For PARENTS

Guide to Cross Country

for Parents and New Runners

Your child has chosen to be part of the Cross Country team at Grosse Pointe North.  CC is THE sport to be involved in at North (of course I am a little biased).  CC is a wonderful spectator sport.  If you have never been to a race, try one.  Many parents over the years have mentioned what a great experience it is watching their daughter run in a CC race.  I have also found that when your daughter says, “Please don’t come!” she really does want you there.  Hope to see you at many of this season’s races.

EATING

• Eating a well-balanced diet is important for a high school, female athlete.  Please make sure your child is eating and drinking properly before and after practice.  The night before a race the runners should stay away from high fat and fried foods, eggs, dairy, and acidic drinks.  Foods good to eat before a race are pasta, breads, and fruit.  Drink water, sports drinks, or non acidic juice.  For breakfast, toast, bagels, waffles, bananas, or oatmeal are good to eat.  Again, stay away from dairy products to avoid cotton mouth during the race.

RACES:  Parental Do’s and Don’ts 

• Get to know the course when you arrive.  Find the start and finish.  Find out where you will be able to view most of the race.  Likely you will have to run from place to place to see the race.  (Bring running shoes.) 

• Know the time schedule.  Often there are many different races.

• When you arrive at the meet give your daughter some encouragement, tell her to be positive and do her best.  Then, leave her alone.  Give her time to prepare for the race with her teammates.

• During the race cheer for ALL members of the team.  Please do not yell negative thoughts to the runners like, “You look like you’re dying, pick it up!” 

• Be positive!  Give advice to the runners, do tell them to stay positive, keep pushing, relax their arms, or at the end of the race to USE their arms more.  Tell them to work towards the runner ahead of them.  Tell them to work the hill.  Tell them they are awesome.  Tell them to smile and concentrate on their form and breathing.  Tell them to give it all they have at the end of the race, to push hard into the chute and pass someone before the finish.  Tell them to run tall, loose hands, relaxed arms, drop the shoulders.  Keep it positive and constructive.  Many times in the thick of the race the runner tunes you out.  MANY TIMES ALL THEY HEAR IS THEIR NAME, SO USE IT.

• AT NO TIME DURING THE RACE ARE YOU ALLOWED TO RUN   ALONG SIDE A RUNNER, TOUCH A RUNNER, OR AID A RUNNER.  THIS COULD GET THEM DISQUALIFIED.  If a runner falls you may NOT help them.  You may NOT give a runner anything such as water, gloves, inhaler, or a high five.  If they started the race with any of these things they may throw them to you or to the ground if they no longer need them.  The race must be unaided.  Of course, if they are injured or no longer able to race, please aid them.  

• At the end of the race the runner will be spent (well, they should be.)  They may need a shoulder to lean on more than a word of advice.  If they have a finish card it should be turned in to the coach ASAP.  Get them water right away and get their sweats on if it is cold. 

SCORING

• Cross Country is like golf, low score wins (and very few people make money doing it.)  7 girls are considered varsity and can score for the team.  The first 5 runners from North to cross the finish line score.  You are awarded your place in points.  If you finish 1st you earn 1 point, 5thplace is 5 points, 48th place is 48 points. 

• The 6th and 7th runners for North are called “blockers.”  They don’t affect North’s score but can increase the opponent’s score if they beat the other team’s top 5 runners.

  Example: N=North, R=Romeo

  Place:  1st   2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10   11   12   13   14

  Team:  N    R    R   N   R    N   R    N    N    N    N     R    R     R

  FIRST 5 RUNNERS FOR EACH TEAM SCORE

               North scores    1 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 9 = 28   (10th and 11th are blockers)

  Romeo scores  2 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 12 = 29

  North wins by 1 point  (28 to 29)

• The 6th runner serves as the tie breaker.  If the score is tied after both teams have their 5 runners in, the team with the best 6th runner wins.

• Cross Country is not like football where a buzzer sounds and you look up at the scoreboard.  Scoring often takes time (20 minutes or more sometimes).  Be patient.

TERMS TO KNOW

• CROSS COUNTRY RACE – Always a 3.1 mile (5K) race on grass or in a field.  Top 5 runners from each team score. 

• DUAL MEET – A race between two teams (sometimes 3).  Each team is scored against only one team at a time as if the third team does not exist.  All teams race at the same time.  These are almost always weekday meets after school.   (We actually rarely run these anymore)

• JAMBOREE -  When all 7 or 8 teams from our MAC Red division come together and race, all 7 or 8 teams at the same time.  But we all score separately.  We come away from this race with a record (5-2 if we beat 5 teams and lose to 2).  Always a week day race.

• INVITATIONAL – A race between a multiple number of teams (usually 10 – 30 teams).  It is scored as one big race.  If we lose to three teams we come in 4th place.  Usually on Saturdays.

• FINISH CHUTE – The roped off area at the finish.  The runners cross the finish line and go into the chute.  The chute keeps them in order until they are given a place card.  A runner may NOT pass another runner in the chute.

• PACE – Rate of speed maintained over a prolonged period of time.  We concentrate on our mile pace.  We usually look for an even pace over the 3.1 mile (5K) course. 

• PERSONAL RECORD (PR) – An individual runner’s best time of the season or career.  Officially you can only compare a time against another time from the same course because courses vary so much.

• PICK-UPS or STRIDE-OUTS – Just prior to the race, short sprints done from the starting line to warm up and get the blood flowing before the race starts. 

• STARTING BOX – A designated area on the starting line for GPN only.  We MUST be in this box only.  We usually have to pile runners behind each other in the box to fit.

• COOL DOWN – A short run after the race is over.  This is done to help prevent soreness the next day. 

• COACH - That really strange, awkward, bald man who truly loves your daughters and will encourage them to do their best.