BHS
Cross Country - Team Commitments
Care and Respect:
- We take care of each other and
treat all athletes, coaches, fans, and meet officials with respect.
- We strive for quality work each
day in practice and in competition.
We work to improve on our personal and team bests.
- We adhere to the Bellingham
School District Athletic Code.
Commitment:
- We make a commitment to
ourselves, our teammates, our coaches, and to our school.
- We know the season schedule and
commit to full participation in all practices and meets. (Know the league
and invitational meet schedule!)
Our team will be going to the state championship meet in Pasco on
November 7: varsity athletes should plan accordingly.
- We are students first. Athletes must be in school every period
of every day to be eligible to practice and compete.
Practice:
Attendance Policy: All practices and meets are mandatory
- Any
excused absences from practice must be given to Mr. McClement in writing on the clipboard just
inside his classroom (or by email).
Make every effort to provide the note IN ADVANCE. Mr.
McClement and other coaches reserve the right to determine if the absence
is excused or unexcused.
- Unexcused absences not only
include missing an entire practice but also when arriving significantly
late (more than 20-30 min), failing to participate in practice (attitude,
not bringing necessary equipment, etc.).
On early release days,
practices still start at 2:50. Make
certain to have arrangements to get to practice.
- Consequences:
- 1st unexcused absence
= a verbal warning
- 2nd unexcused absence
= mandatory meeting with coaches
- 3rd unexcused absence
= final warning and meeting with head coach to draw up an athlete
commitment compact
- 4th unexcused absence
= dismissal from team, turn in uniform and any other team equipment
- We arrive prepared with a water bottle
and a hooded sweatshirt or hat. We
begin on time at 2:35 pm and end at 5:15 pm (at the practice site) with a
handshake from the head coach.
- Coaches plan workouts: No “free
agent” practices.
Competition:
- We wear only Bellingham High
School gear at every meet, and we arrive in full uniform ready to
compete.
- We support each other. We meet as an entire team at the end of
each competition to acknowledge and celebrate our efforts. (Athletes are
dismissed only after this meeting by shaking the hand of the head coach.)
- We ride Bellingham School
District provided transportation to and from each meet.
- Coaches decide who competes in
which races.
Lettering:
- Earning a varsity letter is a
symbol of dedication. Varsity
letter earners: adhere to the athletic code, are dependable and complete
the entire season with a positive attitude, meet team time goals, and
score in three league meets or qualify and compete in the district and
state championship meets.
- OR…adhere to the athletic code,
are dependable and complete the entire season with a positive attitude,
and have completed 3 full years of dedication to the BHS Cross Country
program.
- Junior Varsity letter
earners: adhere to the athletic
code, are dependable and complete the entire season with a positive
attitude, meet team time goals, and place in the top 14 (on the team) in 4
meets or place in the top seven (on the team) in the NW League JV
championship race.
- C Team participants: adhere to the athletic code, are
dependable and complete the entire season with a positive attitude, and
compete in 3 meets.
Guidelines for Parent Support:
- Cross Country is a TEAM sport.
- Team camp area at meets is for
coaches and athletes only. Please
respect our “locker room.”
- Parents are encouraged to be
involved in hosting home meets (at Lake Padden) and by cheering for all
athletes at every meet.
