With most high school cross country teams’ schedules now complete and observing the varying protocols per site/school, we believe it is important to remember the title of this post…AT LEAST THE KIDS CAN RACE!!! Comparing the schedule to a traditional year, it is a stark contrast with NO invitationals and mostly regional competition. Most meets are dual or tri-meets only (2-3 teams). We totally understand and support this. Most school campuses right now are protective of their specific area focusing everything on staying open. Better to continue to progress towards making social distancing habitual on smaller scales prior to progressing to larger scales. But, unlike last spring, at least the kids can race!
Extending this thinking, a number of high schools are asking for visiting teams’ parents and spectators to stay home and not attend. We continue to understand this based on geographical location and a campus’s ability to properly social distancing. So if your team is scheduled to travel to a school which is asking visiting teams’ spectators to not attend, DON’T GO!!! Simply stated, if people in general cannot properly social distance, the meet will not happen, or be shut down midway through. Support the schools’ request because by doing so, at least the kids can race!!!
Many schools are allowing spectators, and requiring masks. As parents we sacrifice a lot for our kids. Wearing a mask is not at the top of the list. Again respect the wishes of our schools and communities because the alternative is no racing!!! At least the kids can race!!!
Again extending this thinking, the state meets, both Divisional and Meet of Champions, as of right now, are to go on as 
scheduled regarding their dates and sites, but will also look very different. Both meets will not have spectators at this point. Teams will be limited to 8 per squad (16 total for a school) and 2 coaches (4 total for a school). As with other meets, the races will have wave starts. To avoid gatherings, there will not be an awards ceremony or concession stand. Teams will have to be efficient and exit by a deadline to clear the site for the next division.
These are all changes to the norm, but the alternative is simply the events get canceled. The student-athletes have lost enough opportunities over the past 6 to what will be 9 months, from the cancellation of the entire spring season (think of juniors, now seniors) to lost invitationals, and most likely cancellation of the entire post season from New Englands to Nike Nationals, etc. Continuing the positive approach of focusing on what we can accomplish during this pandemic, AT LEAST THE KIDS CAN RACE!!!
To help with motivation to stay home as spectators, newhampshirecrosscountry.com will be out in force covering as many meets as possible. From race videos to livestreams to pics to social distanced interviews, our aim is to bring the events to you. Our correspondents around the state will be uploading videos to our YouTube channel as well as pics! Coaches will be submitting results, and we will be posting!!! We are in this together! Most important as always is the kids. At least they can race!!!
2 Responses
We’re preparing to host Keene this Friday and have not put restrictions on spectators, but alas, as cross country is not one of our schools bigger sports (even if we tend to be the most successful) we do not anticipate many spectators. As our course is ripe for viewing, allowing for spreading out and social distancing while still seeing the action, we anticipate we can support spectators for all our meets. However if it seems having spectators might jeopardize our season we would have no hesitation in implementing a no spectator policy. As the theme of this post says, at least they can race!
Good article. Nicely done.