Tryout Information for Patriot XC 2021

Start Date: Monday, Feb. 15
Venue: Patriot HS Track
Time: 4-5:30pm

Documents needed:

• Physical dated May 1, 2020 or later
• Concussion training
• SWOL Signup (see Team Files)
• Blue Emergency Card (by Monday, Feb. 15) - link in Team Files
• Documents should be turned into the Patriot front office

COVID Screenings

• Athletes must complete a daily COVID screening using the SWOL platform (directions linked above) by 2pm. This must be completed by 2pm in order for you to train each day!
• This will be subject to change on meet days where we compete before 2pm

Remind App

• Please join the Patriot XC 2021 Remind page
  • Download Remind and type in the following join code: @792had2
• This is where immediate updates to training/meets will be posted

What to Wear

• This XC season will be COLD at the start. You should always come to practice with a jacket and sweatpants (as well as gloves and hat), as you can always take things off if you get too warm.
• You should invest in a good pair of running shoes - we will be running a lot
  • Shoes are the tools of the trade! Good ones will help you stay healthy and reduce injury risk
• Hydration/Nutrition - you must bring your own water/hydration to training, and cannot share with others
• Masks - you MUST wear a mask to training. It would be smart to have both a cloth one and some disposable surgical masks, as the surgical masks are easier to run in.

Non mandatory practices will be held at the Patriot High School stadium on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-7:30am beginning September 15th. Athletes are reminded that Sportswear Online (SWOL) certification is required each morning before you show up at practice. Additionally, each athlete is required to bring hydration and a cloth mask. At this point in time all of you who are planning to attend practices at PTHS should have turned in your current physical and certificate of concussion training. The head coach is required to check your SWOL status and to ensure you have the required hydration and mask every morning before you are allowed to practice with the team.

Parents are reminded that we are required to have the athletes back in their cars by 7:30 and no loitering around the campus will be allowed. This is to facilitate their return to the start of classes by 8:00.

Coach Lee and I are looking forward to seeing you all again. Please be patient with us as we work through all these new procedures.

Prince William County Schools has announced that in-person coaching can begin on September 10th under strict guidelines. Coaches are allowed to be with their teams only two days a week for conditioning. We will provide workouts for you to do on your own for the other days of the week. We are tentatively planning on conducting practices at the Patriot High School track twice a week from 4:00 to 5:30 along with the track team. Fifteen minutes are being allowed for checking you in and another fifteen minutes is being allocated to releasing you back to your cars, leaving 60 minutes for your conditioning. These workouts are strictly voluntary and no one is going to be coerced into participating. The team has to be broken into groups of 10 (pods) who will practice together while maintaining 6 feet of separation from everyone in the pod at all times. If you need to carpool with someone else, you will be assigned to the same pod.

It's also possible to do early morning workouts but they would have to be finished and everyone out of the track before 7:30 so you can be home in time for school to start. If you're interested in training
beginning at 6:00 AM let us know so we can see if there is enough interest to get a pod together.

Rules:
1) Every day your parent must certify online before noon that you do not have COVID symptoms before you arrive at practice.
2) You must bring a cloth mask and 32 ounces of hydration with you to every practice.
3) When you arrive at the field you are to stay in your car until your coach has checked that you have certified your health online and you have your mask and hydration. At that point you can park your car and
enter the track.
4) You are not allowed to intermingle with the other pods
5) No equipment will be allowed and sharing of hydration is prohibited
6) At the end of practice you will be released by pods to keep you separated and you are to go immediately to your cars. No loitering around the campus will be allowed.
7) Spectators will not be allowed

Note that the restrooms will not be open so do what you need to do before you get to the track.

You need to have a physical dated after May 1, 2020. You must also complete online concussion training and fill out your blue Emergency Permission Form. Forms can be turned in at the Patriot High School main office next Tuesday-Friday between 9am and 2pm. We can also accept the forms on the first day of practice but you would not be able to practice on that day. The online concussion training link is on the Patriot Cross Country website under links and the Emergency form is on the same site under team files.

Coaches are also going to have to certify daily that they don't have COVID symptoms before they can meet with the team.

See https://patriotpioneers.org/main/adnews/id/52861078 for SportsWearOnLine information necessary to certify your daily health.