Cross Country Information
Cross Country Practice
Practices will be MWF at 5:30 until about 6:30 or 6:45. Please check with the coaches for the practice locations.
Trail runs will be at 5:30 on Sundays at different locations each week.
Practices will be MWF at 5:30 until about 6:30 or 6:45. Please check with the coaches for the practice locations.
Trail runs will be at 5:30 on Sundays at different locations each week.
2024 Meet Schedule (tentative)
- Sept. 20 – Meet #1, location TBD
- Sept. 27 – Meet #2, Oak Hill Park, Danville
- Oct. 4 – Relay Meet, Oak Hill Park, Danville
- Oct. 11 – Meet #3, Shadow Cliffs Park, Pleasanton
- Oct. 18 – Diocese Championship, location TBD
Forms
COVID Form
Permission Form
Concussion Form
Code of Conduct
Photography Permission Form
Volunteering Handout
COVID Form
Permission Form
Concussion Form
Code of Conduct
Photography Permission Form
Volunteering Handout
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can compete for the St. Michael / St. Charles CYO cross country team?
The team is open to all children in grades K-8 that live in Livermore. In addition, it is open to those children that attend St. Michael Parish, St. Charles Parish, or St. Michael School.
When/where are practices?
Practices are held at parks around Livermore, generally at 5:30 pm. Since the location changes from year to year and, sometimes, week to week, check the most recent email from the coach for up-to-date info.
How are trail runs different from regular practices?
Rather than being based in one place in a park, trail runs will generally involve a run into a larger park such as Sycamore Grove or Shadow Cliffs. We will generally regroup along the way occasionally. Because the group can become spread out, we need extra parents to run, walk, or bike ride with us.
When/where are meets?
In recent years, meets have been held at Crown Beach in Alameda, Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, Oak Hill Park in Danville, and Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton. Meet locations may change, so check the schedule for the current season. The season usually consists of five meets held on Friday evenings; they are usually scheduled from mid-September through mid-October, with the last meet being the Diocese championship.
How long are races?
Grades K-2 typically run a course that is about 0.5 mile long, while the rest of the grades normally do about a mile.
What are the courses like?
The courses normally consist of dirt or grass areas of local parks, though there might be short sections that are paved. Some courses are flat (e.g. Crown Beach) while others are quite hilly (Oak Hill).
How does the start work at meets?
For the larger meets, usually the first and last meets of the season, the field can be quite large. To make the start safer, athletes will be placed on multiple starting lines. The coaches will assign the St. Michael / St. Charles runners to a line based on their expected finish order: the fastest running in the first line, second fastest on the second line, etc. This assignment is based on past race and practice performance, but coaches are not perfect and may get it wrong!
What is the order of events?
There are three grade groups: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Younger grades run first, and the girls’ race is usually before the boys’ race. Sometimes, K-2 girls and boys will run together, though they will receive awards separately.
How are meets scored?
Cross country meets are scored by the sum of the placings of the top runners, with a lower score being better. CYO meets score the top three runners, while in high school, college, etc. the top five score. Thus, if a team’s top three runners place 3, 6, and 10, the team’s score would be 19. Ties are broken based on the placing of the fourth runner.
How does the relay meet work?
This page isn't really big enough to describe the chaos that is the relay meet.
How many practices does my child need to attend?
There are no specific requirements for practice attendance, though we recommend that kids attend at least two practices a week so that they see improvement. We recognize, though, that kids and families can be busy with lots of activities going on.
Can my child do cross country and other sports or activities?
Yes, many kids successfully participate in CYO CC along with soccer, baseball, swim team, scouts, clubs, etc. Many find that their other sports are improved by the running training in cross country.
My child wants to improve. How can I help them get better?
That's great! The approach should be based on the child's age and interest level, but encouraging them to be active year round and, especially over the summer is a great start. They can also run on their own or with parents or older siblings to prepare for the season. During the season, they should attend as many practices as possible, and running on their own might be appropriate. Please discuss this with the coaches if you need more help.
How can parents help?
We always need help coaching and running practice - no experience necessary! Most of coaching is herding cats when you're dealing with elementary age students, so the more parents the better. For our trail runs, we also need parents to run, walk, or ride the course with us since the group gets spread out.
We also need parents to help with meets practices. Often, this involves helping with the finish line, though there are sometimes other tasks as well.
What shoes and clothing should my child wear?
What else should my child bring to practices?
My child has pain while running?
My child doesn’t seem interested in cross country or running. What should I do?
Who can compete for the St. Michael / St. Charles CYO cross country team?
The team is open to all children in grades K-8 that live in Livermore. In addition, it is open to those children that attend St. Michael Parish, St. Charles Parish, or St. Michael School.
When/where are practices?
Practices are held at parks around Livermore, generally at 5:30 pm. Since the location changes from year to year and, sometimes, week to week, check the most recent email from the coach for up-to-date info.
How are trail runs different from regular practices?
Rather than being based in one place in a park, trail runs will generally involve a run into a larger park such as Sycamore Grove or Shadow Cliffs. We will generally regroup along the way occasionally. Because the group can become spread out, we need extra parents to run, walk, or bike ride with us.
When/where are meets?
In recent years, meets have been held at Crown Beach in Alameda, Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, Oak Hill Park in Danville, and Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton. Meet locations may change, so check the schedule for the current season. The season usually consists of five meets held on Friday evenings; they are usually scheduled from mid-September through mid-October, with the last meet being the Diocese championship.
How long are races?
Grades K-2 typically run a course that is about 0.5 mile long, while the rest of the grades normally do about a mile.
What are the courses like?
The courses normally consist of dirt or grass areas of local parks, though there might be short sections that are paved. Some courses are flat (e.g. Crown Beach) while others are quite hilly (Oak Hill).
How does the start work at meets?
For the larger meets, usually the first and last meets of the season, the field can be quite large. To make the start safer, athletes will be placed on multiple starting lines. The coaches will assign the St. Michael / St. Charles runners to a line based on their expected finish order: the fastest running in the first line, second fastest on the second line, etc. This assignment is based on past race and practice performance, but coaches are not perfect and may get it wrong!
What is the order of events?
There are three grade groups: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Younger grades run first, and the girls’ race is usually before the boys’ race. Sometimes, K-2 girls and boys will run together, though they will receive awards separately.
How are meets scored?
Cross country meets are scored by the sum of the placings of the top runners, with a lower score being better. CYO meets score the top three runners, while in high school, college, etc. the top five score. Thus, if a team’s top three runners place 3, 6, and 10, the team’s score would be 19. Ties are broken based on the placing of the fourth runner.
How does the relay meet work?
This page isn't really big enough to describe the chaos that is the relay meet.
How many practices does my child need to attend?
There are no specific requirements for practice attendance, though we recommend that kids attend at least two practices a week so that they see improvement. We recognize, though, that kids and families can be busy with lots of activities going on.
Can my child do cross country and other sports or activities?
Yes, many kids successfully participate in CYO CC along with soccer, baseball, swim team, scouts, clubs, etc. Many find that their other sports are improved by the running training in cross country.
My child wants to improve. How can I help them get better?
That's great! The approach should be based on the child's age and interest level, but encouraging them to be active year round and, especially over the summer is a great start. They can also run on their own or with parents or older siblings to prepare for the season. During the season, they should attend as many practices as possible, and running on their own might be appropriate. Please discuss this with the coaches if you need more help.
How can parents help?
We always need help coaching and running practice - no experience necessary! Most of coaching is herding cats when you're dealing with elementary age students, so the more parents the better. For our trail runs, we also need parents to run, walk, or ride the course with us since the group gets spread out.
We also need parents to help with meets practices. Often, this involves helping with the finish line, though there are sometimes other tasks as well.
What shoes and clothing should my child wear?
What else should my child bring to practices?
My child has pain while running?
My child doesn’t seem interested in cross country or running. What should I do?
