Salina South

Cross Country Cougars!

Welcome!

You are now a member of the COUGAR CROSS COUNTRY SQUAD!! this program is by far the most successful at SOUTH HIGH. We have won more league championships (14), regional trophies (22) and state trophies (10) than any other actitivity at SOUTH. We are proud of this fact and we know what got us there: Hard work and sacrifice. To that end, this webpage has been prepared to help you become a better runner and athlete, but YOU are the one who has to do the running, sacrificing, and suffer the pain in order to be the best you can be. There will be times in which we will fell discouraged and you may even feel as though you want to quit. In cross country you can not rely on anyone but yourself to do the job that needs to be done. You will have to learn to rely on yourself. By the same token, no one can hold you back. No matter how the team does, you can still achieve your potential.

Anticipations for 1999

As your coach I have gone through last year's results from every meet including the STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. I also listen to as many coaches as I can around the state and find out what other teams will be losing to graduation and how certain runners did in track. I also pull my files from the past decade to see what it takes to achieve various goals.

Yet, all of the scouting in the world is futile if we don't take care of SALINA SOUTH. If we don't do the work, no matter what happens to other schools we won't be in a position to challenge them. That has never happened to our squad at SALINA SOUTH. We anticipate that we will be in as good of shape as any team in the state of kansas. No one will outwork us.

On the girls' side we have everyone coming back from the team that won the league championship and earned a state trophy last season. This includes two athletes who were All-State and a third who just barely missed it. However, with the addition of new athletes and our very strong "B' squad from last fall, we can be even better this year. No one on last year's "A" team has their position sewn up with the competition we have. Another league championship, a regional trophy, and another state berth is obtainable. I know they want all three!

For the boys, they lost an All-State athlete, their team leader, an outstanding freshman and another athlete to academics. For many schools this might be devastating. Fortunately we have had several boys step up their efforts this summer and the coaches are excited. We will surprise a lot of schools because they won't be expecting us to be a front-pack team. We would rather have some inexperience on one hand, but plenty of heart on the other than the other way around. There are two, perhaps three, boys who can visualize being All-State. What we need is the leaders to step forward and find the others to move up the pack.

"Nobody wants to be mediocre. The mediocre are the top of the bottom, or the best of the worst. Don't be mediocre! It's a dirty word in my opinion."

---Steve Prefontaine

Expectations

As a coach I feel you should know what you can expect from the coaching staff and what I must expect from you.

As a coach of the COUGARS, you will expect the following from myself and our staff:

1.

   To give you 100% of my knowledge and effort in helping you develop to the maximum of your God-given talent and ability in cross country and other goals in your life.

2.

   To give you workouts that will push you to a CHAMPIONSHIP level of conditioning. I pledge that you might get beat by someone because he has more talent than you, but you will NEVER get beat by someone because he is in better shape than you.

3.

   Even though some coaches are more experienced than I am and have more knowledge than I do, I pledge that NO COACH WILL WORK HARDER THAN I WILL. This website, the booklet, workouts, attention to detail and weekly Cougar Challenge that we publish is a testament to this goal.

We take these three expectations very seriously. Some of you know how hard our coaches work at this sport and the sacrifices we make for this program. We want you to succeed to your highest level -- That is what we expect.

In return, the coaches expect from you as a member of the COUGARS:

1.

   To make a 100% commitment to the team in practice and in the classroom.

2.

   To work, sacrifice and train so you can develop to the utmost of your GOD-given ability. this you owe to yourself, not to anyone else.

3.

   To help and encourage your teammates so that they may develop to their GOD-given ability. You may not like someone on the team; that happens sometimes. Never cause dissension by belittling a teammate. We are a team -- we will win as a team or lose as a team. Don't let personal differences get in your way.

4.

   To represent yourself, your family, your faith and finally the COUGARS with dignity and honor both on and off the field.

GOOD LUCK CHAMPIONS!!!

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