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Motivational Speeches also can help with a good mindset and the courage to go out and try a sport. 

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Motivational Speeches also can help with a good mindset and the courage to go out and try a sport. 

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Along with high school cross country, track is a great source of exercise and activity. 

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Along with high school cross country, track is a great source of exercise and activity. 

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Running Start training plans for high school students are coming soon. The plans will include running a mile, a 5K, and a 10K, plus your fastest mile, 5K, and 10K.

Running Start training plans for high school students are coming soon. The plans will include running a mile, a 5K, and a 10K, plus your fastest mile, 5K, and 10K.

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Running Start training plans for high school students are coming soon. The plans will include running a mile, a 5K, and a 10K, plus your fastest mile, 5K, and 10K. Running Start training plans for high school students are coming soon.

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Used shamelessly without permission.
by Mark Hyman (Subscribe to Mark Hyman's posts) Oct 28th 2009 1:41PM

The Hereford High School Bulls lost their championship at the Baltimore County cross country races because one runner was wearing the wrong underwear. Credit: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun

Victory goes to the fleetest, right? Not this week. Not in Baltimore County, Md.

A boys' cross-country team sped to victory in a high school championship only to have the triumph overturned for a strange reason: Illegal shorts.

Race officials took the crown away from the Hereford High School Bulls because one of their runners ran the race wearing black compression shorts with visible white stitching under uniform pants. That broke Rule 9, Section 6, Article 1b of the National Federation of High Schools' rules which state: "Items displaying seams stitched on the outside of the garment in a visible contrasting color to the undergarment will be illegal beginning with the 2009-2010 school year."
Nobody seemed happy about a big meet being decided by a runner's flawed choice of undies.

"It's an unfortunate situation. We have the utmost respect for [Hereford]," the coach of another team in the meet said to the Baltimore Sun. "They can take the plaque away, but they can't take away the race," Hereford's co-coach Jason Bowman, told the Sun.

Small uniform glitches leading to big disappointments aren't as rare as one would think in youth sports. In March, a Chicago high school basketball team lost a hard-fought game due to uniforms with bad stripes.

Yes, folks, bad stripes.

North Lawndale College Prep showed up for a game with stripes that breached a rule mandating that basketball shirts be one color from the neck to the armhole to the bottom of the jersey. The penalty for donning the non-conforming shirts was a free throw awarded to North Lawndale's opponent (which it sank). Final score: Centennial 66, North Lawndale (with bad stripes) 65.

ParentDish sports reporter Mark Hyman is the author of Until It Hurts: America's Obsession With Youth Sports and How It Harms our Kids (Beacon Press). Have a suggestion for an article on youth sports? Contact Mark at pdyouthsports@aol.com

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Faster Than Schroff (Dedicated to Beating Dave Schroff in All Races)

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Used shamelessly without permission.by Mark Hyman (Subscribe to Mark Hyman's posts) Oct 28th 2009 1:41PM The Hereford High School Bulls lost their championship at the Baltimore County cross country races because one runner was wearing the wrong underwear. Credit: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun Victory goes to the fleetest, right?

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Cross country is a great option for running and exercise while in high school.

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The end of the summer marks the start of something dear to my heart: cross country season! Though I began running track races in elementary and junior high school, I consider my life as a "serious runner" to have begun with cross country in high school. And while I have run cross county races sparingly since finishing my collegiate eligibility, I still feel as though I am in "cross country mode" when running between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

I was very privileged to be on great cross country teams both in high school and in college. And when I say great, I don't just mean in the traditional term of the fastest team with the lowest point score. I also mean in terms of being on these teams as an enriching experience that I will look back on fondly for decades to come. I won't lie, part of these enriching experiences included being the top team at certain meets, but I think to have a truly great team you must have equal parts success and fun.

This article will be the first in a three part series in which I will describe how you can help make your cross country team great this season. The series will align with the critical parts of the season, with advice on what kind of training should be implemented during that portion of the season, as well as what a coach (and athlete) can do to make being a part of their cross country team a fun, memorable experience that will make the team great now and in years to come.

PART 1: PRE/EARLY SEASON

The first day of school usually includes the first day of "official" practice, depending on your school system regulations. The first day of practice includes runners of greatly varying experience, talent, and commitment. Hopefully you were able to implement a voluntary summer schedule in which both newcomers and returning veterans were able to put in some base mileage and get to know, or get reacquainted with, their teammates. I don't remember where or from whom I heard it, but since hearing it, I have always believed in "Cross Country champions in October/November are forged in the hot summer runs of June and July." Now, if you weren't able to implement those summer runs, or were disappointed with their attendance, don't worry too much. There is still time to put in the strength work needed, there is just less potential for how much improvement athletes can have.

Think of a runner's potential as a pyramid. The wider the bottom of the pyramid, the taller you can build. The training during cross country pre/early season should focus on building the bottom of each runner's pyramid as large as possible. This is done primarily with attention to running volume. A coach can plan out how long the runner's season is anticipated to be, and how much running volume they believe each individual athlete can handle without getting hurt. This will obviously be a lot different for young inexperienced runners, compared to their older, more experienced teammates. The first quarter of the anticipated season length should start at or around half of each runner's weekly mileage goal, and gradually build each week until they are running their desired mileage by the end of this first quarter. In the next quarter of the season, runners should continue to run at this top end of their mileage, allowing for an occasional drop every 3-4 weeks to better adapt to the training. But, always remember that injury free is the place to be, so modulate the mileage goals for your runners so they always stay injury free. Training isn't an equation and runners aren't robots so adjust as necessary to keep them running.

Volume/weekly mileage isn't the only concern during this first half of the season. The other major factor is training intensity. During this part of the season, intensity of every run, but especially hard days, should be relatively low to what they will reach later in the season. The body has enough of a challenge handling the increase in volume, it can be overworked if it is also asked to handle too great of a training intensity. Good workouts at this time of year include steady states, fartleks, and long runs. (See the McMillan Running Calculator to learn more about these workouts.)

A great way to check that runners are staying in the desired range of intensity is to check their heart-rate during and immediately after workouts. You can find optimal heart rate training zones for each running pace in the McMillan Running Calculator. Make sure they don't approach their max heart rate at any time during this segment of training, which can result in overtraining and disastrous running later, in the most crucial part of the cross country season. Keeping this combination of high volume and lower intensity is the best way to build the biggest base of each runner's pyramid, increasing their potential for the rest of the season. Outside of running, you'll want to include injury-proofing and running form exercises and strides to build durable runners with picture perfect running form.

This early portion of the season is also when the most attention can be given to ensure that being a part of the cross country team will be a fun, well-rounded experience. Establish team traditions, seek out as many new team members as possible, and set individual and team goals along with team rules/expectations. Team traditions can range from superfluous to serious and an establishment of strong team culture. My teams, like so many others around the country, included the tradition of team dinners. There is something about being together to replenish your body (and no longer being in running clothes?) that brings young athletes closer together and is why so many teams have some form of this tradition. A less common tradition I loved as part of my cross country teams was an annual "river-toss." At the end of the first day of practice, all returning members of the team would toss the newcomers into a river nearby, representing a form of baptism to now be a part of the team.

Finding and keeping new team members is crucial at this point in the season. Many may be new to running, and might be a bit hesitant to join a team in which "all you do is run!?" Make joining the team as easy and welcoming as possible. These newcomers help to keep a balance of fun on the team for some of the more serious, experienced runners, which often times helps them continue to improve their running. Most of these new members are unlikely to have a big impact on the varsity team's success at meets right away, but you can bet that some of these newcomers will become crucial veterans that help keep your team scores low in years to come.

A factor that I have always loved about cross country is that it is both completely an individual AND team sport. Think about it, it is individual because you have to run the race, no one can do it for you. You have to go through the internal battle of how much suffering you are willing to tolerate, there are no timeouts or substitutions to help you. But, at the same time, you rely completely on your teammates in order to have a successful team. You could be the best runner in the world, but be on a last place team if your teammates aren't able to carry their share of the load. This is part of why it's so important to set both individual and team goals for the season, as well as a set of team rules/expectations.

Individual goals will vary greatly. One tip you can follow from sport psychologists is to focus more on process goals than outcome goals. Process goals are something that you have more control of: I want to do my strides after every run, I want to eat healthier before practice, etc. Outcome goals are less predictable because you can't control what other runners and teams will do: Wanting to finish top 5 at a race is an outcome goal. If you're out of the top 5 but those 5 ran faster than ever before, should you be too disappointed in not reaching your goal? Don't get me wrong, I still believe it's important to have outcome goals and to strive for them, but remember there is an element to those goals that are completely out of your control.

Team rules can be set by the members of the team, they can include things like consequences to multiple absences, supporting one another at practice and meets, and all kind of other things. By allowing the members of the team set the rules, they develop a greater sense of accountability to the team, and often times will set more strict standards than coaches might. Coaches can always adjust the rules a little if they are too lenient or strict.

Now, let's review. Here are my quick tips for starting the fall cross country season right:

1. Remind your runners that the work they are doing now is building the base of their pyramid. The bigger the base, the better the potential!

2. Train optimally each day: remind your athletes to stay within the proper pace/heart rate zone for each run so that they gradually build fitness, stay healthy, and maintain motivation.

3. Seek out new team members: look for athletes in other sports needing fall off-season training such as soccer, basketball, and swimming.

4. Develop team traditions, both coach-initiated and team member-driven.

5. Start goal setting now. Talk with your individual runners on a weekly basis about what they are doing each day to reach their goal. Talk with your team in a group setting to build accountability and expectations.

6. Most importantly: Keep things fun! Running can be a serious sport, but developing the social element among coaches and athletes builds trust and relationships that can lead to better race results.

Following these training and team building guidelines early in the cross country season is the best way to get the season started on the right foot, and ensure the best chance of having a great team on and off the fall cross country courses.

After reading and following the ideas in Part 1 (early season), we recommend also reading Part 2 and Part 3 of this series.

If you'd like help with your team, we're happy to consult with you to help you have the best cross country season possible. Contact us to get started. Also, check out McMillan's Guide to High School Cross Country three-part video series that walks you through Greg McMillan's key principles of training for high school runners along with a 20-week training plan.

Visit the McMillan High School Cross Country Resources page to sign up for our weekly newsletter and find articles and tools to help you make the season great.
More High School Running Resources:
McMillan Running Calculator - Use this to optimize the training of your athletes and predict race times so you can better pace races.

High School Cross Country Summer Training - Some ideas on what to do in the summer to get ready for the fall.

The Four Types of High School Cross Country Runners - Coaching high school can be challenging. Use these ideas to tailor your training to match the needs of various types of high school cross country runners.

McMillan's Six Step Training System - Understand one of the most successful training systems on the planet. This article simplifies the often confusing world of run training.

YOU (Only Faster) - Greg's best-selling book shows you how he teases out the unique traits of runners so their training can be optimized.

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HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING & COACHING GUIDE - PART 1

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The end of the summer marks the start of something dear to my heart: cross country season! Though I began running track races in elementary and junior high school, I consider my life as a "serious runner" to have begun with cross country in high school.

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Its not only physical activity that will keep you in shape during high school but its the way you act and go about doing things.

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Its not only physical activity that will keep you in shape during high school but its the way you act and go about doing things.

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For example if you have a happy and positive attitude towards running and exercise then your body will cooperate better with you and you'll then start to enjoy physical activity and exercise.

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Different High School Sports that will keep you in shape

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Different High School Sports that will keep you in shape

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For many of us our four years of high school consisted of making new friends, learning to drive, getting the perfect outfit for the formal, going to pep rallies, and being excited for the big game every Friday night. And, so many spend their high school career consumed in the sport that they've grown to love since they were a little boy or girl and getting ready for that big game. Whether you were a standout three sport varsity athlete, or you had that one season that you looked forward to all year just so you could be back with your team, we all made memories and shared experiences that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. And while some of those experiences on the court, or the field were moments of pure fun and competition, others were moments of personal growth and learning that have shaped the individuals we've gone on to become.

Every team goes through their ups and downs. A week's worth of great practices, good team communication, and hard work, that later translates into a win on Friday night, can be quickly turn into team drama, a bad workout, and plenty of wind sprints the following week. These are the moments where we learn to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We learn to lean on those around us and find it within ourselves to keep pushing when things get tough. Or when you find yourself staring at list of names and after a second look over you come to realize that our time spent playing the sport that we hold dear to our heart, has come to an end. So you all of a sudden find yourself on a new path, one that you hadn't planned for or weren't ready to endure yet you find yourself experiencing new situations, with new faces, from a whole new perspective. This is when we learned that things do change, but often times for the better. You also start to begin to learn that some people are just sore losers and winners, no matter how well the game went, whether it be a fellow teammate or the opposing team, they always seem to see the negative aspects of the game and attempt to push this on you. However, we begin to learn that there's more valuable things in life than focusing on the past and dwelling on the mistakes but instead to look forward to future success and improvement. And then at the end of every season you lose your beloved seniors. Whether they were like your big brother or sister who always knew what to say and taught you all the ins and outs of the game, or they were that teammate who took their seniority a little too far, a little too much, you come to the realization that your team won't be quite the same anymore. Some you'll never lose touch with, while others you'll never see again, but you being to learn that 'losing' people happens, but that you'll find a new way to make things work. Lastly, whether you were the voice of reason, encouraging, all-star captain, or just a proud member of the team, at some point or another you were forced to be the leader on or off the court. Without a second thought you took action and knew exactly what to say or do for that discouraged, pissed off, or upset teammate. You were forced to push a little more, care a little more, lead a little more, and you did, you made an impact. You learned that no matter the circumstances, no matter your confidence level, you can lead and you can make a difference.

While a few select individuals have the opportunity to continue their career on into the collegiate level many of us never lace up our sneakers or cleats again. So whether you played for the competition, for the love of the game, for the team, or whatever you're reasoning, you realize that without high school sports you'd be a different person. You realize that high school sports gave you an opportunity to grow as a person with some of the most incredible people surrounding you, during an exciting time of your life, and at the end left lifelong impressions on you. So thank you to the family, friends, teammates and coaches that all made some of these experiences happen for us.

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Why High School Sports Are So Much More Than Just A Game

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For many of us our four years of high school consisted of making new friends, learning to drive, getting the perfect outfit for the formal, going to pep rallies, and being excited for the big game every Friday night.

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Although you may not be the best player on the team in a sport you might learn new ways to exercise, communicate, and create strong bonds with new people. So always give it a chance.

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How much running does a high school student really need? 

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How much running does a high school student really need? 

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Research shows that the more you run the better shape you could be in. For example a 14 year old boy started off high school running 1-2 miles a week if that and as the weeks went on he started running more and more and saw significant improvement in his attitude, mindset, and body. The boy eventually got up to running 15 miles a week and saw amazing results. its not a requirement that you run 15 miles a week but running will help you feel better, act better, and think better.

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High School is More About your Overall Physical Well Being not just PLaying Sports and that is why mos High Schools Across America have a Physical Education (PE) Class. 

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High School is More About your Overall Physical Well Being not just PLaying Sports and that is why mos High Schools Across America have a Physical Education (PE) Class. 

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Physical Education Instant Activities for Upper

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Cedar Rapids Thomas Jefferson High School

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Brockport High School Physical Education

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Southeast Polk Junior/Senior High School Physical Education

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Southeast Polk physical educators and administrators are committed to the optimal physical education of all students.

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These are examples of different push ups that you can do to keep your upper body in shape. 

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These are examples of different push ups that you can do to keep your upper body in shape. 

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Push-ups are at the top of the list of popular exercises, and for good reason.

Considered one of the best compound, full-body exercises you can perform, push-ups work nearly every muscle of the the upper body, from the chest, back, triceps, shoulders and biceps to the entire core, quads, and even the glutes.

Aside from the strength and stability benefits, performing push-ups has also been shown to help increase testosterone levels, which means increased muscle-building and lowered risks for osteoporosis ( 1).

However, even though ladies may balk at the mention of increased testosterone, it's important to remember that push-ups are for everyone, including women,and that a natural increase in testosterone is not going to cause women to excessively "bulk."

Also, while push-ups may seem like a male-oriented exercise, here are no studies showing that women don't have the same capability as men to knock out as many push-ups as they want, so ladies shouldn't feel disheartened when it comes to mastering the push-up.

With that said, we'll be looking at several variations of push-ups that lead to performing a full push-up.

These are great for total beginners and also those getting back into working out after an injury.

But first, let's look at form.

What is Proper Push-up Form?

There are a few rules regarding form to keep in mind no matter what stage of push-ups you're tackling.

1. Don't Let your Core Sag

When out of us get tired, we start to let our hips drop as we near the ground, which makes the movement easier.

The problem with this it can strain the spine and hip flexors - and it'll result in fewer strength gains.

Instead, concentrate on engaging your core at all times throughout the movement.

2. Avoid Flaring your Elbows

Picture "chicken" wings flapping - don't do it. This puts strain on the shoulder joint.

So, rather than having your elbows point straight out to the sides, or back toward your feet, instead, you want them to be somewhere in the middle, in a neutral "just-right" position.

3. Try Not to Perform Half-Reps

In other words, be sure to lower fully, your chest just brushing the floor, during each push-up.

4. Place Hands just Outside Shoulders

It's common for people to place their hands too high (more in line with their heads) and also wider than needed, which makes you target the wrong muscles.

With these in mind, let's get started on improving and mastering the push-up, one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do.

We've put together a list of variations for push-ups that will include exercises for absolute beginners, all the way up to the advanced push-up guru.

Important note: you will notice there are no "knee" push-ups here. That's because push-ups done from your knees won't help you advance to a full push-up because they don't challenge your core or glutes enough.

The 10 Most Important Push-up Variations

For each exercise, aim for 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions 2-3 times per week before moving on to the next progression.

1. Wall/Countertop Push-ups

Wall push-ups are an excellent place for beginners to start, as you have just enough incline to make the movement challenging while also building strength and perfecting your form.

Once you've built strength with the wall push-up, you can then move on to countertop or chair push-ups, which are more challenging because there's less incline.

To start with the wall push-up, place your hands on a wall and walk your feet back as far as you're comfortable.

Keep your hands under your shoulders and lower toward the wall, making sure your elbows are in and your core is engaged.

Push off from the wall into the starting position and repeat.

Move on to the same variation using a countertop or a chair once you reach the recommended number of sets and reps.

2. Negative Push-ups

Performing just the lowering phase of a push-up can significantly increase your strength to progress to a full push-up.

It may sound odd, but studies have shown that eccentric exercises - which focus on muscle contraction during the lengthening of the muscles, or the "lowering" phase - can make you stronger during the concentric (pushing or contracting) phase ( 2).

3. Traditional Push-ups

Once you feel comfortable with negative push-ups, it's time to move on to the full push-up.

Begin in the plank position, feet hip-width apart and hands in line with your chest.

Lower until your chest barely brushes the floor, then push back up, keeping your elbows, core tight, and body in a straight line from head to toe.

Advanced Push-up Variations

Have you mastered the pushup and now you want even more? These advanced variations will have you feeling the burn all over again - and also help you work other components of fitness like power and explosiveness.

4. Medicine Ball Push-ups

Medicine ball push-ups are excellent for engaging more of the stability muscles of the core. Interestingly, studies have also found that performing push-ups on a ball significantly increased triceps and chest-muscle activity when compared to normal push-ups ( 3).

5. Triceps Push-ups

Triceps push-ups follow the same form as regular push-ups; however, placing the arms closer to the sides really targets the triceps muscles along the back of your arms and it also requires more core stabilization.

6. Diamond Push-ups

Diamond push-ups are also excellent for targeting the triceps muscles.

7. Decline Push-ups

When you do decline push-ups, you place your foot on a prop such as a medicine ball or bench to maximize the depth of your push-up. As you get stronger, you can increase the steepness of the incline.

Begin in a plank position with your feet propped on a medicine ball (for added core engagement) or a bench.

Lower your chest to the ground, maintaining proper push-up form, then return to your starting position and repeat.

8. Clap Push-ups

Clap push-ups offer the challenge of adding in an explosive plyometric movement to your push-up, and will surely have your upper body burning.

Begin in plank position and perform a full push-up, but instead of simply pressing back up and extending your arms, use your upper body strength to explode upward, clapping your hands as they leave the floor.

Catch yourself as you lower again - careful not to lock your elbows - into the next repetition.

9. Dive-Bomber Push-ups

The dive-bomber push-up might look like some sort of yoga sequence, but in reality is a challenging push-up variation that simultaneously builds the entire upper body, while also increasing flexibility and stability.

10. One-arm Push-ups

One-arm push-ups are one of the most challenging variations of push-ups, due to the arm strength and core stability required to balance - let alone push up - using a single arm.

Different Push-up Variations Make it Fun

Whether you're a beginner or knocking out one-arm push-ups like they're going out of style, know that with every rep you're building a highly efficient foundation for any other exercise you perform.

Cheers to pushing up in the world.

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The 10 Push-up Variations You Need to Know (For All Levels) | Yuri Elkaim

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Push-ups are at the top of the list of popular exercises, and for good reason. Considered one of the best compound, full-body exercises you can perform, push-ups work nearly every muscle of the the upper body, from the chest, back, triceps, shoulders and biceps to the entire core, quads, and even the glutes.

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Different ways High School Coaches keep their Players in Shape.

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Different ways High School Coaches keep their Players in Shape.

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- some coaches make their basketball players do suicides and 17's which are different drills that you are supposed to sprint up and down the court touching each line

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How Much Running Should a High School Student do to Stay in Shape for their Sports Season? 

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How Much Running Should a High School Student do to Stay in Shape for their Sports Season? 

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- high schools in America vary from their levels of physical activity, some high schools do something called the pacer test where there is a series of beeps that speed up as you keep running and in most high schools boys are expected to get 75 and girls are expected to get 70