Hello everyone!

On Monday, June 9th @ 6 AM- Sioux Park, we'll begin the 2025 Cross Country season.

I love the start of each new season. It's exciting to see kids set new goals, be more committed and work harder than ever before. Additionally, we'll get to meet all of the new Runnin' Raiders just embarking on their running career at Stevens. It's awesome!

#1 Sign-Up

• If you have not, please sign up for the 2025 season. Everyone, regardless of whether of not you've been on the team before, needs to do this ASAP!

  • Students, I want YOU to fill this out, as there are some goal questions that I want you to answer.

  • 2025 Cross Country sign up

#2 Pound the Stone

So, what's our team about?

"Pound the Stone". You will hear this phrase all of the time. We even have a weekly award during the season that the seniors present called the "Pound the Stone Award".

The phrase "Pound the Stone" is famously associated with Jacob Riis, and is a metaphor for persistence and unwavering effort and commitment even when immediate results are not apparent.  It's about valuing the process over things we can't control like outcomes and results.

Here's the full quote: "When nothing seems to help, I go back and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it — but all that had gone before".  Jacob Riis

Over the years, the seniors have REPEATEDLY talked about the following values when describing the person they select:

• Showing up.

• Working hard

• Doing the right thing

Magically, when you put all of these together, you have what being a good teammate is all about!

Thus, our team expectations are simple and if you can answer "yes" to these these things, you're being a great teammate.

1. Show up.

2. Work hard.

3. Do the right thing.

Week #1 (June 9-15)

• If you ran at the state track meet, you don't need to come to the first week.

  • If you need a full two weeks off, join us next Monday (June 16th)

  • If you are feeling ready (physically and mentally), go ahead and start some 30' runs on Wednesday. That would be 10 days off. However, sleep in and just do these OYO. Any pace works.

• EVERYONE ELSE.

  • MONDAY, JUNE 9th- 6 AM @ Sioux Park.

    • This first week, we will just meet Mon-Thu at 6 AM. Friday and Saturday will be OYO.

    • We'll meet on the turf the track.

    • Be on time as we have kids that have to get to work; hence why we start early in the AM.

    • Week #1 will be mostly about getting to learn/re-learn all of the different routines we do AND getting to know all of you.

      • We'll run a little bit, but that won't be the primary focus of this first week.

    • We'll meet as a whole group for the first week, but then after that, Coach Ben will take the JV crew and I will take the Varsity crew. I really want to maximize Coach Ben's experience and expertise and giving him a group to coach is the best way to do this.

      • I'll get these bios updated, but here is some more information on the coaches

        • Coach Coy (Head Coach)

        • Coach Ben (Assistant Coach)

Please let me know if you have any questions! I can't wait to see everyone and get this season started.

Coach Coy

coachjessecoy@gmail.com