In an earlier guest post here, I wrote about how the sport of cross-country is an excellent solution for many teenager-related challenges, especially for staying healthy and avoiding becoming overweight. Today’s post addresses what you can expect as a parent of a teenager who decides to try out for the cross-country team at his or her high school.

Will my son or daughter make the team?

Fortunately, I have never heard of any high school cross-country program that excludes anyone from the team because of ability. Even the most rigorous programs have one basic requirement: participate in the practices. The reason for this all-inclusive approach is simply because the format of the competitions allows it. The varsity level races are usually limited to seven runners per team, but the other divisions – junior varsity, frosh-soph, freshmen – are almost never limited. This allows every runner the opportunity to work and improve at their own level (a feature of competitive running that continues, by the way!).

What equipment does my child need?

The only equipment your son or daughter will have to obtain is a pair of good quality running shoes. You may not know how to pick a pair of shoes, but someone else does. The best resource for selecting a good pair of shoes is a local running shoe shop that is owned and operated by actual runners. The coaches from the team probably know where to send you for this resource. The most important thing to remember is that the most expensive shoe may or may not be the best shoe for your teen. The best shoe for your teen will be one that matches the shape of their foot, their stride, and other characteristics of their running anatomy and style. These shoes will need to be replaced after about 300-500 miles of running. Runners who are somewhat serious may also want to buy a pair of lighter weight “racing flats.”

Get used to having one tired teenager in your home, at least for a while.

Running is hard. It takes a lot of physical and mental energy. Your son or daughter can handle the work if you help them by providing healthy meals and getting them to bed early enough so that they get enough rest. The early bedtime part may be challenging. You may need to help them organize their schoolwork so that they get their homework done on time and don’t have to stay up late to finish assignments. You may have to discourage the use of things like video games and use of social media, although it is healthy for everyone to have some relaxation time and to maintain social relationships. Given that your teenager may have run 6 or 8 miles in the afternoon, letting them do something sedentary like watching TV or playing a video game for a limited amount of time is probably OK. As they become more fit, they will likely have more energy, not less.

Get ready to have some fun yourself.

Your son or daughter may not admit it, but they most likely want you to come see them in action when it’s time for them to run in a race. They will have put in a lot of hard work to prepare for each race, and it will make them feel good if you can be there to cheer for them. Cross-country races are immensely fun to watch. Many courses use multiple loops that make it possible to see runners at several different points of a race. Don’t be afraid to ask other parents of the best places to watch a race – odds are that the veteran cross-country parents have their own plans of how they like to watch a race on each course, and will be happy to guide you. Welcome to cross-country!

– Marty Beene, owner of Be The Runner, is Assistant Coach for the Alameda High School Cross-Country and Track teams in Alameda, CA. In addition to coaching, Marty has been a competitive runner since 1978, and has competed in events from 60m to the marathon. Just this year, he has competed in the 800m, 1500m, 5k, 10k, and 12k, and is nationally ranked in the 800m and 1500m in his age group. Marty writes a blog oriented toward an audience of teenagers new to cross-country called “So, You Wanna Run Cross-Country?”