Cross Country Season Prep: How Parents Can Actually Help Their Runner

School is back, the buses are rolling, and the first cross country meets of the season are here. In Episode 10, Ralph Reiff and Scott Hudson turn their attention to the high school cross country athlete — and to the parents trying to support them without overstepping. Scott, an athletic trainer and strength coach who raised a runner through Carmel High School and college, offers the advice he wishes he'd followed more often: be a parent, not a coach. From there the conversation gets practical — how to pack for a 5 a.m. wake-up and a 10 a.m. race, why there are two fueling windows on race day, what actually belongs in the parent tent besides cookies and coffee, and how to handle the drive home after a race that didn't go the way anyone hoped. Ralph also walks through an elite athlete's race-day schedule minute by minute — Jenny Simpson's routine at a Diamond League 1500 — and shows how the same structure scales down to a Saturday high school meet. Because when the logistics are handled, the mental side gets easier. In this episode: Why the real collegiate "studs" skip early-season meets and circle only three dates Being supportive without coaching from the sideline Managing the collision of school routine and season routine in mid-August Race-day nutrition: the night before, the pre-race meal, and the post-race refuel What to stock in the team tent (hint: protein, not just donuts) Jenny Simpson's Diamond League schedule, broken down and scaled to a high school meet Keeping a training and racing diary so November's sectional decisions are informed Post-race debriefs: listen first, offer advice later Lessons from Butler's Matt Roe, a masterclass in the post-race debrief Butler All-American William Zegarski on self-evaluation and honest venting Why logistics management is really mental management Mentioned in this episode: Newsletter signup: RalphReiff.com (contact page) Joe Piane Invitational, Notre Dame — Burke Golf Course NCAA Great Lakes Regional Indy Runners Labor Day charity run — indyrunners.com Powered by REPS. Subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment — we build episodes off your feedback.