Worthington Kilbourne Wolves Cross Country

The Worthington Schools Co-Curricular Student Parent Handbook can be found at: http://www.worthington.k12.oh.us/Page/497 The primary method of communication (results, cancellations, announcements, etc.) will be through the team website at: http://www.wkhsxc.com

2019 Wolves Cross Country Coaching Staff HEAD COACHES GIRLS – Katie Scocozzo Cell: 937.409.9219 – email: scocozka@delawarecityschools.net BOYS - Josh Stegman Cell: 614.284.8068 – email: jstegman@wscloud.org Please contact Coach Katie or Coach Stegman with questions or concerns via phone, text or email. ASSISTANT COACHES Larkin Joseph Zach Keyes

Wolves Cross Country Mission & Philosophy THESE CORE BELIEFS ARE THE BASIS FOR DECISIONS MADE BY COACHES. We believe cross country is a major time commitment. Student athletes should learn to balance all aspects of their lives: academics, family, sports, work, relationships, faith, and moral philosophy. We believe in the team concepts of trust, commitment, and respect. We believe that every training activity is planned based on current research and practices to achieve a desired result.

Wolves Cross Country Mission & Philosophy (con’t) We expect athletes to demonstrate good personal judgement which instills trust with their teammates and coaches; that they will represent the team in a positive manner at all times. We believe both coaches and athletes should be students of the sport. We expect each athlete to abide by team rules and policies set forth in this handbook as well as the WKHS co-curricular handbook. We believe every athlete has unique potential and the ability to contribute.

Wolves Cross Country Mission & Philosophy (con’t) We believe most people underestimate in their mind what their body can achieve. We expect athletes to demonstrate a willingness to put the best interest of the team ahead of their own personal goals and will expect teammates to do the same. We believe winning is important but secondary to an athlete’s well-being and good sportsmanship. Both athletes and coaches are expected to demonstrate an understanding of good sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity. We believe athletes can learn valuable life lessons as part of their cross country experience.

Attendance: All athletes will be at every scheduled practice Attendance: All athletes will be at every scheduled practice. Practice is NOT optional! It is expected that all participants attend all practices, meets, team functions or any activities deemed mandatory by the head coach. A training program is created with the assumption all scheduled practices and meets will be attended. The practice schedule is designed to help the athlete improve as well as stay injury-free. Therefore, absences of any sort could seriously hinder the athlete’s progress and increase the risk of injury. Missing any practices will lower an athlete’s level of preparation for competition. Therefore missing practice for any reason may result in not competing in a meet. A calendar has been made available to aid scheduling. All practices, lifting, team meetings, meets, etc. are to be attended unless an emergency situation exists. All medical appointments, family outings, work, standardized testing, etc. should be planned for times that DO NOT conflict with your cross country commitment.

Attendance (con’t) General absences are classified into two categories: EXCUSED: death in family, tutoring, emergency medical appointments. UNEXCUSED: suspension, detention, overslept, studying, transportation. EXCUSED ABSENCE PROCEDURE Athlete will contact the head coach in order to explain the reason for absence (in person, email, or text). Any questions will be referred to the head coach. Written notes are required for doctor, dentist, or tutor appointments.

Daily Expectations for Runners Always arrive 15 minutes early to all team events. Have all equipment daily — full water bottle, wristwatch, proper dress and shoes, post workout snack and sports drink or low fat chocolate milk. Bring a positive mental attitude every day — encourage your teammates!

Contingency Plans Josh Stegman or Katie Scocozzo will carry their cell phone at all times, so they can call 911 in the event of a medical or other emergency and/or initiate e-mail communication at any time. When we train off-campus (Worthington Hills, Lakes of Worthington, Stilson Highlands Neighborhoods; Highbanks Park; Olentangy Bike Path; or Antrim Park), athletes must: Always run with at least one partner. Run no more than 2 abreast (especially in the neighborhood streets). Run only on path / road / area as designated by coaches (if in doubt, ask). Report promptly to coaches on time.

Contingency Plans (con’t) Rain is not a reason to cancel practice we will practice in the rain. For severe weather - refer to the next item. In the event of a severe storm (thunderstorm, lightning, hail, tornado) athletes will be instructed to make arrangements to be picked up. Athletes should do the following if a storm arrives suddenly while on a run: When training on-campus, athletes will meet at the athletic entrance. When training off-site, athletes should move under a bridge or to the nearest point of safety, then move promptly to the athletic entrance for pick up by parents. In the event of an on-campus “disturbance,” athletes will be instructed to make arrangements to be picked up at the proper pick up location. Athletes will be picked up at either Worthington Hills Country Club or Phoenix Middle School.

Meet Attendance Athletes are expected to travel to and from meets on the team bus. The Worthington Kilbourne High School Athletic Handbook will govern exceptions to this policy. If there is a known conflict with travel on a team bus, notify the coaches with a note signed by a parent/guardian (well in advance, if possible). At a minimum, athletes should plan on remaining with the team until the completion of the meet before departing via separate transportation.

General Athlete Expectations When traveling to meets, athletes will be quiet and use the time to review strategies, consult with their coach, rest, etc. When returning from meets, athletes will keep noise to a minimum. At the meet, athletes will stick together, sit together, and cheer on teammates. Do not disrupt other athlete’s concentration when preparing for competition. Compete with class and sportsmanship. Be a graceful loser and a gracious winner. Team attire for the school days before meets will be determined by the team captains and coaching staff. Team members will communicate with coaches and other team members when conflicts arise. Coaches are available after practice as well during the day.

General Athlete Expectations 7. Your uniform is for team activities only. All athletes will wear team issued warm-ups and/or team t-shirts at meets. 8. All runners are expected to give their best effort in the classroom: 3.25+ GPA is the goal. 9. Runners are expected to represent Worthington Kilbourne and the greater Worthington Schools Community in a positive way during the school day. Therefore, all runners are expected to adhere to the school’s student code of conduct of conduct policies. Be leaders in our school.

General Athlete Expectations 10. Runners will wear shirts at all times while on school grounds and at meets. Exceptions may be made when temperatures are above 90-degrees. 11. All runners will adhere to designated pre-meet night curfew. Violation of this rule will result in a warning after the first offense and one meet suspension for two or more violations. 12. Athletes will adhere to the prescribed training program. Always consult with coaches before doing additional or alternative training activities. 13. Only a coach may remove an athlete from an event.

Awards To earn a Varsity Letter, a runner must be in good standing with the coaches, remain on the team throughout the season and complete one of the following standards: Be ranked, based on season’s best time, as one of the top ten runners on the team at the end of the season. Run in at least three designated varsity races. Run under 21:30 for the girls and under 17:30 for the boys. Run on the cross country team all four years. *The coaching staff will determine the varsity on a weekly basis. To earn a Junior Varsity Certificate, a runner must be in good standing with the coaches, participate in competition and remain on the team throughout the season.