Spectator Smoking During A High School XC Meet...Really????

As you said, it was probably a parent. Surely you realize that many HS runners' parents aren't athletes and some of them have bad habits like smoking. It's a terrible lifestyle choice, jarringly out of place at an event like a XC race, and a very poor example to their child. Cigarette smoking is anathema to the ideals of fitness and especially to those of distance running.

However, at least he/she was there to support the team and watch their child participate. Could be that the parent gets motivated by watching their kid run and decides to quit smoking and get fit. As a former coach, I have seen several parents decide to take up running because their kid joined the XC/track team.

Besides, a smoking ban would be hard to enforce at a cross country meet. Races are run outdoors on acres and acres of wide open spaces, and as you said, usually someplace other than school grounds. Even the most conscientious smokers tend to think it's okay to light up if they're outside in a public park, forest preserve, golf course, etc.

I have coached HS XC/T&F, and I have seen some of my athletes' parents smoking at meets. I wish they didn't smoke, but I was glad to see them support their kid, smoking or not.

RuPaul wrote:

Nah....... wrote:

it's a high school athletic event, smoking prohibited by NFHS rules.

How can you ban a spectator from smoking at an event not held on the school property?

There is a lot of shit prohibited that you can't control.

Just an example of how times have changed. We had a smoking block for students at my junior high school. Another one at the high school. The smoke rolled out of the teacher's longue.

Nah....... wrote:

it's a high school athletic event, smoking prohibited by NFHS rules.

I agree with this. No place for cigs at a high school event, no matter how addicted you are.

My Dad smoked at every cross coutnry race I ran. Also he smoked at each indoor meet - he would stand by a side door - go out and smoke and come back in every 34 seconds - he sort of timed my races based on his smoke breaks - never bothered me, and the guys I ran with got a kick out of him openign the door and blasting in cold air every lap. This wa sin thr 70s when people weren't so sensitive to such thigns and I apreciated that he came to each meet

If the smoker was along the course and the runners had to breathe in the smoke while they were racing, I would say that is extremely inappropriate. I don't like when I run by a stopped car and can smell their smoke, let alone if I was racing. I would be pissed.

For what it's worth, the person that was smoking was not isolated. He was right next to the shoot.

Despite the fact that the event was not on school grounds; it was affiliated with the High School. Therefore, I feel like that would make it wrong for people to smoke. I would not condone smoking at any running event, but I feel like it would be easier to justify at a road race. However, maybe that too should also be banned.

My college coach was a smoker and would smoke during indoor track workouts.

As if I needed another reason not to like him.

I'm not anti-smoking in general and will even have the occasional social cig. However, I do think it is kind of a assshole move to smoke at an XC meet. If you can't wait an hour or two to smoke, at least make sure you're well away from the athletes. Several of my teammates in HS were asthmatic and smoke would sometimes set off an attack. Smoking next to someone who had busted their balls to do well in a meet is the height of inconsiderate if you ask me. It may not be against any law, but is that really how we determine polite behavior these days?

truth.com wrote:

Yesterday I was at a high school cross country meet that was being held at a nearby forest preserve. During the meet, there was spectator (most likely a parent) that lit up a cigarette. I didn't feel like it was my place to say anything, but I couldn't help but think how inappropriate it was of him to start smoking. This got me thinking...

Given the nature of our sport (where it's not necessarily always on "school grounds"), should smoking be allowed at cross country meets?

You obviously weren't around in the 60s and 70s.

lighten up - a guy smoking near a XC course has no effect what so ever on the runners. This was very common in 60s and 70s - at Milrose there was always a hzae of smoke from smokers and no one complained. During my first marathon in 1979 my Dad stood at 20 mile mark, smoking a ciggy, handed me a coke and said kick it in. I dont recall his smoke affecting me in the slighest

truth.com wrote:

Yesterday I was at a high school cross country meet that was being held at a nearby forest preserve. During the meet, there was spectator (most likely a parent) that lit up a cigarette. I didn't feel like it was my place to say anything, but I couldn't help but think how inappropriate it was of him to start smoking. This got me thinking...

Given the nature of our sport (where it's not necessarily always on "school grounds"), should smoking be allowed at cross country meets?

How would you police this smokewad?

Millrose started asking for no smoking DURING the Wanamaker mile sometime in the late 1960s or early 70s IIRC.

the other brother Skid Marx wrote:

Millrose started asking for no smoking DURING the Wanamaker mile sometime in the late 1960s or early 70s IIRC.

Yep. Didn't want the competitors smoking during the race.

LOL.

Actually the request started coming in the late 70's. Always odd because the race occurred at 10pm and there were at least 3 1/2 hours of competition for the Garden to fill up with smoke before the race.

I love all the comments that condone a practice simply because it was commonplace in the 60's and 70's, as if we should revert back 40-50 years. Sure... a guy smoking away from the field during an xc meet won't affect the runners, but the acceptance of second-hand and public smoking is much, much different today.

It shouldn't have to be policed. People should respect high school athletes who are trying to compete at their best. To much to hope for, I know.

Got more important things to worry about.

After a race i would smoke a phat joint it was greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt :)

I don't know how you could ban him, but it's just rude. Subjecting everyone else your foul odor...I don't see how smoking is any less rude than farting in someone's face.

Please, if you see someone smoking at an xc race, or any kind of crowd for that matter, give him/her a hard time. They deserve it.