AUGUST 2009

Elementary School and Middle School Cross Country Parents and Athletes,

 Thank you for your interest in Elementary School - Middle Schools Cross Country.  Elementary and Middle Schools Cross Country in this area is a sport supported and managed by the Knoxville Track Club Youth Athletics Program and is not a sanctioned sport in the Knox County School System.   It is open to all individuals and schools (public or private) in the East Tennessee Area.  Home schooled athletes are also encouraged to participate. The Elementary School Program guidelines will be similar to the guidelines set forth for the Middle School Program.  The following page will give you the basic information to get started.  For further information, name of the coach for your school, to see if your school has a program or to start a cross country program in your school or are please contact:

Marty Sonnenfeldt
Knoxville Track Club
Youth Athletics Director
865-406-4128
865-470-2486 fx
TennRunner@Aol.com

Please Note that there will be a link off the Middle / Elementary Schools Cross Country Page that will direct you to all the information you will need.  Please check it regularly thru the season.

Important Web Links

Main ES/MS Cross Country Page:    http://www.ktcyouthathletics.org/elemiddleschcrossctry.html

Tennessee State MS Cross Country Championships: http://www.ktcyouthathletics.org/tnstatemsccchampionship.html

Volunteer Cross Country Invite:

http://www.ktcyouthathletics.org/volcrosscountryinvite.html

KTC AAU / Footlocker Cross Country Program

http://www.ktcyouthathletics.org/aaufootlockercrossctry.html

 Eligibility

Open to all boys and girls of Middle school age (grades 6, 7, 8) or Elementary School Age (grades 3,4,5).  Open to all public, private schools and homeschooled athletes.  Middle School athletes must compete in at least one regular season meet in order to be part of your roster for the championship meet.  Home schoolers and or individuals who do not have schools participating may compete but only as a part of a school team closest to their normal public school zone.   In elementary school competition home schoolers may participate as individuals not attached to a team.

Distances Run

Middle School - 2 miles for both Boys and Girls / Elementary School - 1 Mile

Practice Times

These times are at your discretion.  We recommend that you practice a minimum of 2-3 times a week in order to fully prepare the kids to complete a 2 mile (or 1mile for Elementary) course comfortably.  Your initial goal should be to promote positive fitness goals with performance issues taking a back seat to participation. 

KTC Weekend Group Runs

Optional weekend (Sunday) group runs will be held each week starting September 6, 2009. A schedule of these runs are available on the main ES / MS Page. All individuals and teams and parents are encouraged to come out for an easy run on the courses that you will run the following Tuesday. This is a great way to preview the course while getting out with your teamates and parents to enjoy a healthy run. All group runs are lead by program director Marty Sonnenfeldt. Fluids are the responsibility of the individual athlete.

Insurance

Practice and Meet Insurance coverage provided through the USATF (USA Track and Field)  our sports governing body.  Individual accident medical coverage (pays as overage to primary parent coverage) is provided as part of Registration Fee.

Costs

$ 13.00 per athlete for the entire season (one meet or all 5) – Made payable to Knoxville Track Club and due at the first meet when you pick up your bib numbers. If you require a receipt for your meet entries please email TennRunner@Aol.com with your request prior to the first meet.  For those athletes who are not able to afford the program costs a fee waiver may be granted.  Please contact the program director for details. The program fee will cover the following operational costs:

• Security for all meets
• Porta-Johns
• Course Preparation - marking
• Practice Insurance for athletes
• Event insurance and liability insurance for coaches
• Invidual accident medical coverage for the athlete
• Bib numbers and pins
• Awards
• Fluids and cups at meets
• Office supplies
• Course supplies – Marking / Flagging / Finish line
• PA System at Championship Meet

Meets

Held every Tuesday starting September 8, 2009 and ending with the MC Championship Meet 10/6/09.  Five meets total.  Elementary School Meets will start as per the listed meet schedule.  All Middle School Meets will start one hour prior to the start of the MS races.  Please allow for ample time to get to the meet site and for parking.  If at all possible try to car pool so that we can keep parking problems to a minimum.  Plan for meets to be over by 8:30 PM.  Concessions will be available at all meets and the official program shirt will be on sale at each meet for $15.00.  Please encourage your kids to pick one up – all proceeds go toward keeping our costs to a minimum.

ES / MS SCHEDULE  - Please note all Elementary Meets will start one hour prior to the listed MS Meets at the same locations as the Middle School Meets.

Volunteer Cross Country Invite – 9/26 and State MS Championships - 10/24 require separate entry fee.

Volunteer Cross Country Classic – 9/26/09

The 2009 Volunteer Cross Country Classic is a separate meet run in addition to the ES/MS Cross Country Schedule.  This meet brings together 1100 Middle School / High School and Collegiate runners from 10 states to compete at Victor Ashe Park.  Separate entry fee and online entry required.  For meet information click on the following link: VCCI

KTC / Tennesseerunner.com – Tennessee State Middle School Cross Country Championships – 10/24/09

Be a part of a first for the state of Tennessee when KTC and Tennesseerunner.com host the State Middle School Cross Country Championships held at Victor Ashe Park.  Join other Middle School runners from across the state to vie for a state title.  In order to qualify for the state meet your team must place in the top 5 (or have placed in the top 25 individually) in the Area MS Championships held at Victor Ashe Park 10/6/09.  Open Elementary races will also be available.  For further information please visit: Tennessee State Championships

KTC's Footlocker / AAU Cross Country Program

 At the conclusion of the Middle School Cross Country Program participants who are interested may continue their Cross Country experience by taking part in KTC's Footlocker / AAU Cross Country Program.  Starting October 27 boys and girls ages 8-18 will practice 3-5 x week at one of six tentative practice sites.  West - Farragut MS,  Hardin Valley Academy (High School athletes only), Northwest - Victor Ashe Park, South – South Doyle HS,  Hamblin County - Panther Creek Park, Oak Ridge -  Oak Ridge High School.  The Knoxville Track Club Team will compete in three races leading up to the AAU National Cross Country Championships.  For final practice locations, times and registration forms please click the following link: Footlocker / AAU Cross Country Program or call Marty Sonnenfeldt @ 865-460-2486.

Course Descriptions / Printed Directions

Victor Ashe Park

Course Map

The course will start and finish on the soccer fields just below the concession stands and rest rooms. Course boundaries will be mowed-in by the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department and most of last years dirt paths are covered in mulch.  A 10 meter path has been laid out through all wooded areas.  Wide open starting area with a flat start.  Course will be rolling.  Parking is excellent since we will be using over 300 parking spaces that will be part of the soccer complex at the park.  Rest rooms will be available at the park concession area.  The park is located adjacent to Badget Field access to the park will be off of Bradshaw road and not Badget Field.   Directions:  Off of I-640 take the Western Ave. exit.  Follow Western Ave West (towards Oak Ridge ) .3 miles to Ballcamp Pike - take a right at the light by Wendy's Restaurant and follow Ball Camp to Bradshaw Rd.  Take a right onto Bradshaw and follow 1 mile to the entrance to the park on left.  Bear left when entering park to the XC parking area, please follow parking instructions given by security officers.

Cove Lake State Park

Course Maps (Revised 9/11/09 - Middle School  PDF / JPEG Elementary School  PDF / JPEG

New for 2009 the Cove Lake State Park course has been used annually for high school cross country meets as well as a local summer road race.  The MS course is mostly grass and rolling. There is an exterior and an interior loop.   There are 3-4 paved bike path cross overs and a concrete bridge crossing of about 40 meters. Some may want to stick with non-spiked shoes. The ES course is a single grass loop mostly flat.  Both races start in the open field below the resturaunt and finish in the outfield of the softball field.  Directions:  Take I-75 North (from Knoxville) to exit 134 (for 25W).  Bear right off exit and proceed on 25W past stoplight for .8 mile, the entrance to the park will be on your left.  Please follow security and parking volunteer instructions once in the park.  

Melton Hill Dam

Course Map

Used frequently of the past 10-12 years for HS meets.  2005 marked the first time we used this venue for our MS/EL meet.   This venue is located in Oak Ridge. The course is a loop course with one major hill going out on the course.  Surface is predominantly grass. Directions: Take I-40 W past the I-40 / I-75 split to exit 364.  At the end of the exit ramp take a right and follow Rt 95 towards Oak Ridge for 1-2 miles and take the first entrance into Melton Hill Dam follow for ½ mile to signs for parking.

Hardin Valley Academy  

Course Map                                                                                          

New for 2009 the Hardin Valley Academy course replaces the Melton Hill Park course. The course provides ample challenges as compared to Melton Hill Park but with superior parking and logistics. Porta-Johns will be on site. I would rate this course as moderately hilly Course boundaries will be mowed-in with flagging at turns. Directions (from I-40W): Take Pellissippi Parkway to the Hardin Valley Rd. Exit. - Left off exit onto Hardin Valley Rd. Follow Hardin Valley (west) to Hardin Valley Academy which will be on your right hand side. The course is situated behind the school. Parking for coaches and buses will be at the back of the school while spectators must park in the upper parking lots.