XC teams that defy the wealth barrier

Steven's Point Wisconsin wins state most years and the have been to NXN. It is a crappy area.

Quit stoking divisiveness, OP. Your premise is flawed. And you write like an AI bot.

In McFarland USA the Principal calls XC a rich kid sport, but I think it's actually a “smart” kid sport.

But when we talk about “smart” kids, we really mean students with higher GPA’s. Kids with higher GPA’s are usually the ones that take school more seriously and come from families that value education more. Most studies on the matter show higher wealth is positively correlated with education level.

That's why it appears there is a wealth barrier.

Due to the nature of the sport - longer periods of time under stress, more time away from direct observation of coaches - better students make better runners. Also, running tends to make people better students. (Looking at team GPA’s - most Cross Country teams having higher GPA than most sports and the general student body)

In comparison to other sports, XC is relatively inexpensive and does not require any special facilities. Individual and school district finances should not be a majority barrier in most cases. Sports such as golf, tennis, lacrosse, rowing have financial and facilities barriers putting lower income people and schools at a disadvantage.

I don’t have anything against wealthy schools per se. There are runners from there who are incredibly kind and down-to-earth, just like anywhere else. I just wish everyone else had a similar opportunity to love the sport.

also idk what to do about the ai bot resemblance. too many years of essay-writing shoved into me :(

That’s a super interesting take. A lot of kids on my team and I did go to sort of a “nerd” public school and transfer over to the local HS for sports, so that could play a role. There is so much number-crunching. Our whole team was notorious for negative or even-splitting every race and I often find myself counting down, “ok I just logged a 5:51 mile I have to run exactly 5:46 pace over the next 2.11 miles to go under 18 in the 5k”. Race strategy is kind to math geeks it seems.

And beyond racing too: keeping a good training pace, logging the correct miles, doing the workout reps, supplementary exercises, running over the weekend and when no one’s looking - all require lots of wisdom and discipline. I am injured yet again so that wisdom was likely lacking 🫠

So maybe it does start in the classroom and this question is more about academic inequality as a whole!

Stevens Point has amazing talent and character. I remember hearing last year how two of their star runners helped carry a competitor through the finish line, what champs of them.

Most of the time, it's not about the schools' budgets. Pretty much every school around me has either a football or a soccer team or both, and those sports aren't cheap. And if they have access to a football/soccer field, in a worst-case scenario the XC team can just run around the field. So I don't think it's about places to run, either.

What it mostly comes down to is a culture where cross country isn't as popular as other sports, and family situations where kids aren't able to commit year-round to running because they have to have jobs or take care of younger siblings. In some sports you can get by on natural athleticism. In cross country, very few people are great without putting in a lot of time over a span of several years. I coached a kid a few years ago who was just as talented as two other kids I've coached who have won individual state titles. But this kid had some family and financial issues heading into senior year, didn't run over the summer, was way off the pace at the season-opening intrasquad time trial, and quit the team. Had she trained well for six more months, she probably would've won a state title.

I wouldn't describe Jesuit New Orleans as "rich".

In general, wealthy schools do better at sports. There are a lot of factors but here are a few.

1. Sports before high-school cost money. If you can’t afford youth sports you are less likely to do them in high-school.

2. Availability and time. Lots of kids are poor schools work or take care of siblings/ cousins. You need to have time to go to practice.

3. School and outside of school environment. Coach and teacher turnover at poor schools is a lot more than wealthy school districts. Hard to build a program/ tradition with new coaches every year. Also, if your home life is unstable sports are the least of your worries.

I used to live in Dallas, South Oak Cliff won state football a few years ago and they were the first “Dallas” school to do so in decades. I believe since Dallas Carter from Friday night lights. Before they got their new school they had no AC, plumbing that didn’t work (port o potties outside some parts of the school) and horrible facilities. Highland park a few miles away is the most well funded school in the country. They win state in everything. The Dallas schools have had DOZENS of college and NFL players but didn’t have the environment and resources to make their programs successful.

When it comes to running, if mom and dad can take you to the Dr when you get injured, buy you shoes, a watch etc. get you to practice on time. Support you, it goes a long way. And when every kid has the time and money to do sports you get 200 person XC teams. Train em hard and you are good, easy

The Dallas/Highland Park situation is insane. For those who don’t know, Highland and University Park are completely surrounded by Dallas but refused to be annexed so they could keep racial covenants, and the income disparity is still high to this day

My kids run on a team in a poor part of the state. They are very competitive, placing high in the state and at some national meets. That being said, most of the kids come from stable, two parent households, are smart and are some of the more affluent kids in our town. It is a nerd sport. Nerds tend to have parents who are nerds that usually do well financially.

What does this mean?

Basically, Highland Park had a condition that minorities weren’t allowed to live there (unless they were servants). So when middle-class white families began fleeing to racially restricted suburbs after the war, the surrounding areas were starved of funds and declined while Highland Park prospered, notwithstanding the fact that the federal government would never tear a freeway through the latter. Events like that are essentially why inner-city schools are in such bad shape nowadays and why they don’t have the strongest sports programs

It is related to work ethic, culture, and parental support. Others have already said. What leads to being a successful distance runner are the the same traits that lead to academic success. It is hard. It isn't glamorous.

I live in a poor area, but there are nice pockets even within poor areas, because somebody has to be the doctor, lawyer, accountant, loan officer, etc. The schools set up around those pockets have the most successful distance running programs.

Whereas the town where I teach is very blue collar/red neck and values tailgaiting M-F at pee wee football practices, and then again under the Friday Night Lights.

It's okay, and ive managed to coach the most successful individuals in the area, but I've never had the depth of those places. Or almost never anyway.

I come from a rednecky area and it sounds similar to what you’re describing. The decisive factors are that we have a) beautiful landscapes that instill a love of movement of all kinds, and b) disciplined team leaders who inspired underclassmen to carry on their legacies and attract rising freshmen to the sport. From a school of 800 we now have 110 athletes on the team, which blows my mind.

From your experience, do you think it’s possible to keep up that sort of self-perpetuating cycle for years?

Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda World XC teams

Well maybe, but I was thinking specifically the US. The Great Rift Valley has the perfect storm for running talent: high altitude + dirt roads + genetically high lung capacity + fervent desire to win + many individuals running to school from a young age = an absolute running mecca. Also not so much a place where processed food is a large part of a low-income diet.

I have only coached at Title 1 schools, and I will tell you that it is much harder to find quality runners in them than it is in schools with a better financial support system at home. I am currently working in a growing area, and hoping the growth brings in more families that value hard work.

How about using “wealthy” instead of “financial support system”?