Team Philosophy: 

• Cross Country is a fantastic way to build athletic skills, interpersonal skills, character, and lasting camaraderie with teammates. 

• Cross Country is a learning experience, not only in physical fitness, but also in various life skills and traits including responsibility, hard work, integrity, confidence, perseverance, and honesty. 

• MSJ XC is in full alignment with the purposes of Mission San Jose High School, and seeks to enrich students' lives through extracurricular athletics. 

• Cross Country is a sport for everyone - we value each and every athlete.

• "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." This is true in life, and this is true in this sport. Those who succeed are those who are willing to work hard! 

Team Rules: 

• Athletes are responsible for being at practice Monday through Friday, promptly after school, rain or shine. Should weather make afternoon practices challenging (extreme heat wave), we may shift temporarily to morning practices.  Attendance will be taken at every practice. 

• Athletes may only miss a practice or meet for the same reasons they would miss classes that day (illness, doctor's appointment, conflict between two classes for some special class event). In all those cases, you must notify the coaches ahead of time via email. An absence is not excused until it is cleared with and approved by the coaches. The following are not acceptable reasons for missing practice:

  1. 1. 1. “I have a lot of homework.”

        2. “I have an exam tomorrow.”

        3. “I have homecoming practice.”

        4. “I have piano class or tutoring.”

        5. "I have band practice."

        6. “It’s raining outside.”

        7. “I am busy with _______.”

        8. In short, think of what your math teacher would say about using that excuse to miss class before asking your coach the same thing.

• Accumulation of more than three (3) unexcused absences or failure to participate in one (1) meet or invitational WILL result in suspension or expulsion from the team, with the same exceptions that you would be excused for missing classes. 

• There are 3 mandatory Saturday invitationals. All athletes must attend.

• Athletes will need to practice good time management in planning time for their homework and studying around practices. We will allow you to be excused from up to 2 practices over the season for a test you feel you need more time to study for. Beyond that, you really aren't managing your time well enough. Email the coaches if you need to miss practice due to studying.

• Athletes who missed classes due to calling in sick are not allowed to participate in a practice or meet that same day. Missing classes due to a doctor's appointment is still okay to attend a practice or meet.

• Athletes are expected at practice even when injured or not feeling well. Player safety is our primary concern so you won't be running, but we can work with you on the challenge, send you to the trainer for care, or send you home to recover.

• Any athlete not following the road safety rules will have to do workouts on the track until coaches can be convinced that road safety rules will be followed.

• Athletes in a 7th period, band or another class that is on your high school transcript, can work with the coaches on a solution to allow participation.

• Athletes who arrive late without emailing a coach ahead of time will be excluded from practice with an unexcused absence.

• Athletes must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA as per CIF policies to remain eligible to participate in high school sports.

• Commitment to being a part of preseason means you plan on showing up to every preseason practice. Do not sign up for XC if you are going to miss a number of days of practice. 

• Athletes who run for Mission San Jose MAY NOT participate in external club track / XC.

• Participation in other outside sports during XC season (as long as they don't conflict with XC practices), is okay but highly discouraged. Academics usually suffer, both sports will suffer. Injuries will skyrocket! Pick the sport that you think is best for you and drop the other. 

• This is not a running club. It is a high school sports team. A team can not function if athletes don't show up for all practices and meets. Workout plans assuming daily attendance. Commit to being at all the practices and meets, or don't join the team.

• Attendance is taking at practice daily. At the end of the last off campus portion of practice, all athletes much check in again. Coaches will make sure all athletes have returned safely to campus or call parents. Signing in for another athlete is a violation of the academic honesty policy.

• Athletes must arrive at meets and invitationals at least 60 minutes before their race in their MSJHS XC distributed uniform. Athletes should attend the entire event to be good team players and support their teammates. However, athletes feeling behind on homework or studying can show up just 60 minutes before their race and leave after their race.

• Failure to return either or both pieces of the uniform at the end of the season is a $100 fee.

• All mandatory forms must be filled out and a sports physical signed and stamped by your physician must be uploaded in Home Campus

• Be a good teammate to your fellow runners - and have lots of fun!

Practice Schedule: 

• Practice is held Monday through Friday @ 3:45 PM until 6:00 PM, rain or shine!

• We meet under the trees on the West side of the gym quad

• During minimum days, practice is promptly after school (12:45 PM)

• Attendance at practice is mandatory five days a week. Athletes who consistently miss practice will be cut from the team.

• First day of season: August 7, 2023

• If weather isn't cooperating, we may temporarily shift to morning practices before school.

Tryouts: 

• There are NO tryouts for cross country. What does that mean? Everyone who is willing to put in the time and effort to being part of this team is welcome to join us. It does not matter if you run a 4:30 mile or a 13:00 mile. 

• These are the following reasons for which someone will be "cut" from the team:

  1. 1. Issues with attendance at practices and meets.

     2. Poor sportsmanship that results in disciplinary action (lying, cheating during races, etc.)

Donations

Mission cross country and the athletics program at MSJHS would not be possible without the continued support of our parents.

Unlike the classroom where the district provides the minimum resources for a learning environment, the district provides no funds for athletics. Every athlete incurs a cost that the district does not cover.

Bluntly, if a family does not donate, they are relying on the families of their teammates to fund their participation. If not enough families donate, the program is diminished or canceled.

The following donations are requested: 

● $50 to Mission San Jose Cross Country 

This pays for team essentials: uniforms, invitational entry fees, meet gear (starter pistols, timers, flags, cones), team festivities, awards, trophies, race venue fees.

● $80 to  MSJ Athletics, for every sport you participate in.

This pays for membership in MVAL, NCS, CIF, athletics-wide essentials (cardio room, weight room, gym floors, etc.), meet entry fees, meet officials, referees.

● $75 to MSJ Boosters. Membership (one per family), one time for the school year.

This supports both athletics and fine arts. They can fund any of the above plus things that the team needs that we can't get approved from the other budgets.

Thank you for supporting our athletes!

While donations are voluntary and optional, all athletes must either turn in the donations as requested, or download the Donation Waiver Form, sign it, and turn it in to get their uniform. That form allows the options of a reduced donation or to choose not to donate. This is fine. Just turn in the signed form.

We are also required to get every athlete to sign the NCS Ejection Policy Form. Do not turn this form in. You should read it at that link so you know what you are signing, but we have a single signing sheet for all athletes when you come to get your uniform.

Coaching Staff

Coach Ian MacKenzie  MissionSanJoseXC@gmail.com

Coach Brian Singleton bsingleton@fusdk12.net

Important Links

Sign up for the cross country team at https://www.homecampus.com/login, The deadline to register for the 2023 fall season is August 23rd. No applications will be accepted after that date.

Join our google group to plug into our communication. Make sure you put your full name, or for parents, your athlete's full name in the notes when you request to join. To join a google group, you must be logged into your google account before going to the link. Then you should see a join group option. 

Google Group link: https://groups.google.com/u/0/g/msjxc?pli=1 

Facebook Group Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/252919941419494/?ref=br_rs

Email: MissionSanJoseXC@gmail.com

Ask a team captain for how athletes can join our Discord server.