Why are you running2win?

[Black Lighting]

Total posts: 15

Registered member.

Okay well as you all know I go to Colerain High school, OH. Our cross country team is great! I love the people, but my school is so focused on my damn football team that is going absolutely nowhere this year (just like every year). Why isn't cross a real recognized sport? Please help me out here!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[RoyalWithCheese]

Total posts: 2502

Registered member.

Football brings in a lot of money from charging admission and selling food. So the administrative side of high schools will try to nurture their Football team. But for the students it's more of a social thing.

Why is xc not as recognized? The hard truth is that it's not as entertaining to watch as other sports. Runners like it, but runners are a SMALL portion of the population. It seems like the hard part is getting someone to try running for a couple days, if you can talk someone into doing that, then they usually stick around.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[cclark1121]

Total posts: 354

Registered member.

If you continue to ask why XC doesn't get recognition over other sports, you will continue to devout energy into something that will never change... and spending energy on something silly like that is only going to have a negative effect on your race.

It is what it is... leave it at that.

Train hard for yourself and your team. Don't worry about everyone else... It will only cause frustration.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[marylandexc]

Total posts: 2769

Registered member.

Who cares?

Seriously, worry about what you're doing. We don't do this sport for fame or glory, we do it because we want to.

Harness energy block bad. Feel the flow, it's circular. It goes up and down and around. All good things.

If you need people cheering for you, writing you up in the paper, patting you on the back after a good day - then you're in the wrong sport.

How many people even know that the American record was broken in the 5000m (people in general, not people on here)? How many people know that Brett Favre had a torn bicep last year? Nobody cares about our sport and that's fine.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[cclark1121]

Total posts: 354

Registered member.

I'm not saying "GIVE UP" I'm simply saying it just does not matter.

When I was in high school I wanted to make a change. I HATED people telling me that I didn't do a "real sport" I hated that everyday I had to listen to the baseball players tell me that the "Ice Run" they did for tryouts was way harder than what I did... and if they couldn't do it in under a certain time they didn't make the team... (BOOO HOoOO)

SO as a scrawny little sophomore I showed up on the "ICE RUN" with the Varsity Boys Baseball team... after exchanging a few words with the coach, I started the run with everyone else... and I made every guy on that team go home less of a man.

It simply did not change anything. I'm not saying "GIVE UP" ... I'm just saying there is no point. There are so many BETTER things to focus on than changing an ignorant narrow minded persons point of view. There are plenty of other people to enjoy the sport with (like teammates)... Spend more time thinking about them, and less time thinking about everyone else

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[RoyalWithCheese]

Total posts: 2502

Registered member.

Well said

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[rstreet3]

Total posts: 197

Registered member.

Soccer wasn't respected for awhile either we should take page our of those crazy club soccer parents and work hard to get more people involved at a younger age. its a cultural change so it has to start from the bottom not from the top.

at the same time you are talking about xc it isn't the glory sport as was said earlier its not even the glory sport of running track is. If you ever notice the person that loves track is the easily excited talkative overly energetic person and the one that prefer xc is the calmer reserved more weird person.

You also could try doing what we did at my high-school stole soccer players during track season for distance(preferably mid-field players) and convinced them to quit and do cross the following year. stole basketball players for mid-distance and performed the same routine. The we started in on baseball and took some the best guys at stealing bases and turned them into great sprinters convinced them to quit baseball since they had a better chance at a scholarship in track anyways. It actually kinda worked. but it required the athletes constantly recruiting within the school and tell our friends how much fun it was.Also our coach used to stand in the hall way and pick out every half fit looking person and say hey you should do cross-country or hey you should try track.

That is how we became known the more well known players in other sports told their friends how good some of the distance guys were. i remember some guys from the baseball team finishing a game and coming down to the track during a dual meet to watch the rest of the meet. that was kinda cool to have the support.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[BrewPat]

Total posts: 5068

Registered member.

Wow, we actually have a somewhat lengthy topic that didn't get bastardized.

I'm going to side more with the folks who suggest to just let it go and do your own thing. Life is too short to try and convince people of something that they'll probably never really listen to. Know your audience, know when you'd be wasting your time and know when someone has that look to them like they actually are listening.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[RoyalWithCheese]

Total posts: 2502

Registered member.

Or we could have a nation wide talking during the movie boycott.

Or we could have a nation wide fat white blondes boycott.

Fun game stopcecil!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[stopcecil!]

Total posts: 280

Registered member.

I think it's a shame when kids don't have their parents there watching them, when they are working so hard and see everyone else's parents. Story of my life.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[billbradski]

Total posts: 367

Registered member.

i agree that lack of parental support is an issue with XC AND track kids. i'm not going to try and answer why, but i think you hit at least one of the nails on the head.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[donmurf]

Total posts: 447

Registered member.

My appologies for not including enough emoticons for even a blind person to see that the comment should not be taken literally. :-/

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[donmurf]

Total posts: 447

Registered member.

lol. No problem. I'm an English teacher, so I tend to be full of cynical remarks.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[tladd]

Total posts: 3

Registered member.

Well I have a combination of reasons, most of them have already been mentioned i think though. My number one reason is that is not fun to be a spectator. I run and like it and wish it was a little more recognized but honestly, I would not want to go watch it if I wasn't competing or for the other races, I atleast know what the other people went through and know who they are and how hard they tried. That is my point with the spectating part. Because of this, it does not bring in nearly as much money as other sports. At my school, its not like there are ticket prices, THEY DONT EVEN OPEN THE CONCESSIONS except for county, sectionals, and a special relay that is big at my school... My second point would be that most people dont think it is very hard to run... after all, in football... they have to work REALLY hard and do 40yd sprints with full gear on!!!! and we just have to run!!!! jk lol but no really no one knows wat it takes unless they try it and so it just isnt much to watch or support because no one knows... and for the parent thing, we dont have that problem at my school. thats really all that is there is the parents!!! and there is only a few times when a parent cant make it to someones meet, parents are very supportive at my school. and once again, it is boring... at some schools, you see them for a minute at the start and they are gone for 20 minutes, then they see em at the finish, that makes it really boring and pointless for spectators. My school has a course where u can walk only a small distance and see them just in time to walk to the next part and see them.... this makes it to were specs are always walking to see the race, you can see them at 7 points because of how it loops around and stuff

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[i want to be #1!]

Total posts: 27

Registered member.

i know what u mean my school all the way down here in Smiths Station,Alabama is the same way but thats why i run they r going to have to look at us if we do somethin awesome

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[Card Player]

Total posts: 1947

Registered member.

"I started the run with everyone else... and I made every guy on that team go home less a man."

you should have made every guy go home more a man!

ha!


Hawks win niga!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[aaronheil]

Total posts: 18

Registered member.

Roger Bannister and Steve Prefontaine were on the cover of Sports Illustrated!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[cmichel]

Total posts: 20

Registered member.

Good point, but Sports Illustrated comes out EVERY WEEK and they don't include nearly enough on distance running (they never even said anything about the American 5k and 10k records that were both recently broken)

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[running for Him]

Total posts: 18

Registered member.

we're just like that here at dekalb high school IN, except so many of the good promising middle school cross country runners go to play soccer. we lost half of the good distance runners to soccer when we became freshman. soccer should be moved to a spring sport.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[billbradski]

Total posts: 367

Registered member.

do you perhaps close for the arizona diamondbacks?

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[Jordan_Groubert]

Total posts: 34

Registered member.

That makes you just as bad as the people who don't support the runners. Basketball and football are more exciting to watch, I'd rather attend a football or basketball game than watch a cross country race and I'm a runner. And what makes you think we work so much harder than athletes in other sports? I'd like to see any runner try to attend a football of basketball practice. 100% guaranteed we couldn't handle it.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[aaronheil]

Total posts: 18

Registered member.

I feel like I should get your joke, but the humor is lost on me. Sorry.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[TheDEeezy]

Total posts: 2

Registered member.

my money's soo old its groing white hairs

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[RoyalWithCheese]

Total posts: 2502

Registered member.

"But if you talk to people from the other sports there is often a degree of respect..."

What? Is your school located on Sesame Street?

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[Rich Hoffman]

Total posts: 62

Registered member.

But let em add this, and I have coached at a few different schools, when you pin down AD's and principals, at least the schools I was at, they will admit that although football may bring in money, they don't make money because of all the costs - coaching staff, uniforms, helmet reconditioning, staffing for games, officials, security costs for games, and all the "fringe" benefits that football gets...that all adds up and in the end, as both our principal and superintendent admit, "football barely takes care of football financially."

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[runningart]

Total posts: 1103

Registered member.

There was one local school in my conference that LOVED cross-country. It was the premier fall sport.....of course this school did not have football! It was also historically the most successful XC school in our conference.

XC is simply not a spectator friendly sport. PERIOD. Unless you've participated in it yourself at some point in your life you are not going to appreciate it. Boys and Girls running around for 15-20 minutes and if you're LUCKY you get to see them fly by 2 or 3 times for a few seconds each.

It's all about basketball and football in my neck of the woods. Always has been, always will be. Now if you started selling BEER and concessions at XC events maybe things will change!

Alna

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[runningart]

Total posts: 1103

Registered member.

Silver Creek HS in small town Indiana. A PAAVO trained program that has a few top 5 finishes at state and 1 or 2 individual state champions....and Indiana is SINGLE class XC.

Alan

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[laddarecess]

Total posts: 4

Registered member.

ya i know what you mean, i run for St. Xavier High School and all anyone cares about is football and our program isnt that good. And as far as the social aspect of cross country goes, whenever i meet a girl and tell her i run cross country she assumes im this pathetic nancy boy that cant hold down a real sport, and thats the way everyone looks at cross country. It's this stupid side sport for kids that have no talent for any real sport. That is what really pisses me off. But in a larger aspect i think people do understand somewhat that cross country is a difficult sport, I just dont think people really know anything about it.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[runningart]

Total posts: 1103

Registered member.

I picture 130lb distance runners in pads being slammed into the ground by a 200lb linebacker...not a pretty sight.

At the end of the day our sport is the least athletic of most HS sports. Even golf requires learned technique.

Define "handle another sport well". Complete the practice? Sure. Perform well? Not really.

Now as far as day to day training goes our sport CAN BE difficult as far as wear and tear on the body and as far as pushing physical limitations, but our sport is very one dimensional and limited.

Alan

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[knappyrunner]

Total posts: 133

Registered member.

Cross isn't a recognized sport because it doesn't generate cashflow. Period. If you need suggestions about how to stay motivated in the face of teasing, taunting, etc. I recommend embracing your talent to endure the physical pain that running competitively entails. For me, knowing at any point in my HS career that my teammates and I were more fit than any other group of athletes in the school was more than enough. If you wish to encourage increased participation you need to make CC and Track the "fun" sport. Become involved in your school's other extra-curricular activities, and go as a team. For our team, Lloyd H.S in Northern KY, going to all other athletic events together body painted and showing off the hard earned six-packs always got some attention and drew some new bodies at the next season. Don't be discouraged if you don't get the same recognition as football or other big four sports. It will NEVER happen, but know that you will earn their respect by your diligence and persistence to perform at your best if you give them the same respect.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[lmcca]

Total posts: 106

Registered member.

have you even started out by telling people about your team? if not, then just tell them and say that your going to be in it, and then hope that some people actually show up and cheer the team on.
hope this helps?
lmcca

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[jlintz]

Total posts: 10

Registered member.

You picture 130 pound distance runners in pads getting slammed to the ground by a 200 pound linebacker---I picture a 200 pound linebacker on his hands and knees puking after only making it 1/2 way through the 130 pounders Warm Up. In almost any other sport you can train 1 or 2 systems and do well while in Cross Country you must train multiple systems to do well. Every sport is unique so it is really impossible to compare them and say one is more difficult then the other.In football you have someone else trying to inflict pain on you, in Cross you are inflicting pain on yourself. In football you go extremely hard for 3-5 secs. at a time and then rest and regroup, in Cross you must totally focus for 15-20 mins. at a time. In football the coach can take you out and help you get your head together if you mess up, in Cross you are on your own with no help until it is all over. As you can see comparisons are impossible. Every sport is different just as people are different.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[Nick Ross]

Total posts: 1259

Registered member.

lmao.

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[runningart]

Total posts: 1103

Registered member.

"In almost any other sport you can train 1 or 2 systems and do well while in Cross Country you must train multiple systems to do well."

Explain. It should be quite the opposite.

No sport is "harder"...all are just different. I wouldn't expect a football player to do well at a cross country practice or meet...and I wouldn't expect a cross country runner to do well at a football practice or game.

Alan

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[schafer.ll]

Total posts: 12

Registered member.

Colerain sucks! ELDER is going to kill you this season, and your football team sucks too. We're going to win state in both of those!!! Go ELDER!!!!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[schafer.ll]

Total posts: 12

Registered member.

And Reds!

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[cmichel]

Total posts: 20

Registered member.

Yeah, you go to Elder?

Reply (you need to log in to reply)

[cnxcrunner13]

Total posts: 14

Registered member.

who is colerain?

Reply (you need to log in to reply)