October 25, 2022

Cross Country 2022 Season Recap

This post is FULL of pictures--just a fair warning.

Cross country season is officially over. I can't believe it! I feel like we'd just gotten started, but it was an amazing season and I am SO glad that I decided to volunteer again as a coach for third through fifth graders this year. I was trying to figure out when Renee and I started the team--and this is when my blog comes in so handy sometimes--I looked through my archives and found that our first practice was September 11, 2015.

I coached from 2015 until 2018 with Renee, and then I coached 2019 by myself. I took 2020 and 2021 off. And then I missed it enough to return this year with Renee. So this was my sixth year coaching. Each year brings different challenges and celebrations. It's so odd to think that Noah and Eli were actually on the team early on--and now Noah is 18 and Eli is 16!

Things haven't really changed much from the early days. We've always had the same sort of structure: warm-up, running plan for the day, play a game, cool down stretches.

I've been meaning to keep up with writing about cross country each week, but so much happens and so quickly that it's impossible! So here are lots of pictures from throughout the season. I wish I had more, but I was so busy during practices and meets that it was hard to snag photos!

I have to say (again) how grateful I am for your donations for prizes/awards for the kids. They loved them! I don't know if they even realize how spoiled they were ;)  The middle school and high school kids in cross country don't get prizes!

Anyway, from the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you who donated something--as little or as big as it may have been! (I sent personal thank you notes via Amazon, but there were several who were either anonymous or that did not have gift receipts so I didn't know who they were from. If you did not get a personal thank you, please let me know--it wasn't personal!)

And now, here are some photos...




A six-legged race--so funny!





This boy worked SO hard to get this tutu!

Reader Karen sent this to me and I saved it until the very last practice--Renee and I chose someone for a coaches' award (most improved time, best attendance, good spirits, good sportsmanship, etc.) It went to the boy with the tutu!

Playing Connect Four on the hill--I'm always afraid of being crashed into.






Playing games on the hill makes the kids not even realize that they are doing hill work to increase their leg strength!


The parachute was SO much fun! A great way to end a tough-workout day.























Running against the wind with these running parachutes was MUCH harder than they expected!















I tried to get a starting line photo at each race




This boy (who ended up getting the coaches' award) got three medals through the season. This was his first year running cross country and he already ran a 6:51 mile!


The infamous big hill at one of the races


Two of the boys won medals for their times



Again, with another medal!

Halloween fun yesterday!




The parents and little sister of one of the runners. I thought the costumes were ADORABLE.

Look at these fall colors! Michigan is gorgeous in the fall.

Coaches' award (Renee had already taken off her costume!)

Yesterday's practice was a trick-or-treat run, so all of the kids could wear their costumes. The parents lined up around the course to pass out candy and Renee and I stood on the hill passing out candy (well, I passed out what was left of the prizes!). It was a super fun practice.

And that's a wrap up from the season! I'm not sure what's happening for next year (whether we will coach again) but I'd like to think that we will. It was fun coaching with Renee again; we work really well together as a team.

I'm going to miss these kids! :)

3 comments:

  1. Katie, you are clearly a rockin' awesome coach too! You wear many hats successfully.

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  2. OMG! No wonder you've been stressed. I love these photos, but whoa is that a lot of work. You're amazing. They're so lucky to have had you as a coach.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think you and Renee will coach again next season. You both did fantastic! All the kids look so healthy, strong, and happy. They know what you and Renee did for them, for sure. I LOVE seeing the male runner holding his trophy, and smiling proudly because he worked so hard for it.

    ReplyDelete

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