La Porte Cross Country
Running Dog’s Packet
Coach Zach Johnson
Mission Statement
Here at La Porte we have started a tradition in cross country. That tradition is SUCCESS! There will always be success in our program when athletes put forth quality efforts and dedicate themselves to learning the sport. We bring the same attitude from the course into all areas of our life, Cross Country teaches you to be strong and independent and that is the over all goal.
Expectations:
Number 1 expectation is to be successful. This all depends on the way you view success. Example: for some it could be just finishing a race or winning it.
Number 2 expectation is to represent La Porte ISD with class and poise at all times. There is no excuse for any type of unsportsmanlike conduct. IT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!
Number 3 expectation is to compete like a champion at all times. A champion works hard everyday especially when they don’t feel like they can do it.
Objectives:
1. To provide an environment that will enable the growth of athletes as adults, and help the athletes to become more self confident, proud, and respectable.
2. To encourage athletes to become more self reliant and motivated in all areas of life.
3. To become students to the sport in order to learn about whom we are through hard work and perseverance.
4. To Win
5. To achieve success through a team and individual effort.
6. To create an enjoyment of the sport and Have fun.
Team Policies:
1. Represent your team with appropriate behavior at all times, wherever we may be both in and out of school.
2. Pass all classes with a 70 or higher. The UIL holds you to a 70% standard but I expect better.
3. Attend all functions and be on time. Athletes must notify me if they are unable to attend. They must notify me themselves, I will not accept a he said she said message.
4. Be on time and ready to go for all functions (practice, games, and activities).
5. You must have a physical provided by the doctor filled out and turned in before you are allowed to compete, plus all paperwork must be turned in to me.
6. Adhere to any and all policies outlined in the La Porte ISD Athletic Handbook at all times.
7. The use of any foreign substance such as steroids, drugs, or alcohol will not be tolerated as stated by the Athletic Handbook.
8. Make sure you always place the best interest of the team first.
Absences:
Excused – illness with a doctor’s note, some school sponsored activities (check beforehand), family emergency (i.e. death in the family, serious illness, accident). Other situations may be deemed excused at the head coach’s discretion. Check beforehand. The head coach must know about any excused absence BEFORE the start of practice. The ATHLETE leaving a message on my cell phone is sufficient. If you are too ill to make it to practice, you can expect NOT to compete in the next meet. If you plan on racing, you are expected to be at practice. However, athletes should communicate with a Coach when sick as workout adjustments may need to be made.
Unexcused – All other absences are unexcused. Athletes with more than one unexcused absence will miss the next meet on the schedule. Athletes with more than TWO unexcused absences will not compete at the varsity level. Athletes with more than FOUR unexcused absences will be dismissed from the team.
Tardy/Absence Policies:
Absences
1st offense- Physical Reprimands/workout must be made up
2nd offense- Physical Reprimands/ will be held out of participating in the next meet, must make up workout. Parent will be contacted.
3rd offense- Physical Reprimands/ will be held out of participating in the next meet, must make up workout. Parent will be contacted.
4th offense- Will be removed from the team. You will have the option of trying out again the next year.
Tardies
3 tardies equal one absence; each one will require physical reprimands. You are tardy if you are not ready to run at the time practice begins, even by one minute.
Grades:
1. You are student/athlete, not the other way around.
2. If you have to go to tutorials plan it around practice times, if it cannot be worked out then you must schedule a time with me to make up the workout that you have missed.
3. Parents do not call and say that I am not allowing the students to go to tutorials. We allow them all the time they need if they take advantage of it.
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY: all student athletes are to keep grades above 70%.
Practice:
Athletes should expect to have either practice or a meet every Monday-Saturday until the second week of November. Athletes should arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time. It is important athletes are on time because we are often on a tight time schedule and often head to locations away La Porte High School. Athletes are expected to be at all practices. You will be given a copy of the week’s workouts at the beginning of the week; it is your responsibility to know what the workout is so that we do not have to waste time explaining it. You are done once you have completed all requirements including cooling down, core workouts, and weights if we are in the weight room, and dismissed by a coach.
Summer Workout Times- We will meet five days a week during the summer
Monday- 8:00 am, 7:00 pm at school
Tuesday- 8:00 am, 7:00 pm at school
Wednesday- 8:00 am at First Baptist Church on Redbluff and Fairmont
Thursday-8:00am, 7:00 pm at school
Friday- 8:00 am at Sea Brook
Competitions
1. Travel squads and roster placements will be determined weekly and will be based ENTIRELY on coaches’ discretion.
1. You are not allowed to wear jewelry or any clothing that is out of school dress code, you should be wearing your issued gear. This can get you disqualified.
2. NO CELL PHONES. Athletes may use their cell phones on the trip home from the meet.
3. Cheer for all your teammates. We are all members of the same team.
4. The team tent and warm up area are for La Porte cross country athletes only.
5. You will not always perform as well as you would like. Do not allow your negative emotions to affect the morale of the team.
6. When not competing, athletes should be resting in the team tent. Stay out to the sun and drink lots of fluids.
XC Class Period
All cross country athletes will be enrolled in the cross country class. Those who participate in multiple sports will switch to another sport’s athletic period once the season is complete. At semester, some athletes will move to the track class period and some will stay in first period cross country. All athletes will be in an athletic period both semesters.
Meets:
I expect every athlete to be at every meet. The only acceptable excuse is an emergency situation or situations given the ok by a coach. This is extremely important to the team; meets are a time for us to bond and grow as a team.
Nutrition:
I have always believed that when it comes to nutrition for an athlete that balance is the key. You need a little bit of everything; protein, carbs, and even fats. I have seen some of my best runners become some of my worst because they did not eat healthy balanced meals and were generally unhealthy. Make sure to stay away from fast foods as often as possible, home cooked meals are the best way to go considering they are usually baked, grilled, or broiled and not fried.
Meet Nutrition:
What to eat on the day of a meet can often plague runners. Runners need to eat breakfast, this is the most important meal of the day this meal supplies your day with the energy you need. You can never go wrong with granola, cereal, or oatmeal. Try to stay away from anything greasy, especially on a meet day. Also, make sure that you have snacks with you at the meet such as a granola bar or cliff bar to keep your energy up, this can often be the difference in a good performance and a bad performance.
Injuries:
All injuries must be reported to the coach as soon as possible. Some workouts may need adjustment and nothing more. All athletes who are injured will be sent to the school trainers to be assessed, the athlete must report to the training room every morning until released by the training room. Being injured or sick is not an excuse for missing practice. If you are injured, you are either observing practice or completing an alternative workout. Make sure to speak with the trainers if you are considering going to a doctor so that they may provide you with doctors with sports injury experience. Do not go without talking with them first (unless the situation is an emergency).
Equipment:
All athletes must have:
1. A quality pair of running shoes
2. A running watch (one with a stop watch)
3. Bathing suit for pool workouts
The school will issue your child additional equipment throughout the year. Athletes are required to return all equipment at the conclusion of the season. (Note: please do NOT dry uniforms). Apparel issued to the athlete is to be worn only during practices and competitions.
Parent/Guardian Rules:
1. Always be positive of your Childs performance. If they don’t have a good race they already know about it. They don’t need people rubbing it in their face.
2. BE AT THE MEETS!!! Come support your child.
3. No parents are allowed at the tent previous to race, this place is for athletes and coaches only.
4. Let the coaches do the coaching. We know what we are doing so please let us do it.
5. If there is a problem regarding a coach do not bring that up at the meet or in view of athletes, make an appointment with the coach by calling ahead. I will not answer questions over emails or phone calls make an appointment with me at my conference time.
6. It is not the parent’s job to tell the coaches when athletes are going to be absent, are injured, or are having problems; the athletes need to let us know by telling us themselves. Your kids are old enough to be responsible for them. That is part of growing up and they need to learn it.
Meet Etiquette
DO:
· Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast
· Support the entire team in a positive manner
· Encourage your child to be a part of what the team is doing
· Understand not every child has a great race every week
· Be willing to help when needed
· Be willing to simply watch and cheer when not needed
· Leave the coaching for the coaches
· Have a great time watching these hard working kids compete in a great sport
· Eliminate the following phrase from post meet vocabulary: “Great job, but . . .”
· Hug your child after every race
· Cheer LOUD!!!
DO NOT:
· Follow your child around as they prepare to race
· Panic when they throw up on your shoes
· Gather at the starting line or tent with the athletes as they prepare to race
· Place extra unnecessary pressure on athletes on meet days
· Fill your child full of “energy booster” supplements or drinks
· Criticize your child’s performance
· Take your child from a meet without signing a release prior to departure from the high school.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns regarding your child. All concerns should be directed to the head coach. To ensure positive, productive communication, we always operate within the following parameters.
1. Discussion will be about your child only
2. Please schedule an appointment and refrain from approaching coaches with concerns at a meet or at practice.
3. The athlete will be a part of all parent/coach conferences.
Learning to communicate is vital for our children. I will discuss a concern with a parent only after I have discussed the same concern with the athlete. (Exception: if you are concerned with you child’s health, please contact me immediately).
Booster Club:
I highly encourage all parents to be active participants in the La Porte Booster Club. Our booster club does an excellent job organizing spirit activities and provides funding for special needs within our program.
As boosters (parents), we must abide by all UIL rules. You can give YOUR child anything you please, but you MAY NOT give ANYTHING to any other athlete. Please clear all spirit ideas with Coach Johnson beforehand.
Cross Country Meets:
In case you have never been to a cross country meet before here are a few things to know about how they are scored. Every runner runs the same distance whether it’s the girls at 2 miles or the boys at a 5k; a team is made up of at least 5 runners with 2 alternates (total of seven). At the end of the race you take the top 5 places from your team and add the places they got together. Whichever team has the lowest score wins. Example:
Team 1 Team 2
1st place 2nd place
3rd place 4th place
6th place 5th place
8th place 7th place
9th place 10th place
Total= 27 Total=28
In this instance Team 1 would win.
In the event of a tie the scorers would refer to the 6th runners on the two teams. Which ever one finished first would allow their team to win.
Closing: