Program Philosophy
THE PURPOSE of the Panther Cross Country Running program is to promote and cultivate the physical, mental, and social development of each student-athlete on our team. We are committed to creating the best possible learning experience for everyone while promoting life-skills and a competitive level of fitness.
THE GOAL of Panther Cross Country is to train in every way we know best to continue the tradition of competitive success by striving to perform our best as individuals and as a team in order to win meets at the Conference, Section and State level.
WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT
1. To have fun. This is a competitive sport; a game; a recreational activity; play time- it's supposed to be FUN!
2. To learn and grow. We all want to continuously develop our skills and expand ourselves to new limits, physically, mentally and socially; his includes every aspect of life both on and off the course.
3. To be part of something. We all want to be a part of a team with common goals, shared work, sacrifices and gain achievements together.
4. To compete and bring out our best. We do our very best in every workout and competition. We are humble in victory and gracious in defeat no matter what our abilities.
What to Expect from the Coaching Staff
To develop a Cross Country program where every student-athletes can succeed.
To provide the best possible environment for learning and growing.
To support what is best for each athlete in their academic success, in and out of the classroom.
To have fun.
To treat everyone with respect.
To treat everyone fairly.
To ensure the health and safety of everyone.
To let each athlete know where they stand and know their role on the team.
To provide the best teaching possible.
To make decisions based on what best for the team first and the individual second.
Expectations of the Cross Country Runners
Be punctual to practices, meets and team meetings. "Early is on-time, on-time is late"
Be of your coaches, teammates, and other peers.
Give 100% effort…We don’t expect anything more, but we don’t expect anything less.
Finish the race that you start.
Respect yourself, your team, officials, fellow competitors and teams.
Abide by all the MSHSL and ISD194 athlete rules.
Take what you learn in running on the team and apply it to your every day life.
Support your teammates.
Show good sportsmanship.
Four Essential Elements of Success IN OUR PROGRAMS
Stay Healthy – You can’t run if you’re not healthy. To be successful you must take care of your body: sleep, excellent daily nutrition and hydration; communicate with your coach, a trainer, a parent or medical professional a.s.a.p.
Be Consistent – Improvement comes from consistent training throughout the season and the off-season. Many small steps every day will cover the greatest distances!
Maintain Progress – The difficulty level and quantity of training can increase each season with your experience. You are always either moving forward or moving backward; No one stays in one place.
Be Patient – Stick with it through the ups and downs. No amount of improvement is too small! Progress is made over the course of a season and years, not days and weeks. Celebrate the little things because all big things are made of many small things!