Parent Help!

and THANKS!

Parent Involvement 

Please feel free to contact me at any time. Without parent support no cross country program could do all the things that need to be done each season. Parental support is an important contribution to having a successful season. So in advance, thank you very much! 

Contact: swilkinson@tkschools.org and/or 616-915-9786.

As you know by now, I strongly encourage the team to follow one of the training plans as a guideline, for during the summer. Programs address veteran runners as well as rookies. Pre-season summer training is essential to build a fitness base for intensive workouts and races during the season. I have yet to be aware of a championship caliber team that starts its training in the fall. Outside of only a few critical ingredients, summer training is the single-most important factor in the success of a cross country team. Please encourage your daughter to get out the door, and then to keep her running log up to date.

As your aspiring young runner begins the first week of training, you may wonder what to expect and how you can assist her as a parent in terms of recovery, eating, sleeping, and mental attitude. As a rule, I don’t recommend you change any aspect of your normal routine of home responsibilities, family meal planning, bedtime, and social guidelines. However, a normal consequence of beginning to train is muscle soreness, which will soon go away. If your daughter has not competed in sports before, this may persist up to two weeks. She should communicate this to me so I can adjust their training if necessary. 

Any athlete engaged in intensive training and competition can be subject to injury. I can help prevent most injuries when the runners tell me about their aches and pains early, and before they become disabling. I can also recommend having her looked at and/or treated by our athletic trainer if necessary. 

A nutritious, well balanced diet is essential for an athlete. Especially on race days, fatty and fried foods, and carbonated or acidic drinks should be avoided. Small portions of easily digested food eaten at least 1-3 hours before competition are best, and water intake should be reasonable, and not overdone. Most athletes feel best when they race a little hungry.  On that note, once they are in full training and racing mode, you might see your runners gradually starting to eat more as a general rule.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. Not necessarily in this order, but thank you for...