malmo wrote:
SJWHippie wrote:
Yes, for a brief time in the early to mid-70s, after Shorter won the Olympic marathon, The Complete Book of Running was a bestseller and Nikes were worn everywhere.
Nikes weren't even known by anyone except for a small contingent of runners.
I must have been a part of that contingent then. However, I never did read that book, "The Complete Book of Running". When the "waffle" came out it was awesome.
contrary opinion wrote:
Soccer Rules! wrote:
Nah, you got that all backa$$wards! We're talking about High School XC and a successful program. Kids that are very good in soccer, upper tier Select and ODP type players started playing soccer when they were around 3-5 years old. By the time they get even close to High School the farthest thing on their mind is XC regardless how successful the XC program is if they are still playing high level soccer. A kid is not going to decide to go play competitive soccer when they are 14 years old as that ship has sailed a few years ago. What XC and T&F gets is the kids that can't make it in soccer anymore, as well as other sports, and have been "cut". That's when XC and T&F opens up to them.
Although mostly good points, this isn't always 100% true. I was a club player, started at 4 years old, and would have likely been at least a starting JV soccer player my Soph year of HS at very large school. But one thing did happen for me, I lettered in track my freshman year and our XC team had just finished 5th in the state the previous year. So I actually did make the conscious decision to switch to XC and never looked back (won a team title my Sr year). Who knows if I would have done that if my HS wasn't a perrenial power in XC???
True! There are always exceptions.
Highschool wrote:
Sand Dunes wrote:
Progress, we just need to have marketing to make running manly again. Not something overweight middle aged house wives do.
This might have been meant as a joke, but it is absolutely true. We need to make running cool again.
This is true and I think we can "use" the overweight middle aged man who runs to make that point- running fast is tough. That guy (and his MA OW wife should want their kids to be tough AND to avoid being MA OW themselves some day.
MAOW- NOT the way to age.
It's Hip To Be Square wrote:
SJWHippie wrote:
Yes, for a brief time in the early to mid-70s, after Shorter won the Olympic marathon, The Complete Book of Running was a bestseller and Nikes were worn everywhere.
Nah, I was there sporting my leather Nike Cortez's. It wasn't cool. Even when I got the newest Nike Waffle it still wasn't cool.
It was cool where I was (and still am). Sorry dude.
It's Hip To Be Square wrote:
malmo wrote:
Nikes weren't even known by anyone except for a small contingent of runners.
I must have been a part of that contingent then. However, I never did read that book, "The Complete Book of Running". When the "waffle" came out it was awesome.
There were Nike and Tigers (ASICS), Adidas. You had to order New Balance back then.
I remember when Saucony and Brooks started.
I can also tell you that where I teach won States in football 4 years in a row, lost in the semi's to the state champ the 5th year and hasn't had a losing season this century- numbers are dwindling- they're lucky to have 30 on varsity and 30 on JV.
Modified had 18 last year.
@whiz wrote:
wiz khalifa wrote:
the cross country team needs to be good. the coach needs to turn his athletes into champions. if there is a culture of success in the high school's cross country program, it will attract kids who might otherwise play soccer. if the cross country team sucks, promising athletes will choose other sports
The best coaching in the world won't turn no talent into a champion.
Attracting a lot of kids seems to be a considerable part of having a successful team. The most competitive teams in the NW have amazingly deep rosters with 30+ kids of each gender. (One traditionally successful team had 60 boys!)They also have middle schools with XC that feed into the high schools. Then it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle, being successful attracts more kids yet. Maybe they won't be state champs, but a reasonably competent coach should be able to develop at least seven competitive runners out of the bunch.
nimblenw wrote:
Attracting a lot of kids seems to be a considerable part of having a successful team. The most competitive teams in the NW have amazingly deep rosters with 30+ kids of each gender. (One traditionally successful team had 60 boys!)They also have middle schools with XC that feed into the high schools. Then it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle, being successful attracts more kids yet. Maybe they won't be state champs, but a reasonably competent coach should be able to develop at least seven competitive runners out of the bunch.
Success breeds success. With that being said, kids want to be part of a winning program. If you can get that many kids out it helps to find the few that will excel. Having a middle school XC & T&F program helps immensely.
runn wrote:
There were Nike and Tigers (ASICS), Adidas. You had to order New Balance back then.
I remember when Saucony and Brooks started.
You must be another member of the Older Than Dirt Track Club because I remember those days as well.
Loudoun County is a wealthy affluent area. My vote is parents don't want their kids suffering concussions and scholarships for FB aren't happening.
@whiz wrote:
wiz khalifa wrote:
the cross country team needs to be good. the coach needs to turn his athletes into champions. if there is a culture of success in the high school's cross country program, it will attract kids who might otherwise play soccer. if the cross country team sucks, promising athletes will choose other sports
The best coaching in the world won't turn no talent into a champion.
So if the coach does not produce champions, then what?
I would say some level of success, but more importantly the culture needs to be welcoming to anyone who wants to show up.
malmo wrote:
SJWHippie wrote:
Yes, for a brief time in the early to mid-70s, after Shorter won the Olympic marathon, The Complete Book of Running was a bestseller and Nikes were worn everywhere.
Nikes weren't even known by anyone except for a small contingent of runners.
Nikes were a niche in a niche during that time period. They were NOT everywhere.
The cool kids are safely in show choir now. Best place for snowflakes to hide.
7x more likely to get a full ride for football than xc.
Justturnedlefts wrote:
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Virginia-High-School-Cancels-Varsity-Football-Season-490601891.htmlWith this happening more and more, how can we make cross country and track more popular for these kids?
Notice the county that this happened in... They already have a few good xc teams around and one that is really good.
Kids from broken homes and living in poverty will always play football. Kids that have some options in life thanks to their parents/$$$$$ maybe not.
@whiz wrote:
wiz khalifa wrote:
the cross country team needs to be good. the coach needs to turn his athletes into champions. if there is a culture of success in the high school's cross country program, it will attract kids who might otherwise play soccer. if the cross country team sucks, promising athletes will choose other sports
The best coaching in the world won't turn no talent into a champion.
+1
I'm evidence of that.
bleu wrote:
Loudoun County is a wealthy affluent area. My vote is parents don't want their kids suffering concussions and scholarships for FB aren't happening.
+1
But they are also seeing concussions in lacrosse, soccer, and rugby.
A family member made his three kids be on the swim team, despite his success as a football player.
Cheech wrote:
bleu wrote:
Loudoun County is a wealthy affluent area. My vote is parents don't want their kids suffering concussions and scholarships for FB aren't happening.
+1
But they are also seeing concussions in lacrosse, soccer, and rugby.
A family member made his three kids be on the swim team, despite his success as a football player.
This school in particular is very different from Loudoun Valley, whom everyone here probably thinks of when we hear about Loudoun County Public Schools.
The entire county is not wealthy and affluent, although many parts are. Like many places, there are pockets of a lower income population.
Loudoun County is also not an all white, cross country, demographic. Loudoun Valley High School may be like that, but Park View, where this football team got only 18 players out, is only about 20% Caucasian and 6% Black, but about 60% Hispanic.
When nearly 3/4 of a school’s population is Hispanic and Asian, football is likely not the favored sport.
On top of the ethnicity statistics above, Park View also has over 60% of its students from low income families. This is not necessarily a school that is dropping football to pick up cross country. Their cross country team is by far the worst in the area.
Soccer, on the other hand, is just about the only sport that’s successful at Park View. They won a state title a couple years ago, and have been the strongest in the county.
This movement is not likely to spread. Parkview is unlike most of the county, and you almost certainly will not see low turnout for football at any other school, even with concussion concerns.
bleu wrote:
Loudoun County is a wealthy affluent area. My vote is parents don't want their kids suffering concussions and scholarships for FB aren't happening.
Park view isn't one of the wealthier Loudoun Areas , but it's of note as Loudoun is an affluent County nationally. I've not looked at their team size, or coach, as there could be a lot of factors that lead to park view per se canceling (coaches, AD, demographics (eg soccer), after hours employment). Not just CPE, but CPE has got to play into it.
Not this particular area of LOCO county. FB is not that popular in latino communities.
bleu wrote:
Loudoun County is a wealthy affluent area. My vote is parents don't want their kids suffering concussions and scholarships for FB aren't happening.