Welcome to the 2007 Harmony Elementary Cross Country program. We are thrilled to begin another exciting season and continue to promote a healthy and fun lifestyle through running.
Philosophy:
We believe an elementary program is a building block for future running success. Our overall goal is to build a strong foundation for life-long enjoyment of running. Of course running develops physical fitness but it also instills several other strong characteristics such as confidence, concentration, motivation, and personal satisfaction. All of which serve us well in our personal, family, and professional adult lives.
There is no bench in cross country, so all runners compete. There is also every skill level – from new runners to the well experienced.
Spirited teamwork and camaraderie, which make running so much fun, are the foundation of true friendships, some of which last forever.
Although we emphasize improvements through participation and encourage each child to never give up, running is not for everyone. Many of the young kids have not tried distance running before and it may not be for them, therefore we have a 2-week “trial period”. During this period it is important to discuss with your child if they are having fun and enjoying running. If they are not having fun please, do not force your child, as they may become interested in running at a later age. Please encourage your child to complete both weeks before they make a decision and then honor that decision.
We plan on teaching more than running. We will instill the values of teamwork, dedication, and loyalty. Distance running can be a grueling sport, and although many of the kids are involved in other sports, they may find cross-country to be very challenging. We will expect them to cheer on their teammates, as well as other teams, and support them in whatever level of success they achieve. We will be singling out runners who show the type of behavior that exemplifies good teamwork.
Please take time to talk with your child about how they respond to having a good or bad day. How we react to a losing situation says more about our character than how we react on a good day.
Practice
During the month of August, practices will be on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 6:15 pm at Creasy Mahan Nature Preserve with the first practice on August 6th. Once the meets begin we will discontinue practices on Mondays. Meets are typically on Saturdays with a select few on Thursday. Please be sure to be on time for practices, as we have limited time together to warm up properly for our training runs. We will be running in ability groups and will continually move kids around as they develop. We will stress to the runners that they need to measure their success on individual improvement and depending on each runner’s capability. We will offer training techniques to help them set their goals.
The target weekly mileage for this age group is 6-9 miles per week and increasing to 12 miles per week later in the season. The mileage includes races.
*****Parking****Please park in the east gravel parking lot near the playground. If you have small children they can enjoy the playground during practice.
Preparation
We will spend a little time talking to the kids about nutrition and healthy eating habits, particularly prior to meets. The diet should include lots of fresh fruits and veggies, carbohydrates, and lean protein and should limit junk food and sodas. It is very important that runners drink plenty of water all the time, not just on race and practice days. Start off the school year by sending a water bottle everyday, they can refill if necessary.
***For practice each runner should have their own water bottle with their name on it. Stretching on an everyday basis is also a good habit, but please do not overstretch pulled or injured muscles.
Parent Runners and Helpers
We had a great turn out of helpers in this area last year and would love to have you again.
For those of you interested in running with your child or just being outdoors with them, this is a great opportunity to gain time with your child and stay in shape. We are in need of both parent runners and course monitors to read times.
Summer Workouts
We don’t believe in a set summer training program for this age group, although we do recommend maintaining some sort of physical activity through the summer that would be the equivalent to 4-6 miles per week. This may include any sport that increases your heart rate for 20-40 minutes at least 3 times per week. Get your children outside to play!
Equipment
The most important equipment is your child’s running shoes. Something with good support and cushion. Improper shoes, such as basketball shoes or cross training shoes, can affect running form and cause injury.
Second is clothing. Nothing fancy is required but non-cotton, wicking fabrics are the best and are available in most stores. The lighter the clothes the better, but later in the season warmth becomes very important.
Dress code requires no rolled down pants or shorts and no exposed bellies. Also, during meets, officials will not allow jewelry of any kind.
Third is an individual water bottle labeled with your child’s name.
Fees
A fee of $60 will be collected from each runner by the end of the second week of practice. (Thursday August 16th). This fee covers all of our meet entries, team shirts, awards, and equipment/supplies.
Forms
Runners cannot participate until they have an updated “Sports Physical” and “Permission slip” on file with Margaret Hare, the team manager.
No comments:
Post a Comment