XC has hit a new low among high schoolers

Coach Kedge wrote:

I find that the sport of XC is booming. More than ever before participation is high, competition is strong, kids and programs are aspiring to do good things. The kids in XC are great kids, that work hard, are sportman-like, and are motivated do their best. Bash it if you'd like - I don't see it. The kids I've been lucky enough to work with are some of the best kids in the world.

Coach Adam Kedge, Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, NM

Coach Kedge, you hit the nail on the head.

Thanks,

Scott Creel

Bozeman Track Club

Bozeman Montana

AJ nation!!

Ah Choo wrote:

I was talking with my niece, who is a high school sophomore. She called to tell me she went out for cross country this season.

When I asked her why, she said "well, I got cut from the color guard team."

Just thought it was important to point out that XC is now one notch behind the color guard in terms of high school interest.

Jesuit High School (private) in Portland, OR had 165 athletes turn out for xc this fall. The Women's team has won the last 8 state championships.

Fact:

Colorguard members are too stupid to be in the band and too ugly to be cheerleaders.

Lets sum up the yearly cost of a good high school runner:

trainers- new pair every 2 months at $100 = $600

Flats- 2 pairs a year = $160

Spikes- 2 pairs a year = $160-200

Air travel to indoor and outdoor nationals= $400+

Hotel rooms and eating expenses while on national trips= $400+

Bonuses:

XC/Track camp-= $300+

Buying running apparel= $100+

Massages for Injuries= $25-50 per session

Still think our sport is cheap?

expensive wrote:

Lets sum up the yearly cost of a good high school runner:

trainers- new pair every 2 months at $100 = $600

Flats- 2 pairs a year = $160

Spikes- 2 pairs a year = $160-200

Air travel to indoor and outdoor nationals= $400+

Hotel rooms and eating expenses while on national trips= $400+

Bonuses:

XC/Track camp-= $300+

Buying running apparel= $100+

Massages for Injuries= $25-50 per session

Still think our sport is cheap?

Let's add it up another way:

Trainers - 3 pair a year = $300

Flats - 1 pair/year = $60

Spikes - 1 pair/year = $60

No air travel

No hotel rooms

Summer Program = $50

Running apparel = $75

Massages?!?!?

I get $555. You came up with $2160, plus massages.

I could even hack down that $555 by using flats and spikes for more than one season, and making do with running apparel @ $50, cutting another $85 off the tab, bringing it to $470.

Whose list is more realistic? I've got plenty of kids getting by on $500/year (or less), and don't know anyone who buys two pairs of flats and two pairs of spikes per year. And new shoes every two months would be great, but not necessary.

Your list is funny.

expensive wrote:

Lets sum up the yearly cost of a good high school runner:

trainers- new pair every 2 months at $100 = $600

Flats- 2 pairs a year = $160

Spikes- 2 pairs a year = $160-200

Air travel to indoor and outdoor nationals= $400+

Hotel rooms and eating expenses while on national trips= $400+

Bonuses:

XC/Track camp-= $300+

Buying running apparel= $100+

Massages for Injuries= $25-50 per session

Still think our sport is cheap?

Most kids don't spend anywhere near that. For cross country, we paid about $25 to cover entry fees and transportation for the year.

I bought a pair of running shoes for about $100 a year. Our school provided spikes, so except for a few really good kids, no one had (or needed) their own spikes.

We usually had one overnight trip a year, which was a blast, plus the provincial championships for those who qualified. We paid $25 for a $100 hotel room split between four students.

Merely "good" runners don't go to nationals, camp, buy special running gear outside of maybe shorts or get massages. I'm counting $150 a year, maybe $200 (shoes, team fee, hotel room for overnight trip).

You are in a fricken dream world with these estimates and obviously are not involved in the sport. I'm an adult, high-mile runner that participates in road running; track; and cross country and I don't spend anywhere near this amount. A high school runner spends far less.

You really only get between 1 and 3 pairs of trainers per year?

Note that I said GOOD runner. With that I assume 70-100 mpw. At 300 miles per month, a runner buying only 3 pairs of trainers in a year would get injured. But have fun running 20miles a week in your shoes, must be nice.

expensive wrote:

You really only get between 1 and 3 pairs of trainers per year?

Note that I said GOOD runner. With that I assume 70-100 mpw. At 300 miles per month, a runner buying only 3 pairs of trainers in a year would get injured. But have fun running 20miles a week in your shoes, must be nice.

Hey bud, in order to avoid spending $2000/yr like you, other people actually have to budget. And I bet I can come up with dozens, if not hundreds, of kids who have better PRs than you, who manage it on 3 pairs of trainers a year. That '20 miles a week' trolling doesn't work on me.

Show me the runners who CONSISTENTLY run 70mpw year-round. 70mpw is probably one of only a few true high mileage weeks for most 'good' runners. Most weeks are probably 50 or less, particularly during Track season, when you're racing once or twice a week.

Guys in the 1970s routinely put in huge mileage on terrible shoes - 1000 miles per pair wasn't unheard of. They didn't moan about needing new shoes every 2 months. When your family is on the 'free and reduced lunch' program, 3 pairs of shoes a year works fine.

But hey, if you can get mom and dad to spring for new kicks every two months, more power to you. All I'm saying is, it's not necessary. I grew up in a 'rich' family, and 4 pair a year was what I got, and I had new shoes more often than most kids on the team. I'd have been embarrassed to ask for new shoes every 2 months.

You've yet to explain the difference between $550/yr and $2000/yr. Your 'numbers' are ridiculous.

expensive wrote:

You really only get between 1 and 3 pairs of trainers per year?

Note that I said GOOD runner. With that I assume 70-100 mpw. At 300 miles per month, a runner buying only 3 pairs of trainers in a year would get injured. But have fun running 20miles a week in your shoes, must be nice.

A good runner is not simply a national-class runner, which is what you seem to make it out to be. I'd say anyone finishing in the top 20-30% of ordinary high school cross country races, which I guess would be anyone running under 19 minutes(?), is a good runner, much like a good student is someone getting A's or B's.

They don't run 70-100 mpw. Guaranteed.

Ok well I average 50 mpw easily (60+ in the summer and 45 until the last 3 weeks of the season and then back up for winter) I need trainers every 2 months cuz I injure pretty easily. But I can get 80 dollar ones.

6trainersx80=480

1 pair ea of xc and track spieks = 200

Clothes (like a pair or 2 of new shorts or a shirt) = ~100

Add in some road races or invites for another 100

So upwards of $1000 isnt too outlandish.

expensive wrote:

You really only get between 1 and 3 pairs of trainers per year?

Note that I said GOOD runner. With that I assume 70-100 mpw. At 300 miles per month, a runner buying only 3 pairs of trainers in a year would get injured. But have fun running 20miles a week in your shoes, must be nice.

How about two pairs of trainers at $80. One pair of flats at $65. 1 pair spikes for $50-$75. Watch $35 Running shorts are under $10/pair and t shirts are everywhere. Who buys them? Cheapest sport I know of. Of course, the kids with money will find ways to spend more but that is what I tell the good runners (state quality, 50-80 mpw) to expect. I haven't had any injuries that cost more than a couple days in the last three years.

Kids won't get their perception of the sport from television; they get it from their parents and coaches. I find parents who are recreational runners are the worst for getting kids to respect running as a sport. Parents who don't run easily accept the idea of running as competition. Rec runners fight it. Same with recreational coaches. I once saw a track coach make his kids clear to lanes 3-6 during a workout so the basketball team could do a time trial. Very depressing. If a coach treats xc and track with the same respect and expectations as other sports do, the kids will follow suit. Athletic directors are probably the biggest obstacle though. As soon as they set the double standard for basketball, football, baseball versus track and xc, you're in trouble.