would like to tell me what their favorite part is about being on a track team?

Athlete: We get to do a lot of practices and it's my dream to go to the Olympics.

Miss Penny: You want to be the fastest man in the world?

Athlete: Yes.

Miss Penny: I bet you can do it.

Hi, what's your name?

Ojamile Khamaje: [Ojamile Khamaje 00:08:14].

Miss Penny: And how old are you?

Athlete: Three.

Miss Penny: You're three and you're running already?

Athlete: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Miss Penny: I saw you running before.

You're really fast.

Yeah.

So fast.

So you two run together?

Athlete: Yes.

Our dad, he tries, if you get tired or about to quit, he tries to motivate us to keep going until we finish and finish hard.

Athlete: And then we have so much fun together.

Miss Penny: Because you don't give up on yourself, right?

Athlete: Yes.

Athlete: Don't stop and don't give up.

Miss Penny: Don't stop and don't give up.

That's very good advice.

So you've been running track a long time.

When you're running and you're winning and you're losing, it helps you in life.

Don't you feel that way?

Athlete Yeah.

Miss Penny: That if you lose, you feel like, okay, but I can keep going and do it better next time?

Athlete: Yeah.

It helps me by finding a different way to look at things and to do things.

So say if I don't win the first time, I'll come back harder and do it again.

Miss Penny: Today was a great experience watching practice and being part of it.

Thank you so much for inviting Shiny and I.

Coach Charona: Of course, of course.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Miss Penny: We did.

We learned so much about track and field.

Coach Charona: Kids, we want you all to come and join us as well.

If you're interested in registering with Honest Runners, please visit North Miami Parks Department.

Thank you.

Miss Penny: Yes.

Yeah, they can run outside and get ready.

Coach Charona: Right.

To start, just start running around your neighborhood.

It's just that easy.

Everyone: Bye.