*****2022-23 SCHEDULE*****

2022 Cross Country Season

Practice

• First day of practice - Wednesday Aug. 10th.
• Practice time 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• We will meet under the covered area directly behind the school and in front of the field house.
• If you have a conflict with after school practice (7th volleyball or 8th football) then you must attend morning practice. See info below.

Morning Practice ONLY

• Starts at 6:15 a.m.
• Arrive in school appropriate athletic clothes ready to workout. You will not enter the locker room until after the workout.
• We will meet under the covered area directly behind the school and in front of the field house.

Questions? Contact Coach Fife - jfife@newcaneyisd.org

To sign up for the Cross Country Remind Group text @2022woxc to the number 81010.

If anyone has trouble with 81010, they can try texting @2022woxc to (484) 241-4261.

If you prefer the Remind App the class name is 2022 Warrior XC and the class code is @2022woxc.

What is Cross Country?

• Long distance competitive running, training & racing (2 miles or more)
• Competitive races
  • Junior High race distance = 2 miles
  • Every course is different
    • Trails, woods, flat, hilly, grassy, sandy, muddy
  • Training is very physically demanding
  • Requires strong courage, commitment, discipline & dedication
• Team
  • 5 – 7 runners make up a team
  • 1st 5 runners earn points for the team based on the place they finish.
    • e. If you finished in 10th place this would give your team 10 points
    • Team with the lowest point total wins.
  • 6th and 7th runners are also counted & used for tie breakers or replacements in case of injury during the race.
    • Every runner is important.

Expectations

• Academics – Priority #1
  • Students must be eligible – NO PASS, NO PLAY
  • Students who fail to maintain passing grades on a regular basis will be removed from the team
• Behavior
  • Athletics is a privilege and athletes are held to a higher standard of behavior.
  • If you are a discipline problem at school, you will be removed from the team.
• Attendance
  • You must communicate with the coach in person or by email if you miss practice.
  • You must make-up miles/workouts missed before next competition in order to participate.
• A Cross Country Runner should be…..
  • Courageous, hardworking, tough, committed, competitive, coachable, and a good teammate

Practice Rules

• Practice will start on time, with or without you.
• You must communicate absence with Coach beforehand.
• If you are ill or injured, see the coach at beginning of practice. Otherwise 100% effort is expected.
• Mentally prepare for practice by reviewing your goals.
• Always come to practice in acceptable gear.
• During fatigue training your encouragement for your teammates is valuable & expected.

Equipment/Gear

• Shoes – Asics, Nike, Saucony, Brooks, Mizuno
• Running/Gym Shorts
• Light colored T-shirt/Dri-fit shirt
• Extra socks & shoes
• Water bottle
• Basic sports watch w/stop watch

Nutrition/Hydration

• Texas is extremely hot during the summer. Drink plenty of water (64 oz.) daily. Gatorade is fine but drink mostly water.
• Avoid caffeine drinks
• 3 healthy meals (high in carbs) a day, with healthy snacks in between
• Plenty of sleep (7-8)

Athletic Physicals

• Every athlete must have a physical on file with our Athletic Trainer, Leslie Adamik (Coach “A”), in order to participate in practice or competitions.

Other Sports

• School Sports
  • Student athletes are encouraged to participate in multiple sports.
  • Cross country takes place during the football and volleyball season.
    • No conflict with football or Volleyball. Every year there are athletes that do both.
    • Communication with both coaches is key
  • Non-school Sports
    • School sports come first
    • Club soccer, softball, basketball
    • Communication with coach about conflicts is crucial

Goals

• Program Goals
  • Build and maintain a respectable, knowledgeable program that kids want to be part of
  • Teach a rich hard work ethic, mental toughness, respect for yourself, teammates and competitors
  • Expand knowledge of the sport throughout the school & build school pride
• Team/Individual Goals (Each team and individual will set goals at the beginning of the season.)
  • Be mentally tough every day
  • Be the best teammate possible every day
    • Encourage others to do their very best every day
  • Be positive every day
  • Give 100% in practice every day
  • Better your PR and/or team score every race

Pointers for Parents--- From Training Young Distance Runners by L. Greene & R. Pate

• Know what motivates your child.
  • How much is he/she inspired by competitive success versus other motives such as health reasons or spending time with teammates? When you truly know what motivates your child, you can tailor your support for the best possible outcomes, mentally & physically.
• Encourage goal setting.
  • Goals should be specific, measurable, and challenging but achievable through smart & demanding training.
• Be a role model for mental fitness.
  • Display willpower and dedication in everyday life
  • When you fail to achieve a goal, demonstrate self-confidence & a strong commitment to working harder & smarter to achieve them.
• Push ’em to safe limits.
  • Pushing your child to their “safe” limits will build mental and physical strength
• Praise processes and products
  • Praising a young athletes’ work processes & products rather than the athletes themselves will have far more impact on that athlete.