Frequently Asked Questions
1. Cumulative Meet Results2. How Much Running?
3. Home Meet Schedule
4. What is Cross Country?
5. What will practices be like?
6. What equipment is needed?
7. Where will practices be held?
8. What else do I need to get started?
9. Make-up sessions
1. Cumulative Meet Results
Cumulative meet results are here. Should you have any questions about your results, please see coach.
2. How Much Running?
Our team is going to consist of runners with a spectrum of goals, abilities, and levels of conditioning. Cross country is an inclusive sport and we will accomodate athletes with differing personal goals and intensity levels. Those who hope to be competitive during our upcoming season should be running at least 3 times a week from May through when we can start training as a team in August. The goal for our JV team is 3 runs totaling 5 miles a week, for 75 cumulative miles coming into the season. The goal for varsity runners will be 3 runs totaling 6 miles a week for those new to the team, for 90 cumulative miles coming into the season. For returning varsity runners your goal is 3 runs totaling 6 - 7 miles a week for 100 cumulative miles from May through the start of training. Please contact Coach Sirois via email or phone if you have questions as to your summer running.
A running log spreadsheet can be found here and is useful in tracking your miles during the offseason. Some of you may enjoy using it to see how far you've run during our season as well.
Our primary goal is to make running fun and enjoyable. The goals are just that, you will be rewarded for reaching the goal, but it will not be held against you if you do not reach the goal or run prior to the season. That being said, the start of our training in August will be much easier on you if you have miles under your belt by the first practice.
3. Home Meet Schedule
Our home venue is at Young Patriot's Park in Riverview. Home meets will be Tuesday or Thursday evenings at 6pm. A printable meet schedule can be found here. Please let coach know well in advance if you cannot make a meet.
We will need volunteers for each home meet. Tasks will be simple, such as acting as spotters to keep the runners on the course. We do need at least one other parent to learn the job of team scorekeeper for meets (Tricia Sirois has volunteered for this job as well). A copy of the volunteer form was handed out at the first parent meeting.
4. What is Cross Country?
Cross country is a sport that involves running a course that may consist of grass, mud, trees, and water. CYO meets have 5th & 6th graders running a 1.2 mile (2000 m) course, and 7th & 8th graders race on a 2 mile (3000 m) course during their meets. Boys and girls will normally run in the same race, except the CYO championships which are separated by gender. Scoring in cross country is different from many sports since the lowest score wins. The top 5 runners on a team count in the scoring for their team. Points are earned based on the place earned, so if the top 5 runners for a team finished in 1st, 5th, 10th, 14th, and 20th the team would have scored 50 points. The 6th and 7th runners are important in case of a tie and they can also hurt another team's score by beating their top 5 runners.Cross country allows runners of all abilities to participate. For our team, I am requiring that runners meet a standard of taking part in at least 12 practices before running in their first meet. This will allow their bodies to adapt to the stresses of running and help in injury prevention. Cross country is different from other sports, in that each athlete will have "equal playing time". As long as you show up to practice and follow all team and school rules you will be able to run in the meets. Cross country practices will be held from August 11 through October 16.
5. What will practices be like?
A practice schedule can be found at this link. We will be having 4 practices a week, with make-up days also scheduled. The length of practices will generally be 1.5 hours. There are a number of components of running that will be covered. Each practice session will have a different focus than the prior or subsequent practice. This will allow the body to adapt to the different stresses, keep it interesting for the kids, and help our runners progress.Some of our practices will be game-based. They will be having fun, but also will be expected to work. A typical practice will consist of a short warm-up run, followed by running specific drills, and then our workout. The way we warm-up in practice will be identical to how we warm-up prior to a meet. We will end each practice with some simple strengthening and then stretching.
Water bottles are a must for practices.
6. What equipment is needed?
A good pair of shoes is the most important item a cross country runner needs. Specialty running stores such as the Total Runner in Southgate (see our links page), or Running Fit (stores in Ann Arbor and Northville) are experts in getting runners in the right shoe for their foot type and running style. Do not simply buy the most expensive pair you can find, and certainly do not pick a shoe because it is a "bargain". Pricing at the specialty stores is very competitive with larger sporting goods stores for the same product. The difference is that the larger stores also sell "bargain" shoes that really are not a bargain once runners start putting in more miles and develop aches and pains with them. Be sure to tell them that you are running for Saint Pius' new cross country team if you shop at the Total Runner.Important Equipment
•Running Clothes (Shirts, Shorts, Pants, Socks)Optional Equipment
•Watch (These can't be worn during meets but will be helpful during some practices)7. Where will practices be held?
Most practices (at least half) will be at Young Patriot's Park in Riverview. Our team needs to learn this course very well. This is also a good venue for running. We will be running 1 day a week at a path along the Frank & Poet Stream, leaving from behind the Kennedy Recreation Building on West Road in Trenton. This route is safe with only 1 street crossing, will allow us to use bikes at different points in our training, and also includes a small hill that will benefit our athletes. Practices along this route will make-up our longer runs. Our other practice venue (before school starts) will be at the Gabriel Richard HS track. These track workouts will be our speed sessions, which are helpful for improving running economy and training our runners to have improved form and technique.In the case of inclement weather (i.e. lightning) we may meet for a workout in The Training Room, upstairs at the Kennedy Recreation Building.
A tentative practice schedule for the remainder of the season can be found at this link. These times and dates are due to change based on school schedules, etc..
8. What else do I need to get started?
Each athlete participating in JV or varsity sports needs a sports physical. Forms were emailed earlier in the week and can be found here. This is the form from the CYO website. I have not been told whether or not there will be a group physical scheduled, there have been in past years.The fee for cross country is $40, as with all sports at Saint Pius this year. The physical and fee should be turned in before the start of practices. Any questions, give Mark a call.
You will also need to fill out the Assumption of Risk form, the Emergency Notification form, and print and review Saint Pius' Athletic Code with your runner. Any questions, give Mark a call.