Orientation
Eligibilty: All cleared athletes wishing to train are eligible.
All student athletes must maintain no less than a 2.0 to be eligible for a team sport. Each student-athlete is expected to attend five practices per week to remain on the team roster (See Team status).
Eligibility to Compete: All athletes that have met the standard will earn a uniform and are eligible to compete.
Boys 2 mile track standard: 15:00
Girls 2 mile track standard: 17:30
This is run several times during the season for those kids who need more time to become fit enough to acheive the standard.
Required equipment:
*Running watch (any watch with stopwatch capability), we use these everyday for practice, althetes without them may be sent home.
*Running shoes in good condition
*Appropriate clothing
***NEW THIS YEAR***
If you are planning on completing the season for PE credit you must indicate that you are doing so at the bottom of this form. If you do not sign up in advance you will not be given credit if you ask for it at the end of the season.
Practices:
Mandatory practice is held everyday after school, Monday through Friday. Saturday practice (9:00am) is not mandatory but strongly recommended for all athletes. Mondays practice is held at 2:45 and all other school days at 3:30. Generally practice is over by 5:00. If you are picking up your child please plan on pick-up at that time. If practice is held off-site a member of the coaching staff will be present until all athletes have been picked up. We tend to have many days where we are still waiting for parents at 5:30. This makes for a long day for the kids, who usually have lots of homework waiting for them, not to mention they are usually starving! We do ask that kids who will be missing practice contact me by phone before practice begins. If an athlete doesn’t show for practice without letting me know, the absence will be considered unexcused. We only allow three unexcused absences during the season. If this occurs, team status and participation in meets will be in jeopardy. (See team status) We do keep an attendance record every day, and we are at practice daily for the team benefit and we expect all athletes to have the same work ethic. This way the team learns that they can rely on each other. Examples of excused absences would include, family issues, homework constraints (procrastination doesn't apply), and doctor/dentist appointments.
Practice locations: We hold scheduled practices at 5 different locations. Montgomery High School, Howarth Park (main entrance off Summerfield), Parktrail Drive, Channel Drive and Oak Knoll parking lot at Spring Lake.
Carpooling to Practices:
We must rely on carpools to get all team members to practice. We always train at one of the locations listed above unless we are at the school. On a daily basis we need extra parents to shuttle the kids to practice, as there are many athletes that are unlicensed. Please sign up if you can help with this. While we rely on parents to transport the kids to practice it is up to each parent to pick up their child or provide transportation home after practice ends.. All student drivers are issued park passes by me to display in their vehicles at no cost to them. Please do not use these for non-practice purposes. Parents no longer require a park pass if they are only entering for pickup and will not be staying longer than 15 minutes. **Parents that enter the park at a fee station will be required to pay the $7 entrance fee. If you stay less than 15 minutes your fee will be refunded when exiting the park**
The park strictly enforces speed limits. Please remind your driving athlete that their park permit may be revoked if they speed while on park property.
Workout Schedules:
Monthy workouts will be posted to the website. It is the responsibility of each athlete to view these and come to practice prepared.
Invitational Meets:
On Saturdays we compete in some Invitationals (tournament races) that require us to travel. Some of these races include the entire team. Competing at these events is a reward for good attendance, if the kids want to participate I expect them to be at all practices. If any athlete is absent from school the previous day (Friday) he/she is ineligible for competition the following day. Please bring snacks and/or sack lunches since we do not stop for meals.
Team ethics and Code of Conduct:
Regardless of ability level I hold certain expectations from every athlete. When we gather as a team I ask that they are courteous of one another and to those around them. I do not tolerate foul language or any behavior that could misrepresent the school. Failure to comply could result in suspension from the team.
When we attend practice in the park atletes are to be respectful of all patrons in the park, including park rangers and other staff. Always give the right of way to others, refrain from using foul language and dont litter. Stay clear of the driveways and roads when playing ball or frisbee. When driving use safe rules of the road, no speeding. Always have your park pass visible on your dashboard. The Ranger may not grant you access if you dont have one.
If an athlete does not attend a full day of school, that athlete is not eligible to compete on the same day. If an athlete missed a Friday of School or doesnt attend the full day he/she is not eligible to attend a meet on the following Saturday.
When we compete in any meet all athletes are required to dress in uniform and be ready to carpool or get on the bus by the designated time. Any child who is not dressed and ready will not be going. We have a strong sense of pride and expect all athletes to show that same pride for Montgomery. There is nothing more impressive than a team showing up at a meet ready to race!
Athletes are required to tell a coach if they are leaving a meet early. The expectation is for all athletes to stay until the conclusion of our meets to cheer on the team. Only a parent /guardian can pick up an athlete from a meet if that athlete is an unlicenced driver.
Uniforms/Jewelry rule:
Boys will be issued a team singlet or one is available to purchase. Boys shorts are purchased by each athlete and must be black. All boys shorts must be well above the knee and be void of any stripes or large markings. Montgomery issue PE shorts are too long and the emblem violates the uniform rule. Compression shorts (Boys) are legal worn under running shorts but must be black during competition. Girls uniforms are 2-piece and are available as issue or to purchase. NCS has a non-jewelry rule that applies to all athletes during competition. This includes rings, bracelets (including fabric type), earrings (including new piercings), necklaces, etc. Watches and medical bracelets are excluded from this rule.
** BOYS SHORTS FOR PRACTICE MUST BE RUNNING SHORTS THAT ARE WELL ABOVE THE KNEE AND FIT PROPERLY. BASKETBALL SHORTS ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED. ATHLETES THAT SHOW UP FOR PRACTICE VIOLATING THIS RULE WILL BE SENT HOME FOR THE DAY.
** WHEN PRACTICING AT MONTGOMERY HS ALL ATHLETES MUST WEAR SHIRTS THAT COVER THE ENTIRE MIDSECTION. REGULATION SINGLETS ARE ALLOWED. THIS IS AN XC COACHES RULE, NOT MANDATED BY MHS POLICY.
Care instructions for uniforms:
Wash all garments in cold water. Hang dry. Mildew grows quickly on wet uniforms, so please ask for these items to wash after every meet. Please wash uniforms before returning them at the end of the season. I will ask that all issued uniforms be turned in at the conclusion of the final meet.
Parent Participation:
I don’t require parent participation, however, I appreciate any volunteer help with carpooling to practices or to league meets and Invitationals. If you would like to help carpool make sure that the proper driver information has been filed out with the Athletic Director. This page is part of the athletic packet. Please see the meet schedule for the meet dates that we need carpool help. See meet schedule for meets that provide bus transportation.
Montgomery hosted meets:
Every year, in September, we host our main fundraiser. The Viking Opener Invitational is in its 29th year. Every year we host about 30 or so teams from around the Bay Area. It is held at Spring Lake Park. We run solely on Parent volunteer efforts. This is a great time for parents to come together and support our program and our kids. Many parents continue to come out and help long after their kids graduate. We hold an alumni race for any graduate from any school around the country. It’s just for fun and the kids love to cheer on the coaches and parents, (although many are just as competitive as the kids if not more so). The scheduled date this year is Saturday, September 19th. We also host 3 league meets at Spring Lake where we will need some parent help. Please refer to the meet scheule for dates and times.
Transportation Fees:
The District no longer requires payment of a transportation fee. The prior mandatory fee is now considered a donation to the sports programs.
Team status:
We have 4 different teams that we enter at meets. Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls, Junior Varsity Boys and Junior Varsity Girls. Usually 5-7 athletes field each varsity race and unlimited field the JV. I determine Varsity status based on different reasons. #1. The top 5-7 fastest runners in the previous race. #2. Attendance, spirit and attitude. Just because you are fast doesn’t mean you are automatically Varsity. If your attendance meets or exceeds the three unexcused absence rule you will be issued notification regarding loss of privelage in competition. If your attendance/communication with coaches does not improve you will be dismissed from the team.
Requirements to earn Varsity status:
Method 1: Attend 55 practices beginning on the first day of official practice through the NCS Championship meet and compete in all meets. In other words perfect Monday through Friday attendance.
Method 2: Attend at least 45 practices and earn 5 varsity credits during the season. A varsity credit is earned by running one of the top seven MHS times on a varsity course during any meet. A varsity credit is also earned whenever starting a race as one of the top seven runners.
Method 3: Attend at least 45 practices and qualify for (and compete in) post-season competition by running one of the top seven times at the North Bay League Championship Meet.
Requirements for Junior Varsity status:
Team members who attend at least 45 practices and compete in at least 5 meets but fail to meet varsity requirements will earn junior varsity status for the season.
Requirement for earning one semester of Pysical Education credit:
Team members who miss less than 10 practices AND compete in at least 4 meets will qualify for the credit. It is up to the student to obtain approved paperwork that the coach will sign. Attendance will be forwarded to the Athletic Director within 5 days of the completion of the season by Coach. Athletes must apply for this credit within 10 days of the completion of the season. This is a one-time only credit. Pre-season sign up is required to be eligible for credit. See bottom.
Injuries:
Running, like all other sports can be dangerous. While we have the opportunity to run in our nearby park on most days, the park itself can be a dangerous place to run. We take precautions by teaching the kids about safety while in the park, the importance of running in groups should anyone get injured and what to do in case of an emergency. I do carry a first aid kit in my car at every practice and have all emergency cards with me as well. I ask that all athletes talk with me about past and/or repeated injuries that they have had. This helps me to understand if they may be prone to a specific injury. I also ask that if any athlete starts having pain other than typical muscle soreness to let me know. Often they think that they can tough it out and it will go away after a short time. Often it gets worse and can result in the recovery period lasting much longer.
Equipment:
Shoes- Good running shoes are a must. On average shoes are only good for about 300 miles. You don’t have to spend a fortune on shoes and spending a fortune doesn’t mean that the shoes are good. Good sources are Fleet Feet on 3rd St. and Heart and Sole on Brookwood Ave. Both stores are very knowledgeable and will fit your athlete appropriately. They carry a full line of training shoes and racing flats. I would only recommend flats for varsity kids. While they look cool, most kids, especially inexperienced ones don’t need them.
Watch- I ask all kids to wear a watch that has a stopwatch capability. There are many workouts that require the kids to know how long they are running. I know that kids have a tendency to lose watches, so any watch, even a cheapo is better than going without.
Psych Parties:
On Friday nights before we travel to an Invitational meet one of the kids (with the help of their parents) host an informal potluck at their home. The kids have fun organizing these parties and the experience helps to promote team bonding. Coaches do not attend these. Be forewarned your child may ask you to do this.
--------------------------------------- cut here and reurn only bottom portion to Coach -----------------------------------------
Please print, sign below and return that you have read, understand and agree with the terms of the orientation packet. This paperwork is a requirement prior to the issue of a uniform and competition in any meets. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
_________________________________ _________________
Student/Athlete Date
Yes / No Please Circle your preference for PE Credit (only available for 10th-12th grades and may only be used once per sport)
__________________________ _____________
Parent/Guardian Date
__________________________
Parent e-mail (only if you are not already receiving emails)
