Cross Country Expectations

Avon Lake Cross Country
Learwood Middle School
2023 Season

Expectations
All athletes are expected to display the following throughout the season:

  • Success in the classroom
  • Sportsmanship
  • Respect towards oneself, teammates, competing teams, and coaching staff
  • Commitment towards individual & team success

Requirements
All athletes must have the following forms turned in before being permitted to participate in any capacity (practice or competition):
  • Physical Exam
  • Emergency Medical Form
  • Acknowledgement of Warning Form
  • Acknowledgement of Insurance Form
All athletes must complete the Pay-to-Participate Form and turn it in to the Learwood Office—this must be turned in to the office.

Attendance
  1. Athletes are expected to attend and be on time for all practices, meets, or team functions
  2. After-school practices will start promptly at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22nd. We will change in the restrooms, then we’ll meet in Mr. Peepers's room, eat our snack, go over our workout, then head out to the track.
  3. Three (3) unexcused absences from practice will result in removal from the team!
  4. Excused absences will be permitted and may include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Religious holiday
  • Family emergency
  • Illness
  • Injury
  1. Please provide a note explaining your excused absence.
  2. If at all possible, make sure to inform Coach Peepers of an absence
  3. If you are ill and leave school, or miss school, you cannot attend practice
  4. Injured athletes are expected to attend practice daily and have their injury evaluated and monitored by our athletic trainer
  5. Practice will be held rain/sleet/snow or shine. The coaching staff will decide whether to modify or cancel practice at the track. Come prepared every day! Any athlete not properly dressed for practice runs the risk of being sent home with an unexcused absence.
  6. MP3 players, iPods shall not be worn during practice
  7. Students must attend at least one-half of the school day in order to participate in meets that day or the following Saturday

Discipline
The coaching staff believes that the athlete’s conduct both on and off the track is a direct reflection on the coaching they receive and the school/community they represent. We expect our athletes to conduct themselves accordingly at all times. The coaching staff reserves the right to address situations where student-athletes are not conducting themselves in an acceptable manner. Failure to represent the Avon Lake team in a positive manner may result in suspension or dismissal from the team.

Athletes caught using tobacco, alcohol or drugs will be dealt with in accordance with both the Athletic Code of Conduct and Academic Student Handbook.

Transportation
  • Parents need to provide transportation home from practices and meets. Please be prepared to arrange transportation home from practices between 4:45 – 5:00 p.m.
  • We would like to hold practices at Cahoon Park or the Fitness Trail at ALHS once a week, in order to get hill work done. We should still be back at Learwood by 5:00 p.m. (at the latest). Last year we were not able to do this because the district did not have enough bus drivers...we'll see if we can do it this year.
  • Meet departures/arrivals: on meet days, we will be leaving from and returning to TROY.
  • Athletes must ride the bus to and from all meets. Deviation from this policy is discouraged. Exceptions must first be cleared through the coaching staff.
  • Athletes are expected to stay at the meet in support of their teammates.
  • Meet departures and arrivals will be determined on a weekly basis and updated on our blog site!

Uniforms & Equipment
Athletes will wear the school issued uniform and sweats to all competitions. Additional clothing may be worn so long as it is plain in color or represents Avon Lake athletics.  

  1. Athletes may wear a plain, single color t-shirt under the jersey, plain white socks and if desired, running tights.
  2. No headgear will be worn except ski caps (OHSAA rule)
  3. Cell phones and mp3/headphones are not permitted within the competition area. (OHSAA rule)
  4. Athletes are expected to dress neatly at all times, having the jersey tucked in and the shorts worn at the waist (OHSAA rule)
  5. Failure to follow the uniform guidelines may result in a suspension from competition.
  6. Athletes are responsible to insure that they have all the school issued articles at every meet and are responsible for the care and upkeep of articles. Please don’t leave items behind!
  7. Failure to return the school issued uniform, cleaned and placed in a bag marked with your name to the coaches at the conclusion of the season will result in your being assessed the current replacement value.
  8. We are sticking with the BLACK compression shorts & shirts (if you choose to purchase compression shorts & shirts). If you wear anything black (t-shirts/shorts underneath), they must be one logo on the shirt. Officials were picky last year with logos on the shorts.
  9. If athletes are getting spikes, they must be 3/8 inch!
  10. We are ordering optional apparel again this season.

Athlete Participation
  • Athletes must pass 75% of their classes in order to participate in cross country
  • All athletes compete in meets. The only delineation in certain meets is the Team and Open races. Team races represent the top 7 runners on the team at that particular time. Open races represent all other runners. All athletes will run the same course and the same distances. Boys and Girls will run separately & Team and Open races run at different times
  • Team runners will be determined by the top 7 times going in to a meet. Any athlete who misses the Team race or loses his or her spot on the Team can always earn that spot back by running a faster time than any of the other Team runners.
  • Any athlete who is injured does not lose his or her Team status.
  • SWC Championship is run as an OPEN RACE, as are various other races throughout the season
  • While athletics is an enjoyable endeavor, there is always the possibility that participation in cross country could result in injury or death. In the event that an injury occurs, the proper medical personnel will be contacted and pertinent first-aid techniques will be utilized (if necessary).
  • A medical kit will be on site during all practices and meets

Miscellaneous Items
  • Make it a habit of bringing water, a watch, multiple layers, and a snack to all practices/meets
  • Bring sandals, extra socks & shoes to meets—your feet will be wet!
  • Parents, we’ll need help organizing the Friday Night Dinners!
  • Pictures: if any parents want to help (1) decorating our bulletin board, and (2) setting up end-of-season videos, that would be awesome!

Parent Communication
  • Parent concerns must be expressed directly to the coach
  • Specific concerns regarding scheduling, coach's expectations, or philosophy should be directed to the coach
  • Contact me at any time regarding the behavior, performance, or specific concern regarding your child both academically and athletically
  • Playing time, team strategy, and discussion of other student-athletes must not be discussed with the coach in public.  Please contact me to discuss any concerns.
  • Do not attempt to confront the coach before or after a contest/practice with a potentially volatile subject.  Meetings of an emotional nature can be resolved at a later date.
  • If you have a problem that has not been resolved by a meeting with the coach, please follow the proper lines of communication:

Ms. Kaitlin (Campo) Leonard
Learwood M.S. Athletic Director
Avon Lake City Schools Athletic Director
Avon Lake City Schools Superintendent

Website
We will try emailing information to parents/athletes throughout the season, particularly regarding meet arrivals/departures and race times. We also have a team blog site where important information will be located:
http://learwoodmiddleschoolcrosscountry.blogspot.com/

Contact Information
We hope to make this a positive and enjoyable experience for all student-athletes.  Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us through the contact information located below.

Rob Rocco                                                                                                              
rob.rocco@avonlakecityschools.org

Scott Peepers
scott.peepers@avonlakecityschools.org

Kevin Marlow
kevin.marlow@avonlakecityschools.org

Anna Walters
anna.walters@avonlakecityschools.org

Jenn Farney
jennifer.farney@avonlakecityschools.org

No comments:

Post a Comment