Cross Country Rules to Live By

Rules to Live by as a Runner at SME

• DISCIPLINE-Come to practice every day and be prepared to complete the workout that is given to you.

• WORK HARD/ WORK EASY- embrace the difficulty of hard days; relax and enjoy the serenity of easy days.

• TEAM- Cross Country is a team sport and in order to succeed, your teammates rely on you to succeed, and you rely on your teammates.  ALL teammates are essential:  The first 5 runners determine the score; the 6^th & 7^th (“pushers”) can make another team’s score worse.

• INDIVIDUAL- a race is an opportunity to compete against and conquer oneself:  to do the best you can, and improve on the previous performance.

• TEAM- you have teammates on many teams, whether they are on C-team, JV, or Varsity. Be proud of their efforts and support them every step of the way.

• COMMUNITY- you represent Shawnee Mission East High School.  As you compete and run on the local roads, you make an impression on the community and represent many people who count on you— not just you, but your teammates, the coaches and your school.

• RUN SAFE- At least half of our running takes place on roads; drivers are not always aware of you, always be aware of them and the rules of the road i.e., stop signs, lights etc. If a sidewalk is provided use it.  If running in the street; run against traffic-single file.  YOUR SAFETY IS IN YOUR HANDS!

• ACCOUNTABILITY- Please sign-in at the beginning of every practice and then check yourself back out at the end of practice so we know you are back and safe.  Practices should not be missed unnecessarily.  FIRST UNEXCUSED, will result in not running the next meet. SECOND UNEXCUSED, could result in team termination.  Legitimate excuses should be reported to Coach Beaham or to Coach Chaffee in room 321 the morning before practice.

• ELIGIBILITY- Eligibility cards must be turned into Coach Chaffee’s room 321 each week by Thursday morning.

• ACHES & PAINS- Aches mean you have been running, pains mean maybe you shouldn’t be; monitor your condition and don’t be afraid to talk to your coaches.

• FUN- one of the great joys of life is enjoying the camaraderie of friends and classmates, and striving to do something difficult alongside them.  Cross Country is one way to share this experience.