Cross Country is open to K-grade 8 from the SJW Parish or SJW School. Other Allentown Diocese CYO Parishes members qualify with approval. Coaches must complete clearances and indicate involvement by August 1st.

Program availability is subject to guidance of the parish and diocese.

St. Joseph the Worker - Cross Country is open to grades K - 8th

Practice starts second week of August and continues through late October. Practices are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 to 6:45pm. (Wednesday practices are optional for K-2nd grade)

Meets are Sunday afternoon's from 2:00 to 4:00pm (September through mid-October). All meets are held at local Lehigh Valley parishes.

K-2 race is 0.5 mile

3-4 race is 1 mile

5-6 race is 1.5 miles

7-8 race is 2 miles

Races average between 30-80 kids per race. The younger grades are the bigger races. Parental involvement is encouraged at practice and helping at our home meet in mid-September.

Practices are fun and demanding. The focus is on fitness and improvement for the individual within a team environment. The sport builds self confidence and running has been shown to improve academic performance. Cross country will improve endurance for spring and winter sports. (Note other concurrent CYO fall sports will typically conflict with the Cross Country practice & meet schedule).

**IMPORTANT** - Runners must attend at least 1 practice per week to be eligible to run in Sunday's meet. Please note, participation in the Sunday meets is expected.  Cross Country is a team sport and the ability to score points in meets requires athlete participation. Registration for this program should not be utilized solely as conditioning for another sport.

Once we have registrations completed, we will create a TeamSnap and use that for official communications. We always need volunteers, high-school helpers, and additional coaches.