XC Team Rules

Athletic & School Requirements

All athletes must meet the Wilcox Athletic Eligibility Requirements & have gained athletic clearance on Home Campus. 
To be eligible for competition, athletes must have at least a 2.0 GPA in their previous high school grading period.

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Communication

All athletes must be registered on XCStats (a free service to students & parents). Instructions here.

We use this platform to hold all official race results and send vital email communications to the entire team.​

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Athletes are expected to contact the head coach at their district email address. See email adresss here.
The head coach's phone number may only be used by Athletes to locate the team when arriving at an invitational or in the case of an emergency. Athletes should never text the head coach or any other coaching staff.

Expected email communications from athletes to the head coach are outlined in the relevant sections below.

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Attendance

All athletes are expected to attend and participate in all practices held on school days.

This includes if they are injured or getting injured. The coaches will provide an individualized or adapted workout, assign exercises or drills to aid in prevention/rehabilitation, or assign a job for the athlete to perform. Being injured is no reason not to support your teammates or skip practice.

Practices on Saturdays or on days school is not in session are optional, although strongly recommended.

Running performance is strongly related to consistency.

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Practice is held, modified, or canceled based on weather conditions. We advise all of our athletes to check the conditions at Wilcox or Rancho (depending on the practice location), though our Is there practice? page.
This is a live, dynamic page that shows the variables that go into determining if practice is held. However, sometimes weather conditions change, and as such, practice can be canceled during a session based on the weather conditions observed during practice.

For example, if lighting is predicted, it will not cancel practice. However, if there are multiple lightning strikes in the area before practice's start time, the head coach will email via XCStats letting athletes know practice was canceled. Or if lightning is predicted but there have not been any lightning strikes, practice will be held, but canceled if there is a lightning strike in the area.

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Another point that is important to clarify is regarding air quality. We cancel practice based on the district guidelines. However, sometimes parents/guardians are not comfortable with their athlete/s practicing before practice is canceled. This is understandable, and the decision of the parents/guardians. For this reason, practice becomes optional when the AQI is greater than 100, but a parent/guardian needs to excuse their athlete/s via email. 
See email adresss here.

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Attendance is a measure of the consistency & quantity of training an athlete performs during official practice sessions. As such, we take attendance at every practice and note if an absence is excused or not. An unexcused absence is when an athlete misses practice and does not notify the head coach ahead of time, or does notify the head coach ahead of time via email, but does not provide a reason, or the reason provided is determined not to be adequate.

Athletes must not have a teammate pass along notification of an absence; such cases will be marked as unexcused. 

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Attendance plays a role in the player points that athletes earn towards getting their letterman's jacket letter, sports patches, and the competition division on their participation certificates. For an explanation of how attendance contributes to these points, please refer to Player Points.

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Low attendance is also a reason for removal from the team. If an athlete's attendance is 30% or lower, the athlete will be removed from the team. If an athlete's attendance is between 50%-30% they are notified by the head coach (verbally at practice or, in the case of not showing up consistently to practice, via email) that if they do not improve their attendance, they will be removed from the team. This warning is provided the first time they fall within that attendance percentage range, and a reminder is provided if they enter this range again after having been outside of the range. There are no additional reminders provided before team removal if they do not improve their attendance after the warning.

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One example of a common attendance issue is homecoming. We understand, it is a major event at school, in which many participate in float building, and/or one of the various other activities involved. However, typically, homecoming takes place right before a meet, and homecoming is a week-long event. Missing practice for Homecoming is not an adequate reason to miss practice. We have many athletes who participate and yet do not miss practice during that week. Missing the entire homecoming week is a recipe to have a bad performance at the meet right after homecoming.

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Meets

All athletes are expected to attend and compete at every meet that takes place on a school day and has bus transportation provided, including the League meet. Note this includes some meets that have invitational in the name.

 

Our team trains the entire season for the League Finals meet, as it is the only meet that determines our team's standing in the league and can qualify individuals and divisional teams to CCS and beyond. As such, unless there are extenuating circumstances that could not have been reasonably planned for, we especially expect all our athletes to compete in the League meet. If an athlete just decides they will not compete at League finals, they will be removed from the team and given a strike (strikes explained in a section below).

 

If an athlete qualifies to move on past the SCVAL League Finals, they are expected to compete unless there are extenuating circumstances. This applies to CCS and CIF State competition.

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Meet competition plays a role in the player points that athletes earn towards getting their letterman's jacket letter, sports patches, and the competition division on their participation certificate. For an explanation of how meet competition contributes to these points, please refer to Player Points.

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Lastly, it is important to note that athletes need to be excused from competition by the head coach. It is not up to the athlete's discretion whether they compete or not, or even which division they compete under. Athletes should always be in communication with the head coach about potential and existing injuries, as well as scheduling conflicts, for the head coach to be able to excuse them from competition when appropriate. If an athlete competes in a division different from that which the head coach assigned, they will be given a strike.

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Leaving from a Meet

For all meets where transportation is provided to any degree by the school, the athletes should follow the process below.

• Make sure you do not leave the meet without returning their timing chip!

• When the meet is finished, the athlete is free to leave if there is no return bus.

• If there is a return bus, athletes are also free to leave when the meet concludes, but must have a parent/guardian or approved person check in with one of the coaches before leaving.

• If an athlete would like to leave early after completing their race, their parent/guardian or approved person needs to check in with one of the coaches before leaving.

If the athlete's parent/guardian is not able to pick the athlete up from the meet and would like to have someone else pick them up (another family member, or another teammate's parent/guardian, for example), the parent/guardian will need to email the head coach to inform them about this prior to the day of the meet. Otherwise, the coach will not let the athlete leave early and will need to get in touch over the phone with the parent/guardian to approve release to a different person.

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Other Extracurriculars 

Beyond sports, there are other extracurricular activities that students can participate in at Wilcox or even outside of the school. Many of our athletes have other activities they participate in during cross-country season. We do not have any rule that excludes these athletes from participating on our team directly. However, we require those athletes who have other extracurriculars must notify the head coach via email of which activities they are participating in that have scheduling conflicts with our practice session times and meet schedule at the start of the season.

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It is the responsibility of the athlete to come to an agreement with the head coach for how these scheduling conflicts will be addressed or resolved. Once an agreement is reached, the head coach will send the mutually agreed-upon agreement to the athlete in writing via email. The athlete must notify the head coach if there is a change that will deviate from the agreement as soon as they are aware of it. Open communication is best practice.

Generally speaking, the expectation is that athletes with other extracurriculars attend practice at least 3 times a week, and that cross-country competition be prioritized over other extracurricular events. However, special arrangements may be made with the head coach during the process to reach an agreement if the reasons are justifiable to the head coach.

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Conduct / Participation

1. Athletes are expected to perform the workout assigned to them to completion, unless excused by a coach.
   A few examples of what that means are below:

   • If the team is going to be running in the neighborhood, the coach will assign a group of routes that all have a common basis. This is referred to by the coach as a "set". Athletes may be either free to choose any route from that set, or they may be provided a distance range from which routes they may select based on their training group. However, an athlete in such a situation is not allowed to decide to run a route from a different set or make up a route similar to those in the set. If this problem occurs, the athlete/s will be given a warning. If it happens again, they will be given a strike.

   • Athletes are expected to complete the routes they say they will be running. Cutting a route short just because is also a reason to be given a strike.

   • In the example of a track workout, all athletes are put into groups: 1, 2, and 3. Athletes are to perform the workout assigned to their group, unless a coach specifically tells them to change groups.

   • For track workouts, athletes are to complete only as much of the workout as they can. When they stop a workout, they are not allowed to then rejoin the workout later on. Once they drop out, they are done.

2. Athletes are expected to follow school policies regarding conduct while at practices and meets​

   • T-shirts/tank tops must remain on while on campus

   • No student may drive another student.
     Students can drive themselves with parental permission.

3. Athletes are expected to adhere to the course-specific rules for the following meets

   • Baylands meets​

   • Crystal Springs meets

4. Athletes are not allowed to pace teammates they are not in a race with. Doing so will disqualify the participant.

5. Athletes are expected to compete in meets as outlined in the "Meets" section above. It is important to note, though, that during competition, athletes are expected to give an honest/true effort to perform at their best. Anything less is bad sportsmanship and will face consequences.

6. Athletes are expected to have good sportsmanship on/off the field: CCS-CIF Sportsmanship Info
   (This also applies to Coaches, officials, and spectators/parents)​

   • ​Respect opponents, officials, coaches, and teammates

   • Adhering to rules and handling both victory and defeat with grace and dignity

   • Conduct themselves in a manner that shall bring credit to themselves, their school, communities, coaches, and families.

     • Refrain from any conduct that degrades, baits, intimidates, or otherwise discredits their opponents or
       officials.

   • 6 pillars of the Pursuing Victory with Honor Program:

     • Trustworthiness

     • Respect

     • Responsibility

     • Fairness

     • Caring and good citizenship.

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Running Safely & Etiquette

• We strongly encourage our athletes to wear sunscreen when the UVI is >3. See our UV Index & Sunscreen Page

• Athletes should check weather conditions before going on any run. We have a live updating page to easily inform our runners if running in the Wilcox neighborhoods or at Rancho. Its primary purpose is to indicate if the practice is held or canceled. However, this indication is clearly broken down and can be used even outside of practice days. See it here.

• Athletes who wish to listen to audio during their runs are only allowed to use headphones of the Open Ear variety.

 

Neighborhood Running Safety NFHS Guidelines

• Avoid jaywalking as much as possible during neighborhood runs

  • If there is a crosswalk, cross at it for major roads. On minor 2-lane roads, it is okay to cross parallel to an existing crosswalk if it is only available on one side of the street.​

  • On residential streets where there is no crosswalk, cross from corner to corner at intersections.
    ​No cutting diagonally across in the middle of the street from one side of the road to the other.

  • If there is a curve or sweeping turn, do not cross at it. Cross well before or well after it at the nearest corner.

• Always look both ways before crossing the street

  • Runners must look over their shoulder on the side where there is traffic coming from behind them to ensure safety.

• Run on sidewalks during neighborhood runs. Avoid running where there is no sidewalk, unless it is a small stretch of gravel between sidewalks or there is construction happening that blocks the sidewalk.

• If you ever need to run on the road, run facing oncoming traffic.

• Run in pairs. Pairs can run at slightly different paces, but don't lose track of each other.

• Never run against traffic lights

• Use crosswalk buttons when available and wait for the crosswalk signal

• Use Footpath when you are not familiar with a route.

  • If you get lost, call the head coach​

• Never lead a run if you are unfamiliar with the route.

• Just because you see the driver, does not mean they see you.
  Always assume they do not see you until they stop. Be cautious when getting near vehicles.

• When running outside of official practice, avoid running at night.
  ​If running at night, run in well-lit areas when possible and wear lights and reflective gear such as:

  • ​AVANTO Chest Running Light

  • COAST LED Hi-Vis Lit Vest

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Running at Rancho San Antonio Space Preserve

Share the trails with others

• Yeild to horses and equestrians​

• Give right-of-way to runners and hikers going uphill

• Announce yourself before passing, for example, "on your left"

• Be polite and appreciative to those who yield to you

Respect the environment

• Stay on designated trails​

• Leave no trace other than footsteps

• Observe wildlife from a distance and avoid disturbing them. Do not feed or attempt to touch.

Safety and general etiquette

• ​Stay alert to your surroundings. If using open ear headphones, have the volume lower to hear environmental cues.

• Do not block the trail. If running in a group, run in a single file in narrow trails and max two people shoulder to shoulder on any trail.

• Respect all trail closures

• Acknowledge other trail users with a smile or a nod.

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Minor punishments

We expect our athletes to follow our instructions and cause minimal issues during regular practice sessions.
As such, we may give minor punishments as needed to correct such behaviour and discourage it from happening in the future. The standard minor punishment is 10 burpee pushups. The quantity may increase depending on the severity of the incident or if it's a recurring offense.

 

Minor punishments are given for:

• The athlete being late to practice (only after it's become a recurring problem)

• The athlete is not ready for the start of practice announcements
  (i.e, being quiet once the head coach says he is going to start)

• The athlete is permitted to do something that will hold up the entire team, and then takes a long time.

• The athlete is playing around before they are done with the practice items assigned to them.
  (Playing around with teammates is okay, as long as it doesn't endanger themselves or others, and they are in a waiting period, where they are waiting for something to happen, like a workout to start. - However, playing around after completing a neighborhood run or workout should not happen, as they can do strides and core on their own. Waiting for the rollers or the fitness room to be unlocked is normal.)

• At the head coach's discretion, depending on the issue and its gravity.

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Typical Routines

These should not need to be assigned by the head coach for athletes to know to do them.

 

Warm-up​

• Neighborhood run days: 2 Laps on the track & regular drills

• Track workout days: El Camino set and old school drills

• Rancho days: Run to the farm & old school drills (excluding v-sits and pushups)

• Mt. Trashmore days: Radar loop & old school drills (excluding v-sits and pushups)

• Bracher Park workout days: Run to Bracher Park (as specified) & old school drills

 

Cool-down

• Neighborhood run days: 4 stride outs (unless otherwise instructed individually)

• Track workout days: El Camino set

• Rancho days: Optional strides between parking lot 5 and 1 trail

• Mt. Trashmore days: Radar loop or out to radar and back

• Bracher Park workout days: Run back to school (as specified)

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Rolling

• Neighborhood run days: Yes

• Track workout days: Yes

• Rancho days: No

• Mt. Trashmore days: No

• Bracher Park workout days: Yes

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Core / Strength Training

• Neighborhood run days: Yes

• Track workout days: No

• Rancho days: No

• Mt. Trashmore days: No

• Bracher Park workout days: Yes

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Strikes

We have a 3-strike policy.

Each athlete gets up to 3 strikes during their high school career in XC and Track separately.

At the 3rd strike, athletes are subject to removal from the team at the head coach's discretion and will not be allowed to join the team again.

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Strike 1 will be issued as a conversation with the athlete about the instance. Allowing for the athlete to self-correct. The athlete in question will then have to perform a punishment (for example, a push-up mile) in front of the rest of the team.

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Strike 2 will be issued with a conversation similar to strike 1. However, it will be followed up with an email to their parent/guardian to inform them about being 1 strike away from being subject to removal from the team. The athlete in question will have to perform a punishment in front of the rest of the team (this will be of higher difficulty than that issued for strike 1, such as a burpee mile).

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Strike 3 will be issued as an email to the athlete with the parent CC'ed. If the athlete is removed from the team, that will be it. The athlete is free to come to discuss the incident with the coaches if they would like. If the head coach determines they will not be removed from the team, they may elect not to allow them to join the sport next season if applicable. Or there may be some other agreed-upon repercussions between coach and athlete for a final opportunity. In either of the two previous cases where the athlete is not removed from the team, there will be another punishment in front of the team with a greater level of difficulty, which is to be determined by the coaching staff.

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Strikes are given for:

• The athlete runs a different route than that assigned after having been warned

• The athlete cuts the route short without a justifiable reason

• The athlete continually skips rolling or strengthening sessions

• The athlete causes issues due to behavioural problems

• An athlete is a negative influence on peers, as determined by the coaching staff based on repeated behaviour

• The athlete refuses to run at League Finals or several meets

• The athlete competes in a different division/race than assigned

• At the head coach's discretion, depending on the issue and severity

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Reasons for removal from the team 

• ​Low attendance (<30%)

• Unable to compete at the League Finals meet due to ineligibility

• Refusal to compete at the League Finals or multiple meets throughout the season

• Reasons outside of those listed in the rules that are explicitly stated, but based on the head coach's discretion

• An athlete has 3 strikes on their record