Who is ready for Cross Country! The 2016 XC Season is right around the corner!
The Ultimate Speed Academy’s St. Charles XC practice location will begin practicing on Tuesday, September 6th. The practice schedule will change slightly week to week based on my schedule however all practices will be held 2 to 3 times per week Monday through Thursday – there will not be Friday or weekend practices – just please read the weekly updates for days/times/locations. We will also be changing times and locations throughout the season in order to work on different phases of training and to account for earlier sunsets/time change so please be flexible, thank you. Our practices will start at Blanchette Park – you can plan on practices moving to Fort Zumwalt North High School and then to Dames Park as the season progresses. These changes will be communicated in the weekly update emails.
Week 1 – Practice Schedule
Tuesday Sept. 6th – 6:30 pm at Blanchette Park
Wednesday Sept. 7th – 6:30 pm at Blanchette Park
Blanchette Park
1900 West Randolph Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
Practices will run until 7:30 pm to 7:45 pm depending on the workout for that evening.
Most weeks I am offering 3 practices per week (there are a few that will only have 2) in an effort to provide more options based on homework/school activities/other fall sports – I hope this gives your athlete the ability to attend more practices. The goal is that your athlete attends at least 2 of the scheduled practices to maximize progress for the 2016 season. Even if your athlete does not plan on competing in any of the cross country meets they are still welcomed and encouraged to attend practices to maintain a strong base coming off of track season or to start to develop their stamina and endurance if they are new to running.
As it relates to practice – your athlete should be prepared with the following: proper running attire (no shorts), plenty of water, and a yoga mat or towel for core workouts. They also need to be prepared to give max effort, have fun, and to support their teammates. We will practice rain, snow, or shine – we need to be prepared for all conditions. If practice is cancelled, due to severe weather, the cancellation will be communicated on our website at least 1 hour prior to the start of practice.
Please share this information with anyone who is interested in joining The Ultimate Speed Academy – XC is the perfect environment for new athletes to get exposure to our program at a comfortable/more relaxed pace. There are no tryouts for XC and we welcome all athletes.
I have also included a schedule of organized 5K road races that I will be attending with Tyler and Casey prior to the start of our scheduled meets – your participation in these events is not mandatory however those that attended last year had a great time. I hope a few can attend so we can proudly represent USA to the broader running community. I have attempted to find races that offer different days (Sat. and Sun.) and, where possible, those that benefit good causes so these races can be a positive teaching moment for our athletes as well. For those races that do benefit a great cause, I would highly encourage you to share with your athlete what they are running for and what the registration fee benefited. You can register for these 5Ks easily by visiting the Fleet Feet race calendar on their website.
Sunday, September 11th – Patriot Day Run – O’Fallon @ 8 am
Saturday, September 17th – Hope 4 Tomorrow – Cottleville @ 8:30 am
Sunday, September 25th – St. Charles Oktoberfest – St. Charles @ 8:30 am
Saturday, October 1st – Stroll For A Goal – Cottleville @ 9:00 am
Saturday, October 8th – O’Fallon Fall Fest – O’Fallon @ 7:00 am
The XC meet schedule will be finalized at a meeting at the end of August and will be communicated at that time.
2016 AAU Nationals take place on December the 3rd in Tallahassee, FL. USA sent 4 athletes to Nationals last year in Alabama and brought home 4 medals and 4 All-Americans- a clean sweep! I would love to see more athletes attend and succeed at this year’s championships!
If you have any questions at all or if any prospective families want to reach out to me directly you/they can do so by email at cubeezandy@yahoo.com. I am more than happy to spend as much time needed to make sure families are up to speed regarding our program.
Looking forward to another great XC Season!
Coach Craig Anderson
