WHITE LAKE YOUTH CROSS COUNTRY
White Lake Youth Cross Country offers K-5 graders the opportunity to learn about distance running, grow their confidence, and build friendships as they participate in a local cross country season using multiple courses across the White Lake area.
Looking Forward To Our First Season in 2024
We are working hard on developing a 2024 season and would love your input!! Please fill out our interest survey on Google Forums!
Summer Miles Bring Fall Smiles Mileage Club
Late May to Mid-July
An optional program designed to enhance athletes' conditioning and mileage base before the official start of the regular season. This is highly encouraged for all athletes to participate, providing a solid foundation for performance during the season.
Fall Youth Cross Country Season
Late July to Early September
The core of the season features five local invitationals where athletes will compete. This provides athletes with the opportunity to put their training to the test in competitive settings while fostering camaraderie within the team and local community.
Post-Season Travel Events
Mid-September to Early December
An optional extension of the season offering invitational meets held in locations ranging from Grand Rapids to Detroit. The post-season allows athletes to extend their competitive season and potentially broaden their racing experiences beyond the local level.
FAQs
We are early in the planning process and open to any and all feedback!! Here is what we have so far!
Who Is Invited To Participate?
Boys and Girls from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade are invited to join the White Lake Youth Cross Country (WLYXC) program. While younger participants are the focus, older kids are encouraged to engage with their school sports teams.
What Will The Practice Schedule Be?
Practices are scheduled twice a week throughout the summer conditioning, regular season, and post-season. They will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Ideally, we will practice in two locations to keep commutes convenient for everyone. Once we have a better sense of how many participants we will have and where everyone is commuting from we will determine practice locations.
Where Will Regular Season Invitational Races Be Held?
The regular season aims to replicate the structure of a typical high school season by featuring races at five distinct locations. Potential race venues include Clear Springs Nature Preserve, Henderson Pond, The Graham Family property, the MHS Cross Country Course, the WHS Cross Country Course, The Hart-Whitehall Biketrail, and Duck Lake State Park.
How Will We Conduct Invitational Races?
In an ideal scenario with sufficient participation, our invitationals will witness multiple WLYXC teams competing against each other. Our coordinator will strive to distribute participants evenly across teams based on age, ability, and experience. Teams would be scored according to traditional XC rules, with points awarded by overall place and the lowest-scoring team winning.
If participation levels are high, we may establish divisions of teams, such as K-2 and 3-5, for more tailored competition. Conversely, if participation is low, invitationals will resemble open races with age divisions. Ideally, all races will be of consistent distance (1.5 or 2 miles) to facilitate progress tracking throughout the season, although this may vary depending on venue capabilities. We aim to secure five courses of this nature for the regular season.
When Would The Regular Season Invitationals Be Held?
Below is our initial proposed schedule for the regular season. We are still working on securing courses for our invitational meets and will update this as we know more. (On mobile please scroll the table to view all rows)
What Would The Post Season Look Like?
Below is our initial proposed schedule for the post-regular season. This would be completely optional and will require participants to travel to the meet locations. (On mobile please scroll the table to view all rows)
Are There Other Youth XC/Track Clubs In Michigan?
Only a few so we have an exciting opportunity to blaze a new trail and inspire a new generation of running enthusiasts! Here are some of the existing programs in Michigan: (On mobile please scroll the table to view all rows)
Thanks Again For Your Support!
Please consider filling out our interest survey on Google Forums before you go!