Sport guide
Cross country, for the parent in it.
Every read, drill, calendar, pathway, rule, and recruiting note we have on cross country. Use this as the front door.
17 pieces.
From The Drawer for cross country
Drills
Cross country drills
4 drills total. Most recent shown.
The Sideline File
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Cold-weather practice: frostbite, layering, the temperature threshold
What an outdoor practice should look like below 40°F, when the wind chill makes it actually dangerous, and the layering rule for kids who run hot.
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Heat and hydration
What an August practice should look like under NATA's youth heat acclimatization rules. How much water, when. And the signs that say stop now.
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Heat exhaustion vs heatstroke: the line that matters
Both look bad. One is recoverable with rest and water. The other is a true emergency. The signs that distinguish them, and the protocol for each.
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Heatstroke right now: cool first, transport second
The protocol that saves lives in the August heat. Cold-water immersion before EMS transport. The signs that mean act now.
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Humidity and dew point: practice modifiers when WBGT isn't on hand
WBGT is the gold standard for heat decisions, but most youth programs don't have a reader. Humidity and dew point are the backup metrics, and they tell you more than air temperature alone.
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Hypothermia on the field: recognize, warm, escalate
The signs the kid is past 'cold' and into hypothermia. The protocol that warms safely. When to call 911.
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Mosquito-borne illness in outdoor youth sport: West Nile, EEE, and the basics
Outdoor practices at dawn and dusk during summer carry small but real risk of mosquito-borne illness. The repellents, the timing, and the regional patterns.
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Pollen and allergic conjunctivitis: the spring eye-irritation kids underreport
Itchy red eyes during outdoor practice. The seasonal patterns, the over-the-counter management, and when to see a doctor.
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Tick prevention and Lyme disease: the protocol for outdoor youth sports
The repellents that work, the post-practice tick check, the bullseye rash, and when a tick bite needs the doctor.
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Wildfire smoke and AQI: when to cancel a youth practice
The AirNow AQI thresholds for kids, how PM2.5 affects developing lungs, and the practice-modification rule the EPA actually publishes.
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What's actually dangerous about youth cross country
Overuse injuries, RED-S, weather exposure, and the cultural risk that's specific to distance running for adolescent girls.