XC & Track and field team Philosophy
XC AND TRACK & FIELD TEAM PHILOSOPHY AND RULES
Our Team Philosophy
1. Develop well-trained, competitive runners and athletes who perform to the best of their abilities.
2. Encourage runners who will be active for life.
3. Give runners the opportunity to be a part of a team that values dedication, integrity, respect, and a strong work ethic while having fun.
Coaches’ Expectations
We expect all team members to represent themselves, their families, their high school, and their team in a proud, positive, and respectful manner while always putting forward their best effort.
Team Tech
All runners must register for:
- xcstats.com (to receive team emails, log runs, see meet results and personal records)
- remind (to receive team text messages--Step 1: create a new text message Step 2: phone number- 81010 Step 3: message - @_______ (see coach for code or specific team section) Step 4: send message and respond with name if asked )
Synchronize Your Watches
You must have a watch that can time to be on the Cross Country or Track and Field Teams!
Practices run from 3:25pm (3:45 on Thursday) and go until approximately 5pm-5:45pm. You are allowed to leave practice after all core, drill and stretching exercises have been complete, not before. If you have a job or other obligations that start before the end of practice, then unfortunately participating this year will not be mutually beneficial for you or your teammates. Please enter all known absences through xcstats.com
Absences
Because there is a strong correlation between consistent practice and optimized performance and minimized risk of injury, team members are expected to be at practice every day. If you have an unexcused absence you may not be allowed to run in the next meet. If you miss a meet for another sport this will constitute 2 unexcused absences (this does not apply to freshmen). After 4 unexcused absences you will be asked to leave the team.
Attendance will be monitored on youhere.org and xcstats.com. You must enter your absence through xcstats and coaches will determine whether it is excused or unexcused. If you do not enter your absence through xcstats, it will be considered unexcused with the exception of a true emergency. (a relative’s death, severe illness, relative’s severe illness, you get the picture)
Three ways NOT to inform Coach that you will be missing practice (all of these will be considered UNEXCUSED):
1. Have a friend or teammate tell them, this is a huge NO, NO, unless it is a TRUE emergency.
2. Tell them right before practice, unless it is an EMERGENCY
3. Tell them the next day.
Keeping in mind that you chose to be a part of this team, unexcused absences include, but are not limited to:
-I have a soccer game, triathlon, wrestling match, bocce ball tournament on Saturday and I am choosing to play instead of running with my team.
-I have a big homework project and need to miss practice. (Plan ahead! Use and organize your time wisely. Everyone on the team has big homework assignments)
-I am taking an AP class. Join the crowd.
-I have friends and/or relatives in town and we have to show them around. (Show them around after practice, or invite them to come run with us!)
- My parents are making me go to my Grandmother’s house for dinner. (Go after practice and make sure to invite Grandma to your next meet!)
-I’m really tired, sore and don’t feel good. (There will be days when we all feel this way. Smile, focus on your goals and be proud you compete in the toughest sport around…communicate with your coaches if you are feeling abnormally tired)
-If you are injured you must still report to practice unless you talked to coaches previously. Please show up in your practice gear unless told otherwise.
-I’m going to a concert tonight. (Go after practice)
Excused absences (cleared with Coach through xcstats BEFORE practice) include:
- Family emergency (If this is a true emergency it may be difficult to let us know before practice, no worries, but parents please just be HONEST and enter through xcstats as soon as you can.)
- Family holidays or visits: Please clear any other family visits or trips with Coach before you go.
- Religious observances
- Have to meet with a teacher for extra help or make up an exam.
- Injury/ill. Trainer and or doctor will be involved in determining proper course of treatment.
- College Visitations (we do not have a lot of Saturday Invitiationals please schedule around them if you are in the varsity 7)
- Doctors/Dentist appt. (please try and schedule outside of practice times)
-DMV Appointment
In these situations, if possible either come to practice late or reschedule your workout for the morning.
Participating Non-Redwood Sponsored Running Events
Please talk to your coaches before committing to/doing other non-Redwood running events during our seasons.
Other Sports/Winter Sport Warriors
I realize that soccer or basketball or LAX may be important to you. I want cross country to be important to you too. I know you can get in shape practicing other sports, but it is not cross country and trying to participate in both is very difficult on a young body. If you are participating in another sport you MUST tell the coaches. You can really injure yourself doing double training, especially if you are hiding that other sport. You have chosen to compete in cross country and you will also be expected to participate in all meets that you are assigned to. This is the cross country TEAM not the cross country club.
Invitational Team Selection
The seven-person teams that represent RHS at invitational/championship meets will be determined by a formula that is based upon the number of opponents and teammates that each student-athlete places ahead of at all league meets as well as posted times for each athlete and other factors such as attendance and attitude. As always, the coaches’ discretion will be the ultimate determining factor. For the CIF State Meet this is not determined by your League meet placing.
Team Violations
Team members will be asked to leave the XC and Track & Field competition team if any of the following violations occur:
- Failure to maintain those academic standards established by RHS: 2.0 GPA. (Students may practice but not compete.)
- Violation of RHS drug, tobacco, alcohol policy, this includes use of vapor or E cigarettes (Students will face school consequences and have competition privileges revoked.)
- Failure to meet the team’s attendance policy, or are frequently late. Students will be warned and then dismissed from the team.)
- A continually-demonstrated inability to adhere to the team’s philosophy and team’s goals regardless of attempted interventions. Attitude and dedication are important.
Student Behavior
All student-athletes are students first and are expected to display the utmost respect and courtesy to all staff members and peers at all times and especially in a classroom setting. Please understand that if a staff member contacts the coaching staff regarding inappropriate behavior you may be unable to run in the next meet.
Competition and Training Behavior
We expect our athletes to always compete with honor. Win or lose, we expect our runners to hold their heads high and congratulate the victors. We will be proud that we have the opportunity to compete when so many others did not. Any student-athlete who is disqualified from a competition for unsportsmanlike conduct (bad language, intentional physical contact with another competitor, taunting, etc.) will be suspended from the next two team competitions. When out on runs out in the community, runners will be respectful to others enjoying the outdoors. During the Covid pandemic this also includes pulling up neck gaiters/face mask when passing others.
Injuries
Each student-athlete is expected to report any and all injuries or illness immediately to the coaches. Allergies, asthmatic conditions, etc. must also be made known to the coaching staff. Athletes should check in with the athletic trainer on campus. All injured athletes are required to check in with the coaching staff for an update on injury and rehab before missing a practice.
Uniforms
You must wear your assigned uniform to every meet. You will be given a red singlet and black shorts after turning in a $100 deposit check. This check will be returned when the uniform is returned or cashed after season if a uniform is not returned or is damaged. Please put on your uniform before the meet. Ideally, your warm up gear will also be Redwood XC/T&F team sweat shirts, jackets and pants. If not, they need to be red, white, grey/black. This ensures that we look professional and like a team and captains will enforce this policy.
Spectators
Parents, relatives, and friends are encouraged to take an active role in helping to plan and implement a variety of XC/ T&F activities including, but not limited to, pre-race dinners, post-race picnics, Saturday breakfast runs and the annual team banquet. All meets and practices are open for public observation.
What Should I Bring to Practice?
All student-athletes are expected to provide the following equipment for themselves::
- Weather-appropriate running apparel
- Practice and competition footwear
- Water bottle
- Running watch with timer! Mandatory! You may be asked to leave practice if you continually do not wear a watch. Please let us know if you need assistance in getting a watch.
- Nothing can be shared during COVID, so please bring your own non-mandatory equipment, like rollers and towels.
What Should I Wear to Practice?
- Appropriate running shorts and shirt. Our school does have a policy that runners must wear shirts. Community members have been known to call and report that our runners are shirtless if they see this behavior. Please keep your shirts on during all Monday-Friday practices.
- Appropriate running shoes and socks.
Captains
See Coaches’ and Captains’ page.
Race/Meet Strategy
Cross Country
For each race we may use a different strategy. We may train through some of our earlier or less competitive meets. This may mean we may ask the runners to run as a pack. We may also train through a race and have the runners do an additional workout after the race.
Track & Field
We may need certain athletes to compete in different events against different teams. Some athletes may be in a relay one meet and not the next. And while the max events an athlete can compete in is four, an athlete isn't promised any events.
Saturday XC Practices
There will be occasional optional practices to allow for more individualized and specialized training as well as providing an opportunity to improve your attendance record. These are invitation only.
Rest and Nutrition
It has been clinically proven that in order for a student-athlete to perform to the best of their ability, they need adequate sleep. For informational purposes we have included links to two articles below. Our athletes are constantly struggling to balance the rigors of homework, practice, and the teenage lifestyle. As coaches, our responsibility is for the safety of your child. If we notice that they are struggling with a particular workout, they will be stopped and sent home. It could be for various reasons: skipping meals, not getting enough rest, illness, injury etc. We will never force a runner to finish a workout for the sake of being tough. Each family has to grapple with raising your children as you see fit. Ultimately you must decide what is best for your child and set parameters as to when they should go to bed. There will be times at practice when we discuss a healthy lifestyle in terms of rest and nutrition.
http://globalsportsdevelopment.org/good-nights-sleep-student-athletes/
http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/health-and-fitness/health/20130902-the-secret-to-teen-athletes-success-might-be-their-sleep.ece
Transportation
The School District and our booster club do not provide any transport to meets. We rely entirely on parent drivers to get our team to meets. We ask runners to know the Monday before a meet if their parent is able to drive and how many seats they have in their car. Carpool groups will then be assigned and student athletes are expected to tell their parent who they are driving TO the meet. Student-athletes are expected to have a ride home from the meet; if their parents can't pick them up they need to organize a ride home or back to the school.
Clovis Invitational and CIF State meet transportation will be organized closer to those meets.
Parent Responsibilities
Cross Country
We hope that you will join us at meets to celebrate all of your child’s hard work in getting to the starting line! Cross country is by nature a friendly and supportive sport, so please cheer on not only your child, but the rest of the Redwood team and all other athletes. Please help represent this great sport, our school and yourself by being a respectful and appropriate spectator.
The best way to "coach" your son or daughter is to repeat the following before they run, “We love you, have fun!” and “We are so proud of you!” after their run. During the race those aren't bad sayings either! Please leave all other coaching and strategy to the coaches. We appreciate your enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport but many times our strategy, training methods, and coaching styles may differ from a parent’s no matter how experienced and knowledgeable they are in the sport. It is especially not conducive to having your children run their best when their parents are giving them advice just before or even during a race. Please do not offer specific advice during a race such as pace time, passing runners at any given time in the race etc.
Please honor your child’s need to focus on their own at meets. This means that our team tents are for runners and coaches only. Parents tend to self-organize an area/tent at invitationals and some league meets--get involved to create a stronger parent community and presence!.
Please understand that on race day the coaches are busy focusing on the athletes and it is not the best time to discuss specific concerns other than an emergency. If we are unable to chat, please don’t feel offended--we appreciate you and look forward to talking when we can give you our full attention.
We have also found that many minor issues work themselves out within a day or two. So, again unless it is an urgent or emergent situation, it’s best to wait for 24 hours before contacting a Coach with a concern. And please remember that athletes will always be included in any meetings.
We understand that you love your children. The best way to empower your son/daughter is to let them experience the trials and tribulations of competing in a demanding sport. Cross country is a very objective sport and race times dictate the end-of-year team selection (injuries notwithstanding). If at any time during the season you have concerns about your son/daughter’s progress, please email coaches.
College Recruitment
We often receive many forms of correspondence and are in contact with many college coaches who are interested in recruiting our athletes. I'm happy to work with student-athletes interested in competing in college. If you are interested please send me an email stating that and include the following information: The schools you are most interested in, and why you are interested in them.If you are open to other schools, a list of what’s important to you about the college you go to, what do you HAVE to have. What are some of your running goals are for this coming year?
Coach’s Statement
It is my hope that Redwood Cross Country and Track & Field will be an important component of your student-athlete’s overall high school experience. I believe it can provide every student a successful inter-scholastic athletic experience based on each student-athlete’s individual goals and efforts. Competition by its nature carries significant inherent pressures, and it is my belief that the training and competition that our athletes experience better prepare them to handle the successes and failures of life.
I have complete faith and trust in our assistant coaches. Our coaches have been certified by the State CIF and have been certified in CPR and First Aid. Please read over ALL of these rules with your student-athlete. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to email me. If you feel you or your child can not abide by any of the above rules you may want to reconsider having them participate on our team.