Lynbrook X-C (Cross-Country) 1996 #3 Sept. 3, 1996 Hello Fellow Runner and Parent of Fellow Runner, Since I've written to you runners twice already, this letter is more for the parents so that they know what I've got planned for this season and what they can do to help me achieve those plans. Hi parents. For those who don't know me, I'm Hank Lawson and I'm back for my 3rd year here coaching Cross-Country at Lynbrook. Prior to Lynbrook, I was an assistant coach at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, and I also coached the Hewlett-Packard Track Team for about 10 years. Since your kids will be spending a lot of time with me (2 hours a day, 5 days a week), I thought you might like to know my plans. First off, I have two additional people working with me this year. Jennifer Johnson, Science teacher here at Lynbrook, will be directing our JV squads; and John, Special Ed, will be helping us out when and where he can. We all run with the kids so we can assess their progress throughout the season, it also helps get us in shape. I will be coaching the Varsity squads as well as Frosh/Soph. We actually will do much of our training together, but with a team of possibly 40 kids this year, we needed some way to break them up into groups. Our main focus is FUN. If the sport isn't fun, then they should find another sport that IS fun. Ten hours a week is quite a bit of time to spend on something and it better be fun. Team bonding is up there in priorities. High school is where lasting memories are made. And of course setting of goals, as well as achieving goals through hard work, effort and improvement, makes the sport all the more fun (notice how that "fun" word gets in there again). On the other side of this letter is our Meet Schedule. Please help in any way you can to not schedule events for your runner on meet days. The team (all 40 of us) is counting on them being there to run. If you can drive on any of these meets please call me and let me know. We don't have school busses. We count on parents and students to get the team to these meets. On the night before these meets we have a "Pasta Party" where we invite the team over to someone's house for spaghetti. If you are interested in hosting a "Pasta Party" let me know. About 15-25 kids show up to any one of these parties. We always get a count the day before so we know what to plan for. For our first time, we are planning a trip down to LA to run in the prestigious Mt SAC Invitational (Oct 25 & 26). Seven Guys & seven Girls will be sent to this meet. The team will be picked based on ability and effort. The cost will be $25-35 per athlete. The remaining money will be raised by our fund- raiser, the Lynbrook Invitational (10/22). Jennifer Johnson, Ed Quevedo (Boosters Club member), and I will go along as chaperons. This event will give the kids an opportunity to compete against some of the best runners in the state without having to qualify for the State Meet (11/23). I would also like to encourage your family to join the Boosters Club. It's a $40 annual fee and is good for all sports for the entire school year (quite a bargain). Please consider getting your athlete a good pair of running shoes if he or she doesn't already have a pair. You can get a good Cross-Trainer (both a Training & Racing shoe) for about $60. If you go to Metrosport in The Oaks (by De Anza) and tell them you run for Lynbrook Cross-Country, they'll give you 15% off. Well, those are the plans for this year. If you have any questions, please give me a call. Hope to see you at the races. Hank Lawson 446-9063 hm 699-2237 pgr HANKLAW@IX.NETCOM.COM