REQUIRED FORMS AND READING MATERIALS FOR ATHLETES AND PARENTS

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GENERAL TRAINING, NUTRITION & INSPIRATION

CHUCK WOOLRIDGE coaching background and philosophy: A brief overview of Chuck's teaching and coaching experience.

TRAINING PHILOSOPHY SLIDE SHOW: A slide show presentation of the key events and philosophical changes that led to the College Park 2003 State Championship season. Presented to the CCA and AAF clinics by Chuck Woolridge, this presentation features current NCAA competitors Lindsay Allen (Stanford), Diane Dunn (UC San Diego), Liz Noey (USF), and Erica Holland (Stanford).

Hydration Article: It is imperative that athletes drink water frequently each day. Read this article for a detailed explanation of hydration needs and strategies.

Training Article: Explanation of basic training principles and daily workout sessions.

Essay by Alison Crisp, 2007 Campolindo frosh soph team champion. Crisp recounts the 2007 DFAL Championship showdown with rival Falcons of College Park that resulted in a dominating five Cougar finishers in the top eleven and upset victory for the league title.

Essay by Betsy Sale, 2000 College Park Team Captain & Luka Sekulich Award Winner discuss impact cross country has made upon her life.

Essay by Ashley Allen, 2002 College Park Athlete of the Year & Member of the Falcon Hall of Fame recalls her most memorable competive experience.

Cross country and track Alumni Testimonials Read the words of wisdom and advice from former high school athletes!

REQUIRED FALL SEASON DOCUMENTS

AUHSD Athlete Clearance Form: Athletes MUST have this form completed with medical insurance and emergency contact information, as well as a doctor's signature, and turned in to the coaches to be eligible to participate.

AUHSD Athlete Ejection Policy: This form explains the NCS rules and regulations regarding athlete sportsmanship and penalties for violations of NCS policies. Athletes MUST complete this form and turn it in to the coaches to be eligible to participate.

AUHSD Illegal Substance Contract: Parents and athletes MUST understand and agree to CIF policies on illegal substances to be eligible for participation. This form must be signed and turned in to the coaches.

AUHSD Sports Participation Handbook: This document covers rules, procedures and expectations for all AUHSD after school sport team participants.

XC Team Handbook: This is the comprehensive information resource about the team and the sport that EVERY ATHLETE and parent is expected to read and understand prior to the season.

XC Athlete Information Sheet: This 2 page form should be printed, completed by the athlete, and turned in to the coach on the first practice day! Be sure to note any potential schedule conflicts on this form.

XC Team Sweat & T-shirt Order Form: ALL ATHLETES must complete this form and return it with payment by the August 26th deadline!

XC Season Goal Sheet: Individual and team goals for each third of the season must be articulated on this form and placed in the athlete's team folder.

2008 Parent Meeting Agenda: The 2008 season parent meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2nd, in the CHS library.

2008 Season Training Schedule: This is the comprehensive season calendar, with daily training session descriptions, including type of workout, target paces, practice start and end times, bus departure times, meet times and more!

2008 Season Meet Schedule: Print this out this competition schedule and put it on your refrigerator!

Race Plan Sheet: A Race Plan must be completed prior to each competition and added to the athlete's team folder.

Race Critique Sheet: A Race Critique must be completed after each competition and added to the athlete's team folder.

Letter Requirements: Athletes will be recognized as "Participants" or "Lettermen" based on this criteria.

SUMMER NECESSITIES & SEASON PREPARATION

2008 Team Sign-up & Information Packet: A complete guide to the upcoming 2008 season, including articles about the team, training schedule for the summer, and lots of reasons why cross country is the sport for YOU!!!

2008 Summer Training Schedule: This is the calendar of training sessions Cougar athletes are expected to attend during the summer! Post the SUMMER TRAINIG SCHEDULE on your wall and get the miles in with teammates over the summer months!

2008 Fund-Raiser Mileage Journal: Calendar for recording training mileage over the summer. This form is used in conjunction with the FUND-RAISER PLEDGE FORM below. All athletes must raise money for the team. Fund-raiser money will be collected during the first two weeks of practice.

2008 Fund-Raiser Pledge Form: Fund-Raiser explanation and donation record. Use this form to solicit sponsors and donate money based on your FUND-RAISER MILEAGE JOURNAL above. Fund-Raiser money will be collected during the first two weeks of practice.

e-Scrip Sign-up Form: All cross country team families are urged to register their Safeway Club Card & other eligible cards with our team e-Scrip account! Please do this right now, while you are thinking of it! SAFEWAY CLUB CARDS REQUIRE AN ANNUAL RENEWAL!

Important Team Rules

1. Consistent Practice Attendance: Each athlete is expected to attend all practices. Every effort must be made to schedule time so that there are no conflicts with daily practice. If a valid reason for missing practice exists (illness or emergency), the athlete must notify the coach prior to the practice that will be missed. MISSING PRACTICE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION WILL RESULT IN SUSPENSION FROM COMPETITION.

2. Punctuality: Each athlete is expected to arrive to practice and competitions on time and ready to run. SECOND TIME LATE WILL RESULT IN CAMPUS CLEAN-UP. IF LATENESS BECOMES CHRONIC YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE TEAM.

3. Practice Apparel: Each athlete is required to wear RUNNING SHOES, SHORTS, TOPS, & SWEAT PANTS to practice. Sweat Pants will be worn for warm-up, stretching, and drills every day regardless of weather. Basketball or other long shorts are NOT acceptable. FAILURE TO WEAR APPROPRIATE APPAREL WILL RESULT IN CAMPUS CLEAN-UP.

4. Meet Uniforms: Team uniforms, sweats & team shirts are to be worn at all competitions. Athletes are expected to step off the bus wearing sweats and team shirts ! Sweats & team shirts shall remain on at all times before and after your races! This is important for warming-up, mental focus, team unity, & intimidating our opponents. Under NO circumstances are team uniforms or sweats to be worn at any other time! It is a CIF violation to wear a school uniform in unsanctioned competition. WASHING INSTRUCTIONS: Wash in cold, hang dry! DO NOT PUT IN DRYER!

5. Athlete Conduct: Cross Country Team members represent the premier athletic program at CHS. They are representatives of the school and the community. Each athlete is responsible for continuing our tradition of exemplary conduct. Support your teammates, make a positive contribution to the sport, and act responsibly in every situation. Problems must be handled in a mature and rational manner. Communication with your coach is essential. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO LIVE UP TO THESE STANDARDS YOU WILL BE DROPPED FROM THE TEAM.

Under NO circumstances are athletes or parents allowed to dispute rulings with meet officials! Athletes and parents must maintain their composure and let their coach deal with the situation. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THIS PROTOCOL IS GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION FROM COMPETITION AND SUSPENSION FROM THE TEAM.

6. Transportation to and from Competition: Team policy regarding student-athlete transportation will be followed WITHOUT exception! This policy is as follows: Athletes transported from CHS to an away competition via district bus must also return to CHS via district bus or be released to their legal guardian at the competition site. Athletes will not be released to anyone other than a legal guardian. Friends, relatives, neighbors, etc., are NOT legal guardians. Team policy further requires that any athlete not returning to CHS with the team via district bus give the head coach verbal notification and visual confirmation of the presence of a legal guardian before departure. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES WILL RESULT IN SUSPENSION FROM THE TEAM.

Mandatory Equipment

REQUIRED ITEMS: The following items are required at all practices and competitions.

• Water Bottle
• Running Shoes
• Sweat Pants
• Running Shorts (NO basketball or long shorts!)
• Digital Watch with Split/Lap Time Capabilities
• Locker room lock

RECOMMENDED ITEMS: These items are not required, but recommended for serious athletes.

• Racing Flats

Athletic Letter Requirements

FROSH-SOPH & JUNIOR VARSITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Athlete must finish a minimum of 6 races and attend a minimum of 45 practice sessions to be considered for a Letter Award: Only athletes that complete six races and attend at least 45 practice sessions during the fall season are eligible for a Cross Country Letter Award. Athletes that do not reach these minimums will receive Participant Awards.

Achievement of one of the following automatically earns Letter Award provided the athlete has competed in six races and attended 45 practice sessions.

• Top 5 finish on any team in 4 or more races
• 2-mile time: 13:00 (boy), 15:30 (girl)

VARSITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Athlete must finish a minimum of 4 Varsity Races (7 races total) and attend a minimum of 45 practice sessions. Only athletes that complete four VARSITY races (7 races total) during the fall season are eligible for a VARSITY Letter Award.

• Athlete must achieve a minimum 3-mile time: 18:00 (boy), 22:00 (girl). Only athletes that achieve the time standard on a certified 3.0-mile course during the fall season are eligible for a VARSITY Letter Award. (5K conversion accepted)

Achievement of one of the following automatically earns VARSITY Letter Award provided the athlete has competed in 4 VARSITY races and achieved the minimum VARSITY time standard:

• Top 7 finish on Varsity team in 4 or more races
• Top 5 finish on Varsity team at league championships
• All League Varsity 1st Team selection
• Top 5 finish on Varsity team at NCS or State

ATHLETES THAT QUIT THE TEAM FOR ANY REASON, OR ARE DROPPED FROM THE TEAM AS DISCIPLINARY ACTION, OR FAIL TO ACHIEVE THE MINIMUM ACADEMIC STANDARD FOR PARTICIPATION FORFEIT ALL AWARDS.

Competition Rules

UNIFORMS
Cross Country competitors must wear school issued racing uniforms. Additional garments (underwear and athletic bras) must be solid WHITE and worn beneath the uniform. NO other garments (tights, biker shorts, t-shirts, under armour) may be worn under the uniform during competition without specific approval from the coaching staff.

Jewelry is NOT allowed!!! DO NOT WEAR JEWELRY, INCLUDING EAR/NOSE/BELLY BUTTON/FINGER RINGS OR STUDS, BRACELETS, NECKLACES, HAIR CLIPS, BOBBY PINS, OR ANY OTHER HARD OBJECT! Watches and prescription eye glasses ARE acceptable in competition.

DISQUALIFICATION
Athletes may be disqualified for the following infractions:
• Uniform/Jewelry violation.
• Failure to follow directions of meet personnel.
• Use of profanity.
• Causing a competitor to break stride.
• Impeding or interfering with a competitor.
• Physical contact with a competitor.
• Failure to run designated course.

RACE DISTANCES
Varsity race distance for DFAL, NCS, and CIF competition is 3 miles or 5k. Scrimmages and Invitational meets sometimes vary, but are never less than 2 miles or longer than 5k. Frosh-Soph and Junior Varsity race distance for DFAL is 2 miles. Invitational meets can vary from 3k to 2.4 miles.

RACE SCORING
The top 7 finishers for each team are factored into the final team score. Teams with fewer than 5 competitors are incomplete and their finishers are deleted from scoring. The summation of the top 5 finishing places for each team represent the team scores. The lowest score wins. In the event of a tie, the 6th finishing place for each team determines the winner. Invitational and Championship competition is scored using team finishing places against entire race field. Tri-meet competition is scored head to head. Each team is scored against the other without the place holders of additional teams.

DIVISIONS
There are 3 divisions of competition in High School Cross Country: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Frosh-Soph. The Falcon Cross Country Program places athletes in divisions based on the following criterion.

Varsity: The top 7 fastest athletes regardless of grade usually compete in this division. Invitational and post season competition limits team size to 7 runners. However, DFAL dual meet rules allow teams to run as many as 10 athletes in Varsity competition. Fielding more than 7 runners in Varsity competition is done at the discretion of the coach usually for the purpose of providing experience for future Varsity athletes, run-offs between athletes competing for a Varsity position, or as reward for exemplary conduct by veterans.

Frosh-Soph: This division is restricted to Freshmen and Sophomores only. The top 7 fastest Frosh or Soph athletes usually compete in this division. The exception to this would be if a Freshman or Sophomore were placed on Varsity. Invitational competition sometimes limits team size to 7 runners. However, most often there is no limit to number of entries in Frosh-Soph competition.

Junior Varsity: There are no grade restrictions or team size limitations for this division. However, a school must field a Varsity team consisting of their top 5 or more runners before a Junior Varsity team can be entered. Junior or Senior athletes not among the top 7 fastest on the team compete in this division. Freshmen or Sophomores may also compete in this division, usually to provide better depth or to balance race fields.

POST SEASON COMPETITION
Varsity: Complete Varsity teams automatically qualify for the DFAL Championship and NCS Championship meets. Varsity teams must finish in the top four (Division III) at the NCS Championship meet to advance to the CIF Championships. The top 5 Individuals NOT on a qualifying team may advance from NCS to CIF competition if they finish in the top 12.

Frosh-Soph & Junior Varsity: Frosh-Soph and Junior Varsity teams automatically qualify for the DFAL Championship meet. These divisions are NOT contested at the NCS or CIF level.

FINAL DFAL STANDINGS
Final season league standings for each division are determined by combining equally weighted results from regular season DFAL Tri-meet competition and those of the DFAL Championship meet. There are NO tie breakers.