Practices: Athletes are expected at practice unless a coach has been notified ahead of time. We need to know where our athletes are. If an athlete is at school and fails to show for practice with no explanation we do not know if the parent is aware of where they are. We will practice Mondays through Friday until school starts and thereafter we will usually practice Monday through Thursday. Athletes must do their assigned runs on weekends. Three unexcused absences (ones the coaches do not know about ahead of time or that are unapproved) will result in dismissal from the team. Students should meet at the Visitor's Center of Montpelier for practice, except on Monday's when they should meet on front steps of the Hornets Sports Center Field House. Students can go inside to use restrooms, get water or use locker rooms, but otherwise should be nowhere else without the coaches' permission.
Athletes must be honest with coaches about injuries.
Athletes should only run the route you've been instructed to run by your coaches. If you run a different route we cannot locate you.
Athletes should run the mileages the coaches assign. There is never a reason to run more. Obviously you should cut a run short if you are injured or become ill.
Your safety is the most important thing. Obey all traffic laws. Yield to horses.
It is expected that athletes practice with total effort and never "dog it." Always run the pace your coach suggests. Different paces accomplish different things for your body's overall running fitness. Often athletes think they will get better by running every run like it's a race, but this is not true. By doing this you can defeat the purpose of the run. Running slower than the suggested pace, however, will do very little to make you better.
Always encourage other runners on the team. Making fun of another athlete or any type of hazing or bullying will be cause for dismissal from team. All athletes are different and we need to celebrate personal goals achieved by all runners.
No romances allowed at practice. If your boyfriend or girlfriend is on the team no one should be able to tell by watching your behavior. This is a bigger drain on team morale than you might expect.
Use clean language.
We need to wear proper attire. Everyone should have on shirts. Running attire is small and light-weight, but practice is not a trip to the beach. As the temperature cools through the fall, please bring layers you can put on and take off. You might not need a jacket when running, but you'll want one once you cool down.
If you have to miss a practice make every effort to run the workout on your own. All workouts are posted on this page.
Drink lots of water throughout the day, do not wait until practice.
An activity bus leaves the school at 6:08 p.m. If you are riding the bus you are expected to stay with a coach until then. If you are not riding the bus you should stay with a coach until your ride arrives.