Review Precautions Before Starting Your Season
By Traci Neely | Thursday, August 13, 2009 11:58 AM
The brutal Texas temperatures just won’t let up, but that doesn’t keep the cross country season from starting. By the end of August, runners will be ready in time for the first meets of the season.
Practice for most high school cross country athletes continues through the summer months, which does tend to help prepare student athletes for the heat and humidity in August and September. Heat stress and heat stroke are extremely serious conditions. The chances of heat stress or stroke can escalate for an athlete during a practice session or during a long meet day. Coaches, athletes and parents must be proactive in regards to hydration, rest and recovery in order for this season to be successful.
Another serious issue that comes to mind when I think about the cross country season is training safely. Coaches can easily overlook or take for granted that athletes know how to train safely on the roads and in the parks. Every cross country coach prior to the training season should address the safety issues concerning how athletes are required to train.
Cross country participation has inherent possible dangers because most training takes place off campus. Coaches should make every attempt to train their runners in a familiar environment. During my coaching years, the following list of guidelines helped me secure a safe running environment for all athletes.
Preferably, off-campus training sessions shall be completed on designated exercise, hike or bike trails in area parks.
1. Coaches will transport athletes together, and they will train in a supervised environment. Coaches should monitor the route by running or biking with athletes or utilize additional coaches or adults who are capable of running and moving within the training area.
2. Athletes and coaches should be familiar with the trail routes. The coach will review the route with a map if an athlete is new to the training route.
3. Athletes should not run while it is dark. With early morning runs, there should be enough light to see another runner from a 25 ft. distance from each other.
4. Athletes will complete training runs in designated groups of two or more runners.
a. It is recommended that all training groups be mixed with boy and girl runners when the opportunity is available.
b. Runners should not use headphones when running so they can be aware of their surroundings.
c. Athletes and coaches will report concerns of any nature to the campus coordinator or principal immediately.
Off-campus training in local neighborhoods will be allowed only when extenuating circumstances occur, and thus preventing a training session to be completed in a park. In the event that a team completes a run outside of a park, the athletes and coaches will adhere to all of the above listed rules and the following additional rules:
1. Athletes will run on the shoulder of the road or street along the lane that is facing the flow of traffic.
2. All training routes will be checked for safety concerns prior to the training session.
3. Runners should run in a single line file within their groups.
4. Runners should not respond to comments of any nature made by passengers in motor vehicles or by suspicious persons.
5. Roads and streets with heavy traffic will be avoided at all times and navigated in emergencies or rare situations only.
We hope that each coach and athlete has a safe and successful cross country season. It takes sound judgment and proactive planning by the coaches, parents and athletes to ensure a safe cross country season for all.