Service High School XC Running 2022 Team Contract
Cougar Track Mission:
Service XC Running is about teaching young athletes the value of friendship, physical fitness and commitment. In a competition, winning is the goal, but we believe that athletes learning to live by the values listed above is a better means by which to measure success.
All (Coaches, Athletes, and Parents)
Athletes
Parents
Coaches
Attendance
Travel to Meets
Uniforms
Service XC Running is about teaching young athletes the value of friendship, physical fitness and commitment. In a competition, winning is the goal, but we believe that athletes learning to live by the values listed above is a better means by which to measure success.
All (Coaches, Athletes, and Parents)
- Treat athletes, officials, coaches, and spectators with respect. Demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times.
- Understand and respect the different roles of athletes, parents, coaches, and officials.
- Parents parent,
- Coaches coach,
- Officials officiate,
- Athletes run,
- And each should be respected for what they do and have fun doing it!
- Refrain from any profanity and maintain self-control at all times.
- Athletics are not to be put ahead of academics.
- Remember the primary value of athletic participation is to provide our youth with an opportunity for physical, emotional, social, and mental self-development.
Athletes
- Always demonstrate respect for your opponents, teammates, coaches, and officials.
- Give your best effort, win with humility, lose without excuses, and always maintain good sportsmanship.
- Maintain the minimum GPA of 2.0. or passing on a pass/fail system.
- Adhere to all school and team rules (see student handbook for details).
- When in the woods always be running in groups of 4 or more.
- No headphone use during practices or races. Racing is required to be a member of the team.
- Breaking of the above rules and standards will be considered grounds for dismissal from the team.
- Lettering for Cross Country Running requires an athlete to score as a varsity runner in a meet. Top 7 finishers for Service High in a Varsity scored race, not a JV or an open race, are the varsity scorers.
Parents
- Be positive role models at athletic contests. Your son or daughter will be aware of your behavior.
- Realize that the coach is an educator and understands the sport and the proper training and behavior for that sport. Refrain from coaching or undermining the coaching from the sidelines.
- If a parent wishes to raise a complaint or concern with a coach, the best format is email. Disrespectful communication will be disregarded.
- Parents should do their best to help schedule their athlete’s extracurricular endeavors outside of meet and practice times.
Coaches
- Safety is your top priority.
- Create a positive and nurturing environment for the athletes to growth athletically.
- Provide athletes with opportunities for social interaction and development that aid emotional growth.
- Teach the values of dedication and effort while conforming to the spirit as well as the letter of the rules.
- Help students achieve THEIR goals.
Attendance
- Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors are required to attend their 1st day of practice by August 16th, and must have 10 practices by August 29th or they will not be allowed to participate on the team.
- Freshman and athletes new to Service High are allowed to join as late as August 23rd, the 3rd day of school and must have 10 practices by September 5th, or they will not be allowed to participate on the team.
- PE credit is granted only for athletes who maintain a 70% or greater attendance record. An athlete must participate in the entire practice to get attendance credit for the day. The 30% absence includes misses for illnesses, summer vacations, extra-curricular activities, etc.
- If a student-athlete misses so many practices that it will be mathematically impossible to meet the 70% minimum requirement by the end of the season, they may be asked to leave the team per the head coach's discretion.
- If you were home sick from school you may not attend practice that day.
Travel to Meets
- All athletes must travel to meets on school buses that depart from Service High or they will not be allowed to compete.
- Athletes are encouraged to demonstrate team spirit by staying for the entire meet. If this is impossible, athletes and parents must sign a sign-out sheet before leaving the meet with their parent. Athletes can only leave a meet early with their parent or legal guardian.
Uniforms
- All gear, which may include warm-up jacket, warm-up pants, racing singlet, and racing shorts, must be returned by the XC Running banquet. The parent or legal guardian of any athlete who does not return ALL team issued gear will be fined the replacement cost of the lost gear, which can exceed $100.
2022 Service Cross-Country Running Team Handbook
Welcome to the Cross Country Running Team!
The coaches are excited to be working with all of you and hope to instill a desire to pursue a lifetime of fitness. We will do our best to prepare each and every one of you to perform to the very best of your ability in your individual pursuit of excellence, incorporating the importance of a cohesive team that works, competes, and celebrates together. ~ Service XC Coaches
REQUIREMENTS TO BE ON RUNNING TEAM
The forms on PlanetHS.com must be completed by the student-athlete and the parent and activity participation fees must be paid on or before the 1st day of practice.
TEAM ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Practices:.
Races:
Team Divisions – The team is divided into groups for practice and teams for races. Placement is determined by time trials and ongoing race results. The coaches will notify individuals as changes are made during the season. Varsity positions are made at the coaches discretion. The coaches will place who they think will be the 7 fastest athletes in the Varsity race. Athlete reliability is also a factor.
Award Ceremonies – There are award ceremonies after each race. They usually happen immediately after the last race. Service runners are required to wear their Service High XC Running team gear during the ceremony.
State Team Selection - The state team will be determined by the results of the combined races throughout the year. All runners participate in all races except for the State Championship. The top 7 female and male runners, determined by the coaching staff, will race when the team qualifies out of the Regional meet. 2 state 'backup' runners will be selected to train with the team during state week just in case 1 or 2 of the top 7 can't compete in the State Championship.
Varsity Letter's are Earned by:
Participation Awards / PE Waivers - These awards are earned by all runners who attend at least 70% of the scheduled practices. Athletes may receive 1/4 PE credit through participation on the running team.
Multi Sport Athletes - If a student wishes to participate in another in season ASD sport they must attend a minimum of 3 Cross Country running practices per week and compete in 70% of the races. That athlete must compete in the Regional Championship race, and if the athlete qualifies, the State Championship race. Failure to meet these requirements results in the forfeiture of any team awards, including a Letter, and not being allowed to attempt the dual-sport option in future running seasons.
Participation in another sport program that is not ASD sanctioned will not be counted as having attended the Service XC running team practice.
Buses – Athletes are required to travel with the team on the team bus to and from all competitions and workouts that require travel. If you HAVE TO leave an event early, you may only leave with your parent, and they must print your name and sign the checkout sheet attached to the table under the team tent.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING
LABEL EVERYTHING! If you wash the uniforms and/or warmup gear be sure to use a black sharpie to keep the uniform # on the tag legible. LABLE ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE WITH YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER! We have experienced theft during both practices and meets in the past. If an athlete loses any of their issued gear, they will be fined.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Captains play a vital role in maintaining an exceptional team culture. Team captains will be selected by a vote of the running team and approval of the coaching staff. They will exemplify the attributes that makeup the backbone of the Service XC Running Team Culture. Key attributes include dedication, sportsmanship, effort, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Captain Requirements:
TEAM SPIRIT
The running team is a family. Everyone is encouraged to cheer on all runners. Let’s work together, make noise at races, and support each other to make this the most positive team. Team Captains also play a vital role in team spirit.
We want you to have fun on this wonderful team and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing your best and improving your level of fitness. Work hard at practice, race to the best of your ability, and you'll have an awesome season!
REV: Aug 2022
The coaches are excited to be working with all of you and hope to instill a desire to pursue a lifetime of fitness. We will do our best to prepare each and every one of you to perform to the very best of your ability in your individual pursuit of excellence, incorporating the importance of a cohesive team that works, competes, and celebrates together. ~ Service XC Coaches
REQUIREMENTS TO BE ON RUNNING TEAM
The forms on PlanetHS.com must be completed by the student-athlete and the parent and activity participation fees must be paid on or before the 1st day of practice.
- If you need help regarding the forms call Ms. Galloway at 742-8105 and she can point you in the right direction.
TEAM ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Practices:.
- Show Up (dedication required!): Alaska has the shortest XC running season in the nation. It is the athlete's responsibility to show up and start regularly attending practice in time to allow the athlete to at least reach the minimum requirement of 70% attendance by the end of the season.
- Coaches take daily attendance. If a runner misses more than 30% of practices during the season that athlete will not receive a PE waiver nor will they be eligible for a letter or receive a participation award at the banquet.
Races:
- The Service High Cross Country Running team is a not an after-school jogging club. It is a competitive team and team members are expected to compete in the scheduled races.
- Runners will NOT be able to race in Varsity meets until they have attended 10 practices (ASD Policy) but they can run in the unofficial/open contests.
- VARSITY RUNNERS SHOULD NOT MISS A RACE WITHOUT INFORMING THE HEAD COACH A WEEK IN ADVANCE! Coaches have to enter the participants on the varsity squad as early as the Monday before the race and are not always allowed to enter a replacement athlete after the deadline. This robs Service of the right to compete with a full team and a teammate of the chance to compete on a varsity squad.
- Start Times & Race Results will be posted on Athetic.net
Team Divisions – The team is divided into groups for practice and teams for races. Placement is determined by time trials and ongoing race results. The coaches will notify individuals as changes are made during the season. Varsity positions are made at the coaches discretion. The coaches will place who they think will be the 7 fastest athletes in the Varsity race. Athlete reliability is also a factor.
Award Ceremonies – There are award ceremonies after each race. They usually happen immediately after the last race. Service runners are required to wear their Service High XC Running team gear during the ceremony.
State Team Selection - The state team will be determined by the results of the combined races throughout the year. All runners participate in all races except for the State Championship. The top 7 female and male runners, determined by the coaching staff, will race when the team qualifies out of the Regional meet. 2 state 'backup' runners will be selected to train with the team during state week just in case 1 or 2 of the top 7 can't compete in the State Championship.
Varsity Letter's are Earned by:
- Any athlete who finishes as one of the top 7 Cougars in an eligible varsity race.
- Any athlete near the top of the JV race at Regionals will be considered by the coaching staff for a Varsity letter.
- Any athlete who has earned participation awards on the SHS Cross Country Team all four years of his/her high school career.
Participation Awards / PE Waivers - These awards are earned by all runners who attend at least 70% of the scheduled practices. Athletes may receive 1/4 PE credit through participation on the running team.
Multi Sport Athletes - If a student wishes to participate in another in season ASD sport they must attend a minimum of 3 Cross Country running practices per week and compete in 70% of the races. That athlete must compete in the Regional Championship race, and if the athlete qualifies, the State Championship race. Failure to meet these requirements results in the forfeiture of any team awards, including a Letter, and not being allowed to attempt the dual-sport option in future running seasons.
Participation in another sport program that is not ASD sanctioned will not be counted as having attended the Service XC running team practice.
Buses – Athletes are required to travel with the team on the team bus to and from all competitions and workouts that require travel. If you HAVE TO leave an event early, you may only leave with your parent, and they must print your name and sign the checkout sheet attached to the table under the team tent.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING
LABEL EVERYTHING! If you wash the uniforms and/or warmup gear be sure to use a black sharpie to keep the uniform # on the tag legible. LABLE ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE WITH YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER! We have experienced theft during both practices and meets in the past. If an athlete loses any of their issued gear, they will be fined.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Captains play a vital role in maintaining an exceptional team culture. Team captains will be selected by a vote of the running team and approval of the coaching staff. They will exemplify the attributes that makeup the backbone of the Service XC Running Team Culture. Key attributes include dedication, sportsmanship, effort, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Captain Requirements:
- Willingness and ability to attend >90% of team practices and meets. Captains are held to a higher standard than team members.
- Willing to carry out additional responsibilities of the position. These include
- Helping coaches manage the team, especially during practice and meet warmups and warmdowns
- Working to create a successful banquet. Included in this are preparation of the Captains Awards, the season ending video, and set up and break down of banquet tables.
- Most importantly, Captains need to possess the ability to alter the attitude of the team in a positive direction.
TEAM SPIRIT
The running team is a family. Everyone is encouraged to cheer on all runners. Let’s work together, make noise at races, and support each other to make this the most positive team. Team Captains also play a vital role in team spirit.
We want you to have fun on this wonderful team and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing your best and improving your level of fitness. Work hard at practice, race to the best of your ability, and you'll have an awesome season!
REV: Aug 2022