PDFE #1

For my first Field Development Experience, I visited my high school to observe their cross country practice. I went to Paulding County High School, where I ran cross country for 4 years, so I thought it would be interesting to see how the team is doing. The coach said that most of the runners were fairly new…sophomores and freshman, with a few upperclassmen. The team was doing speed work the day I visited, so they were working out on the track. It has been a very hot and humid summer, so I was interested to see how the younger runners would cope with the heat.
Anytime you are doing a physical activity in the heat like the runners were, there are always going to be health risks like dehydration, heat exhaustion, etc. The only thing the coach could really do to be prepared for an emergency due to the intense heat would be to ask the runners to drink a lot of water throughout the school day, and have a trainer there in case an emergency was to occur. He also said that on days where they are running out in the woods, he has them run in pairs so that if something was to happen, the partner could run to get help. I think that all the runners, especially the younger ones, are enhancing their movement skills. When you do speed work activities, it tests your running techniques even more so than distance activities do because the runners are used to distance, not necessarily faster paced running for shorter distances. The mileage is the same as if they were doing a long run, but it was broken up into timed laps on the track. The students are actively engaged in the activity, and the activities are developmentally appropriate for the high school students because the mileage is low…not near what it would be on a college level. They are only running about 30 miles a week compared to the 60 that most college students run a week. The coach also did a good job modifying the activities for the runners he knew needed a little help. I would have made the same modifications that the coach made by having the less experienced runners do less mileage than the older runners until they got used to running longer distances. As far as enjoying the activity goes, cross country is a voluntary sport. No runner is forced to come out for the team, so I would say that they all enjoy being a part of a team and running every afternoon. But, on days like the one I came to observe, you could see the exhaustion in some of the runners faces which doesn’t necessarily look enjoyable. I really enjoyed going to see my old coach and seeing how the team was doing. I think that they are going to have a very good season, and a great next couple of years because all the young runners are going to have plenty of time to improve.