MXC Fall 2016 New Runners Information
(for runners and parents)
Click here for a downloadable version
You are now part of the Marietta Tiger/Marietta/St . Mary Cross Country family. Cross Country (" XC" for short) is a fall sport that offers the unique experience of running over varied terrain in team competition. We hope that you will enjoy your involvement. We want you to reach your full potential as a student , athlete and citizen, and enjoy the cross country experience.
Caveat For Parents:
Cross country is not a particularly controlled sport. Unlike games such as basketball, football, baseball or soccer, our competitive arena is likely to encompass several square miles and our practice venues are much larger. Every day a runner practices, he or she is exposed to the hazards of the outdoors: runners can slip and fall, trip, stumble or otherwise come into contact with all that nature has to offer, including unfriendly flora and fauna. Running along roads and through city streets presents a different set of risks and challenges . Your student's coaches care for the well being of their young charges, but we cannot insure their absolute safety. It is not a perfect world out there.
That said, running injuries are typically of the overuse variety, and can often be addressed by relative rest and rehabilitation. We don't see torn ACLs or damaged meniscii. We occasionally see aggravations of such injuries , but running is typically not the root cause .
Our Philosophy:
Running should be a joy. Using nothing more than our bodies to propel ourselves through space is as close to natural flight as we can come. We want our runners to share this joy .
Running also is a disciplined sport: you practice, and build on each practice, to improve yourself. A runner is an investor: the greater your effort and investment in yourself, the greater will be your ability to draw on that investment and enjoy the returns. While natural ability confers some advantage, ability alone is of little value in cross country. It must be developed through an investment in training.
We believe that athletics should be a positive experience: little is to be gained, and much can be lost, by a negative approach.
MXC coaches are runners. That gives us a valuable perspective on our team members. We never ask our runners to do anything that we ourselves have not done many times over. We are very proud of our program' s accomplishments and equally proud of the efforts of each and every one of our participants, including our many alumnae who have previously or are currently competing at the collegiate level.
Our Home:
Through the good graces of The Broughton Foundation and the Broughton family, our home course and primary practice venue is The Broughton Nature & Wildlife Recreation Area. It is located 7/1Oths of a mile north of State Route 60 on State Route 821. Left at the flagpole/building complex, then left to the pavilion. The area is generally open to the public and has miles of wonderful trails for walking and hiking.
Our Heritage:
Many MXC runners have competed at the collegiate level. Many more have completed marathons, biathlons, triathlons, road races and other athletic challenges, and have made running a part of their lives. Some are now themselves coaching high school programs. Each and every former MXC runner has contributed to the culture and tradition of this program, just as you will in your own time and fashion.
Academics:
Our primary focus is academics; our secondary focus is athletics. Our experience is that participation in a program such as this typically enhances the academic aspects of our athletes' lives. As coaches, we are, first and foremost, teachers and we take our roles seriously. Our students qualify for many academic honors every year and many will be found at or near the top of their classes.
Did You Know:
Running is the number one participatory sport in the nation for college, high school and middle school students?
Goals of MXC
• to foster individual growth and development, both within and outside of athletics
• to promote a love for running, as a lifetime pursuit
• to achieve success
• to experience failure, and to learn and grow from it
2016 Summer Training Schedule:
There is no substitute for summer mileage. All serious runners know that. Ask one. Summer running is the foundation for our fall training and competition, and it provides valuable insurance against injuries .
Our daily practices begin Thursday, August 4th . Our first competition will be the Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Cross Country Invitational, to be held on our home course on Saturday, August 27th . It will give you an opportunity to measure your progress and to experience the joy of competitive cross country running.
Cross country runners know that championships are won in June, through the diligence of regular running. The championship may be held in October or November, but its outcome is determined over the course of the summer.
Our suggested summer runs are available in paper and on our website at mariettaxc.com. There is a Grade Grid in the upper left corner of each sheet. Find your category for fall 2016 and your corresponding suggested run for each day will be in the order of the grid. For example, if you are a girl who will be in 1Oth grade this fall, your suggested run will be the fourth number down in the first (orange) column for each day. Thus, your June 10 run would be 2 miles and your June 17th run would be 4 miles. If you are totally new to running, discuss your background with one of the coaches and we ' ll find an appropriate level to begin with, and make adjustments as necessary.
As you will see from our summer meeting schedule we will meet several times over the summer. These meetings will be an opportunity for you to pose questions about running and training, to make new friends and to have fun.
Between these meetings, you will be running on your own.The summer training schedule is a guide . Find some teammates and workout times to run as a group.
Depending upon your experience and prior activities you may find that the suggested level is too easy or too difficult. Talk to your coaches. Don't be bashful.
All you need are good running shoes and a stop watch, and an awareness of the world around you, especially traffic. One of the great things about running is that you can do it almost anywhere, at any time. Family vacations, camp, work, and other summer commitments will allow you to experience running in different places, at different times. After all, a summer run requires only four things: 1) shoes, 2) shorts, 3) a watch, and 4) you.
Summer Camp:
Each year we gather for a 3-day residential camp at Cedar Lakes. All meals and accommodations are provided. This year's camp will be held Monday, August 1 through Thursday morning, August 4. The camp is for XC runners in grades 9- 12 and attendance is required. The cost is $50 and financial support is available for cases of hardship .
Gear:
We ' ll talk about running gear, but here are the essentials: each athlete needs a running watch--it must have a stop watch function; avoid cotton socks, they absorb water (we all sweat when it ' s hot ! ) and cause blisters; and wear good shoes--shoes made for running, not cross-training, and replace them when needed. It's great to have two pair so you can rotate them. Socks should be Coolmax®, Supplex® or a similar cotton/polyester/nylon blend. The same holds true for shirts and shorts: synthetics are much better than cotton in heat and rain (including cold rain--but that's an issue for the fall). Wear caps and use sun screen when it is sunny . Bring water, a towel, a dry shirt, and dry shoes (flops are fine) to every practice.
Summer Meetings:
We will run together, talk about how your summer training is progressing, answer questions about training, workouts and what not, have some presentations and have some fun.
Daily Practices:
Daily practices will begin Thursday, August 4th. Team photos will be taken during the second or third week of practice. Most of our practices will be held at the Broughton Nature &Wildlife Recreation Area, our home. We will have one practice a week on the bike path in Marietta, typically on Tuesday. We meet at Indian Acres. We have several practices a year at Washington State. Our annual mud day celebration and practice is held at the Career Center. Practices vary in length but once we get into the season the length of each will be rather predictable, and practices are scheduled in advance so that necessary arrangements may be made for transportation.
Physicals:
Each participant must have an approved athletic physical, and evidence of the physical, submitted by the first daily practice (August 4th). Forms to be completed by appropriate health care professionals will be available during our July meetings and online here. If a student underwent a physical exam for a spring sport, that should suffice for fall. We will simply need evidence of the physical, along with updated emergency cards, athletic responsibility acknowledgment forms, and satisfaction of the other various requirements of our schools and the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
NOTE FOR PARENTS:
More detailed information will be forthcoming in our revised parent handbook. The 2016 edition is scheduled to be available for distribution at the MHS fa l l sports parents meeting in August. In the meantime, we are always available to answer your questions and address your concerns.
Website:
Visit our website at mariettaxc.com and find us on Facebook at mariettaxc . Our schedules and training information are available there. You will also enjoy photographs of our cross country runners in action.
Coaches:
Dale Leeper, Head Coach- leeper@theisenbrock.com
Russ Garrison, Assistant Coach - russ@garrison1.net
Amanda Mercer, Assistant Coach - amanda.brush22@gmail.com
Harrison Potter, Assistant Coach- harrison.potter213@gmail.com
John Tynan, Assistant Coach - tynanj@marietta.edu