Sure is different out west. Running cross country is highly regarded. Another reason the west coast is just better and healthier.
Sure is different out west. Running cross country is highly regarded. Another reason the west coast is just better and healthier.
Your son's attitude is a result of a culture problem within the XC team. If the team sees itself as a joke, then its members won't take pride in their participation.
Try to teach your kid to take pride in his own work regardless of how those around him act, but know that this will be an uphill battle. Even adults struggle to maintain a positive attitude when they end up in a workplace where a crappy attitude pervades.
It's ultimately a coaching problem. The coach needs to inspire pride in the team, and he needs to unload any athlete who spreads negativity. There is no reason that a team where the 5th man is running in the low-17s can't take pride in itself.
HS now older runner wrote:
This happened at my school, track and XC teams were not looked highly upon, even some of the popular kids who could have been great runners would not think of joining.
My HS made a point to go after leaders in the school.
I dont think there was one year we didnt have a class president, etc.. on our team.
Maybe this situation is about one kid with friends that he can't stand up to or just isn't cut out for football so dad pushed him into another sport to stay involved. Maybe the parent is too emotionally involved and wants more than the kid does when it comes to running.
Maybe the coach does promote a healthy culture and a positive environment. Something is going right if this kid is the 5th runner with the time claimed. I've had plenty of talented kids come through my program over the years that really didn't like running and could be a real downer for team moral, gave minimal effort both in workouts and leadership but usually got run off by the rest of the team because of it. There's always more kids that want to be there and want a good experience than those that don't. Therefore, they dominate how the program is run with the coaches leadership and support. I find it hard to believe that an adult/running coach is going to allow negative attitudes or take crap from anyone else in a sport that is internally driven. Sometimes the coach will hang onto them hoping to turn them around. Maybe it just hasn't happened yet for this kid. Maturity has everything to do with it no matter what age. He'll either grow out of it or quit. Our team was actually better off without some of the kids that had some talent but eventually eliminated themselves.
I agree-it's a regional thing. The football games at my son's high school are sparsely attended-it's mostly football parents and a few students and the pep band. Out of the 600 students-I would guess far less than 100 show up to games-and this is a playoff contending team. At this school, and I think most Colorado schools, high school football and high school football players are not deified like they are in other parts of the country. There are certainly the football groupies, but the entire town or school community does not "travel" to support the team-and even home games seldom fill up the stadium.
car guy wrote:
Sure is different out west. Running cross country is highly regarded. Another reason the west coast is just better and healthier.
My advice is going to be different from the other posts on this thread. I think what your son feels is appropriate to say to his friends who are teasing about cross country is his personal choice. He might be able to read the social situation better than you and you might be over reacting. I wouldn't comment on his comments or make him feel like it wrong to go along with his friends comments.But I do agree that there are steps you can take to make him feel more pride in his sport and team. The other sports have major booster clubs. Have his entire team over for either team meetings or dinners. Be sure to praise other member of his team and other runners from other teams. That will show appreciation of excellence in the sport not just excellence in your son's performance. (You probably already do these things, but they do help.) Invite relatives to watch his matches.You sound like a very good dad, but a tad over protective.
CCintheEast wrote:
My son is currently a sophomore in HS and a talented top 5 runner on his team (runs in the low 17's but progressing). He enjoys the sport and his teammates, but I can tell he has a hard time dealing with cross country, being the low rung of sports at his high school. Most of his friends are football & hockey players.
When I hear him talk about the team to his friends he basically apologizes for running cross country and goes along with his friends making xc out to be a joke.
I took him aside and let him know that he can be proud of running and taking a sport seriously & being good at it, but I can tell he's still brainwashed into thinking you shouldn't be proud if your not playing the 4 major sports.
I gave him the Prefontaine book & To Run with the Buffaloes to try and open his eyes, but I was wondering if any of you have any tips that I can inject some pride into him and respect the sport?
The worst part of this story is that your son has a negative impact on the team.
It's hard to see from your prospective but team chemistry is everything.
They are better off without him. Without the passion he should leave.
The OP still hasn't come back and replied to this thread... What do the judges think? Is there any doubt that this is a perfect 10/10?
HardLoper wrote:
The OP still hasn't come back and replied to this thread... What do the judges think? Is there any doubt that this is a perfect 10/10?
Yes 10/10! I eagerly took the bait.