10 Things a XC Parent Needs to Know!!!
1. What race is my athlete running? XC has teams for each boys and girls: Varsity, Junior Varsity(JV) and Freshman/Sophomore(Frosh/Soph), Varsity team can change for each race. It is the top 7 times(7 boys & 7 girls), regardless of what grade the athlete is in. At any race, check the order of the races and verify with your athlete what race they are running, every time!
2. Saturday Races, Invitationals, League Races OH MY !!! Millikan is part of the Moore League, Southern CIF Section. The schools in our league are Millikan, Lakewood, Jordan, Cabrillo, Poly, Wilson, & Compton. League race #1 is held at El Dorado Regional Park, Area 3 near Glider Field. There is a fee to enter unless you have an annual pass. Race #2 @ Discovery Wells Park. Arrive early or be prepared to park far and walk up hill. Race #3 @ Heartwell the start/finish is in the middle section near Carson/Woodruff. The race schedule is also posted on here as well.
For details on race regulations please refer to the LBUSD website: http://lbschools.net/Departments/High_Schools/sports_schedules.cfm
For Summer, there are a few “Gahr Summer 2 Mile” races. Coaches will inform the kids as it gets closer and the schedule is released. It is for times, costs $5 per athlete at registration on the day of the race. Parent signature is needed at registration. No parking fees or admission in past years. Bring a chair and warm clothes!
Saturday or Invitational Races are “away”. These are lots of schools sometimes 10, 20 … Times can vary, see the schedule or try the race website based on the name of the race. This will also help you with location, fees and parking. Often, these races have the opportunity for the kids to earn a medal and they are all given a “bib” that gets pinned to their shirt and many times a timing piece that generally gets returned or they are charged for (usually about $10). The bibs are a nice souvenir for the kids and it’s nice for them to write their time on the back! Be sure to have them find out what the requirements are for a medal. They are usually given at the finish line! **Verify participation! Some races get changed due to registration limitations and may be rescheduled to a different race/location or sometimes only the Varsity athletes will participate.
3. Be prepared, MAP it or verify location !!! With any of the races, know where you need to be! Check out the parking situation. Sometimes there is a parking lot, however, it may not be near the entrance to the race. Be prepared to carry all of your belongings for some distance (maybe bring a wagon). Many times there is neighborhood parking that is closer. Always be cautious, many times it will be dark when you leave.
4. Get there early!!! Depending on the race schedule, your athlete may need to be there prior to the time on the schedule to allow them time to check in and warm up. Be sure they tell you what time they need to be there, not just the time of their race. Some of the races are an hour away.
5. Pack water, snacks, water, food, water! Remember how hot it is September and October? Bring lots of cold water. Your athlete may not want to eat much prior to their race. They WILL BE hungry after they run!!! The booster club tries to provide healthy snacks like fruit, water, granola bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… You may want to bring more on Saturdays (for yourself too), since you will likely be there for an extended day and on League race days, remember, school lunch time is around 11:30, many of the athletes don’t eat a large meal prior to the race so by the time they run they will be very hungry! League races are usually over about 6pm. Good snacks are yogurts, string cheese, beef jerky, crackers, fruit, nuts… Bring a cooler to keep thing cold if necessary!
6. Sunscreen bring some for you too!!
7. Chair, umbrella, blanket, jacket, your own tennis shoes, Toilet Paper ~ Yes, TP !!!! Just have your athlete keep a roll in their gear bag and some hand wipes too! Nothing is worse than hiking to the restroom and no TP. For yourself, these races are on a course, no bleachers! Bring a chair. It’ll be hot, the team has easy ups, for the athletes! Very often there is no shade, wear a hat or bring an umbrella that clips to your chair if you have one! It’ll get cold too!! As soon as the sun goes down! Be sure you and your student have at least a sweatshirt, or warm-ups. Bring your running/tennis shoes too! Once the race starts, you may not see them until they finish, but you can walk/jog to certain parts of the race and encourage them along the course. Let them know what place they’re in, either over all, or for our team, and tell them their running time too.
8. Bring Cash – parking, admission- League races do not have an admission fee, parking at El Dorado is required. The Saturday Races often have a charge for parking and/or for admission. Athletes do not pay an admission. Generally is cash only, be prepared! At Saturday Races there are often food & booth vendors.
9. Carb Load Meals: The Booster Club will coordinate Carb Load Meals for the athletes on the day before the League races, Tuesdays after school in the field area. Please sign up to help when you can.
10 .“Lingo” - Fartleks, Pace, Hill Repeats, Recovery, Tempo Run, …. These runners have their own language!!! Check out what it all means so you can ‘keep up’ !!!
https://greatist.com/fitness/ultimate-guide-running-lingo
2. Saturday Races, Invitationals, League Races OH MY !!! Millikan is part of the Moore League, Southern CIF Section. The schools in our league are Millikan, Lakewood, Jordan, Cabrillo, Poly, Wilson, & Compton. League race #1 is held at El Dorado Regional Park, Area 3 near Glider Field. There is a fee to enter unless you have an annual pass. Race #2 @ Discovery Wells Park. Arrive early or be prepared to park far and walk up hill. Race #3 @ Heartwell the start/finish is in the middle section near Carson/Woodruff. The race schedule is also posted on here as well.
For details on race regulations please refer to the LBUSD website: http://lbschools.net/Departments/High_Schools/sports_schedules.cfm
For Summer, there are a few “Gahr Summer 2 Mile” races. Coaches will inform the kids as it gets closer and the schedule is released. It is for times, costs $5 per athlete at registration on the day of the race. Parent signature is needed at registration. No parking fees or admission in past years. Bring a chair and warm clothes!
Saturday or Invitational Races are “away”. These are lots of schools sometimes 10, 20 … Times can vary, see the schedule or try the race website based on the name of the race. This will also help you with location, fees and parking. Often, these races have the opportunity for the kids to earn a medal and they are all given a “bib” that gets pinned to their shirt and many times a timing piece that generally gets returned or they are charged for (usually about $10). The bibs are a nice souvenir for the kids and it’s nice for them to write their time on the back! Be sure to have them find out what the requirements are for a medal. They are usually given at the finish line! **Verify participation! Some races get changed due to registration limitations and may be rescheduled to a different race/location or sometimes only the Varsity athletes will participate.
3. Be prepared, MAP it or verify location !!! With any of the races, know where you need to be! Check out the parking situation. Sometimes there is a parking lot, however, it may not be near the entrance to the race. Be prepared to carry all of your belongings for some distance (maybe bring a wagon). Many times there is neighborhood parking that is closer. Always be cautious, many times it will be dark when you leave.
4. Get there early!!! Depending on the race schedule, your athlete may need to be there prior to the time on the schedule to allow them time to check in and warm up. Be sure they tell you what time they need to be there, not just the time of their race. Some of the races are an hour away.
5. Pack water, snacks, water, food, water! Remember how hot it is September and October? Bring lots of cold water. Your athlete may not want to eat much prior to their race. They WILL BE hungry after they run!!! The booster club tries to provide healthy snacks like fruit, water, granola bars, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… You may want to bring more on Saturdays (for yourself too), since you will likely be there for an extended day and on League race days, remember, school lunch time is around 11:30, many of the athletes don’t eat a large meal prior to the race so by the time they run they will be very hungry! League races are usually over about 6pm. Good snacks are yogurts, string cheese, beef jerky, crackers, fruit, nuts… Bring a cooler to keep thing cold if necessary!
6. Sunscreen bring some for you too!!
7. Chair, umbrella, blanket, jacket, your own tennis shoes, Toilet Paper ~ Yes, TP !!!! Just have your athlete keep a roll in their gear bag and some hand wipes too! Nothing is worse than hiking to the restroom and no TP. For yourself, these races are on a course, no bleachers! Bring a chair. It’ll be hot, the team has easy ups, for the athletes! Very often there is no shade, wear a hat or bring an umbrella that clips to your chair if you have one! It’ll get cold too!! As soon as the sun goes down! Be sure you and your student have at least a sweatshirt, or warm-ups. Bring your running/tennis shoes too! Once the race starts, you may not see them until they finish, but you can walk/jog to certain parts of the race and encourage them along the course. Let them know what place they’re in, either over all, or for our team, and tell them their running time too.
8. Bring Cash – parking, admission- League races do not have an admission fee, parking at El Dorado is required. The Saturday Races often have a charge for parking and/or for admission. Athletes do not pay an admission. Generally is cash only, be prepared! At Saturday Races there are often food & booth vendors.
9. Carb Load Meals: The Booster Club will coordinate Carb Load Meals for the athletes on the day before the League races, Tuesdays after school in the field area. Please sign up to help when you can.
10 .“Lingo” - Fartleks, Pace, Hill Repeats, Recovery, Tempo Run, …. These runners have their own language!!! Check out what it all means so you can ‘keep up’ !!!
https://greatist.com/fitness/ultimate-guide-running-lingo
What kind of watch should I buy?
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Definitely shop around before purchasing a watch.
(Like your running shoes, please do not purchase just because it looks cool. This is an investment that will be used for the entire year(s) while at school) I've linked some of the watches here down here, but obviously you do not have to purchase them from their site. You can just use it as a reference when you shop around. For Non-GPS watches, TIMEX is a really popular brand among runners Ironman Essentials Ironman Classic For GPS watches, the Garmin Foreunner 45 is a popular watch, and super easy to use. It has to be charged once a week. Since this is an older version, it is on sale for $129. |
How long is each race?
How long does a typical race day last? |
3 miles. Depending on the athletes' athletic ability, it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to under 26 minutes, hopefully.
A typical race day may take about 4 hours. (2 genders, 3 divisions or 4 grades) If the athlete is done racing they may leave once they've cooled down, however it's encouraged they stay till the team is done, to support their teammates, and help clean up. |
Is there anything, I, the parent, can do to help the team?
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All help/assistance is welcomed. If you would like to help please leave your name and contact info and what you're willing to help with, and we forward it to the booster parents.
Example: Jane Smith, Johnny's mom, I can help with transportation to and from races or practice, etc. Comment here if you would like to help in any way, or get in contact with booster parents please. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated and very much needed |
Can an athlete be cut from the team at any point point during the season?
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Yes, at the coaches discretion. As a warning, athlete may or can be withdrawn from races.
But, if athlete is found to be skipping practice, being disrespectful to coaching staff or teammates, or is not participating to or giving what coaches feel is the athletes full potential, they can be cut. ( And if they are a freshman or sophomore, they will be transferred to a P.E. class) |
What Happens after Moore League Finals? Once XC Season is done?
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Once XC Season is done there are a few options
1a. If the athlete is a freshman/sophmore and DOES NOT want to participate in TRACK & FIELD then they must TRANSFER into P.E. OR ANOTHER SPORT. They cannot be unscheduled for 7/8 period. 1b. If they are NOT a Freshman/Sophmore and do NOT want to participate, they must WITHDRAW our class, if not they will be marked absent/truant. 2. If they are looking to try out for track (regardless of grade) they have to participate in a 1 Mile time trial on the Millikan Track. |
What are the requirements for joining the track team?
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All athletes must try out to be on the TRACK team. They ALL MUST do a 1 MILE time trial at school, on the Millikan track.
For ALL GIRLS the 1 MILE time is 640 For ALL BOYS the 1 MILE time is 540 YES. This is just to be on the team. We may have more than one try out date. It is the student athletes best interest to continue to show up and continue train (with the varsity teams that have qualified onto CIF). We also hope to get as many athletes to qualify, however this time is non-negotiable. If they want to participate in FIELD there are different requirements, The athlete can ask those Coaches in charge what they are. |
Do we need to buy NEW shoes for track/XC?Why do I need new shoes?
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Depending on how old the shoes are, we may suggest a new pair. an average shoe could last anywhere from 3-5 months. Some shoes should last all fall semester/ season. After we would suggest a new pair for the following track season/ spring semester.
One of the biggest injuries that occur on worn out shoes is shin splints, which can sometimes lead to stress fractures. It is recommended that we invest in new shoes for the up coming track season, which starts, officially, in March, preseason is during December-February. |
Any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
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