Get your running shoes ready... Fall 2019 Cross Country Registration is open!!!
St. Joe’s cross country is K-8 grade
Practice starts first week of August and goes to mid October. Usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
7-8 meets Sunday afternoon 2-4ish
meets are at local 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 mile
Races avg 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.
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 soccer, lacrosse and winter sports.
Kids have played soccer and lacrosse concurrently.
***UPDATED*** 23 July 2019:Hello Parents and Runners:
It's hard to believe that the summer is flying by so quickly! XC is almost here. We're going to start practice on Tuesday, 8/6/19. I'm going to talk with the other coaches about whether we'll begin practice at St. Joe's or at Wehr Mill Park. In prior years, we have practiced for 2 weeks at the park, and then moved to St. Joe's. Either way, we're going to practice on the same schedule that we have over the last few years -- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday -- 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The Wednesday practice is optional for kids K - 2.
At practice, we'll generally have the kids run in groups according to their ability. Kids will generally move around in groups depending upon how they improve. There are no tryouts. Everyone runs in the races. Practice attendance is not mandatory, but obviously how well the kids run on race day is dependent upon regular practice attendance. Race distance for K - 2 is 1/2 mile, for 3 - 4 is 1 mile; for 5 - 6 is 1.5 miles, and for 7 - 8 is 2 miles.
If you haven't already done so, you need to sign your kids up on the Blue Sombrero website. If you want to be an assistant coach, please indicate so when you sign up. Please also send an EM to me. My EM address is
[email protected]. There are a number of background checks and other things coaches need to do, and the sooner you start working on those things the better. The more the better. Also, if you can't be an assistant coach, but still want to run with the kids, indicate so when you sign up. The more parent runners the better for safety reasons. Plus, it's good for you! If you don't want to run, biking with the kids is great as well. The more eyes the better.
Tom McDonald will set up the Team Snap site as soon as the registration period closes. Once Team Snap is set up, I'll send an EM to let everyone know. All coordinating -- practices, meets, etc., are set up through Team Snap.
If there's thunder / lightening or heavy rain -- no practice or meets. Just rain -- we run -- practice and meets.
Very light eating / drinking before practice or meets. Nothing heavy. Please have your child bring water to practice and meets.
Meets are on Sundays beginning at 2:15 pm. Directions will be on Team Snap. We don't have a final schedule yet, but that will be coming.
I'm looking forward to a good time and a lot of fun running!
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thank you!
Jon Deisher
Directions to Wehr Mill Park: take 309 N to Lime Kiln Road. Take a right ( at the Burger King and Orefield middle school on north 309, left if coming south) on Lime Kiln and then take a right on Wehr Mill Road. Cross over the covered bridge and take the left into the park. We meet at the back of the lot by the white fence.