Building Teamwork
10 Rules to Run By from “Coaching Cross Country Successfully”
by Joe Newton, with Joe Henderson; Human Kinetics 1998
- Team is the essence of life. It’s how to blend the talents and strengths of individuals into a force that becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
- Great teamwork is the only way to reach your ultimate moments, to create breakthroughs that fill your life with a sense of lasting significance.
- Everyone is a team player, whether he knows it or not. His family, his workplace, his place of worship, his neighborhood functions as a team.
- However, teamwork isn’t simple. In fact, it can be a frustrating, elusive commodity. That’s why there are so many bad teams, stuck in neutral or going downhill. Teamwork does not appear magically just because we talk about it.
- Forty years of coaching have proved to me, over and over again, that the complex inner rhythms of teamwork (flows of ambition, power, cooperation, and emotion) are the keys to making dreams come true.
- People are territorial animals. We all want to take out something to call our own. We strike back when our turf is threatened. Don’t smother those territorial and competitive instincts. Harness them for the good of the team. Understand that sometimes the individual must give up some territory for the good of the team.
- Willing sacrifice is a great paradox. Runners mostly give up something in in the present (comfort, ease, recognition, hair, rewards, and so on) to attract something even better in the future: a sense that they did something that counted.
- A team needs a covenant, an agreement that binds people together. Sometimes a covenant is written. Sometimes it is unspoken, complete expressed through action or thought. Any team afflicted with the DISEASE OF ME functions with a tacit covenant of self-destruction.
- There are only two options regarding commitment to a good covenant. Team members are either in, or they are out. There is no such thing as life in-between.
- Being ready isn’t enough. Runners have to be prepared. Being prepared demands mental and physical conditioning and conscious planning. A runner who is just ready and not totally prepared simply increases risk and is a liability to the team.
3 Variables of Distance Running
Frequency
Frequency is how often one runs. The more often or frequent one trains, the greater the aerobic capacity (ability to consume O2) you will develop. This will often lead to the increased rate of getting this O2 to the muscles as needed, as well as using the O2 more efficiently. Since running is an oxygen-driven sport, running frequency is the basis for training. If one wants to get into shape, run often! Not running for a period of no more than 2 days often will result in the loss of previous physical fitness. In a seven-day week, running for about five of the seven days is a good strategy. Running six days is excellent. Many runners run all seven days of the week; however, it is highly recommended that one day per week be taken off for rest for a beginner runner. (more…)
Meet Schedule – Overview
Please check under UPCOMING MEETS tab below for additional information.
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Simple Rules to Follow During the Base Phase
SIMPLE RULES TO FOLLOW DURING THE BASE PHASE • DO NOT run faster than at a conversational pace unless specified. This means you should be able to converse comfortably in FULL SENTENCES. DO NOT run with anyone faster than 20-30 Read more
Recruiting (TBA for 2023), Training & Nutrition Seminar – June 30, 2023
Recruiting, Training & Nutrition Seminar Last updated on June 28, at 10:51 am In the past 12 years, our student-athletes have received over 3.6 million dollars in scholarships to various top Universities in the country. Top D1 schools like Norte Read more
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enroll in Cross Country? Contact Coach Masci at ajmasci@cox.net or 949-293-2544 or speak with your guidance counselor. Other questions? Please navigate through this website Is there a Try-Out? No, not for an incoming freshman. Please check our Read more
Results
Results and Stats Individual and team results can be found on our team results website. You must be registered to access results. Registrations code is @etcross Register for XC Stats http://xcstats.com Other public websites for results and up to date Read more
Varsity Camp Time Trial/Open Tryout
Last updated on July 31, 2024 at 11:11 am Summer Time Trial July 25, 2024: 2 mile Course to determine the roster for our Varsity Camp. A makeup date will be on July 18. There will be a 15-second penalty. Read more
Saddleback Cup Challenge – Sat, August 30, 2025
Saddleback Cup Challenge Last updated on August 24, 2024 at 3:00 pm Trabuco Hills HS: 27501 Cordova Road, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 2025 Teams Competing (Team Division): Aliso Niguel (Division 1 (D1)), Ayala (D1), Brea (D3), Crean Lutheran (D4), El Read more