Cross-country hits the ground running at IR

Football, boys’ soccer, field hockey, volleyball and cheerleading have all been staples for Indian River High School’s fall sports agenda, but now, thanks to the persistence of the school’s athletic director, Todd Fuhrmann, student athletes will be able to don the green-and-gold in boys’ and girls’ cross-country this year – just the first of several major upcoming advancements in the school’s athletic department.

At this past Tuesday’s Indian River School District school board meeting, board members unanimously approved the 2009 cross-country season as the newest addition to the school’s fall sports.

“It’s a lifelong sport,” Fuhrmann told the board, “like tennis and golf. It’s something that these athletes can start doing for themselves and will continue to do it years down the road.”

He devoted time last year to budgeting for the addition of the sport, which comes with a miniscule financial burden.

“Everything was budgeted for this last year,” he explained. “My plan was to get everything in place, so that this year we could be up and operational. The uniforms are already covered, and the courses are all there. The only minor change is for a coach’s salary.”

The final touches are being worked out for a varsity coach, though Fuhrmann is expecting a smooth transition from the school’s Junior ROTC instructor and current running club advisor, Maj. Frank Ryman.

“The cross-country teams will be a great benefit to the school,” he said. “In cross-country, it’s you against your time, or you against the course, or you against yourself. Running builds character and gives you courage. There are multiple outcomes from it. You can use it as a form of exercise or building stamina. Running is a great metaphor for life.”

“Running is an activity that really lets individuals deal with themselves,” Fuhrmann added. “You don’t have the agenda that other sports require. It’s a great way to find out about yourself.”

Students who don’t typically participate in a fall sport have already shown interest, as have student-athletes who play year-round. Seven field hockey players already utilize the morning runs with the school’s running club to keep them in shape, and several have weighed the option of participating in both sports this fall.

While the girls’ team appears to be quickly filling up, the boys’ team is has fewer athletes participating in the club’s runs now. But Fuhrmann said he expects that to change once the preseason begins. At least two other Indian River students who have mentioned running on the school’s cross-country team and a handful of students coming up from Selbyville Middle School took part in the early runs through the summer.

According to Furhrmann, students are allowed to participate in cross-country and an additional fall sport, as long as the coaches agree that the schedules are not in conflict.

Indian River already has three cross-country courses that are planned to be available by the 2010-2011 school year. The practice and meet schedule is set, with the pre-season starting up for boys and girls on Saturday, Aug. 15. The first scheduled event is a tri-meet, scheduled in mid-September at Seaford.

This year will be all about establishing the sport and working out the kinks, according to Fuhrmann. Indian River will participate in six regular-season meets but will not host any of their own.

“We want to get our feet wet,” said Fuhrmann.

A play-day will be scheduled in late August for runners to try out the courses at Indian River and offer their feedback.

“It will be a day for the high schools to come and check out what we have to offer,” said Fuhrmann, “but it’s also for anyone who enjoys running. I’ve heard from a lot of people who run our track regularly that they want to see these courses, and they’ll get that chance. We want to welcome anyone to give advice and feedback about what we can do to make our course a challenging one but an incredibly new experience at the same time.”

The courses have been mapped out but will require minor maintenance in the upcoming month to clear out some brush and branches through the fields and wooded area to the school’s southeast. The final quarter-mile stretch is through a corridor of trees, finishing out behind the tennis courts.

“It’s definitely an off-road course,” said Fuhrmann, “as is any cross-country course. You have holes and rocks to run around. It’s really an adventure for these kids.”

Teams are required to carry five athletes on both the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams, and can hold up to seven each. Additional athletes are welcome to participate, with their individual times serving as potential qualifiers for conference and postseason runs.

“I’ve had a successful turnout with the morning runs,” said Ryman, “and we don’t plan on making any cuts, no matter how many kids come out.” All student athletes who participate on the team will letter in the sport.

Fuhrmann and Ryman presented the team’s uniforms at Tuesday’s meeting. They consist of a reversible mesh jersey and mesh shorts.

“With cross-country,” said Fuhrmann, “you really just need shoes, and you go. There’s not much that the athletic department has to pick up.”

In addition to impressive sports seasons, more than half of the school’s varsity athletes take honors programs or are members of the school’s Honor Society.

“These sports really help bridge that bond between academics and athletics,” said Ryman. “These kids are not only strong on the field but are smart in the classroom, as well.”

The cross-country team is just the start of what’s to come for Indian River.

“This is a great start to the athletics at Indian River,” said Fuhrmann. “It’s nice to be able to add an individual-based sport at the school, and it’s something a lot of people are involved in. This moves us in the direction of offering something for anyone.”

Currently, he is in the process of investigating the addition of swimming and track-and-field to the school’s sports repertoire.

“We’re starting the groundwork to see what we need to do to get that ball rolling,” he added. “We’re thrilled to add a new sport and, hopefully, others will come. These individualized sports are a great outlet for students who may be interested in participating but haven’t really had the opportunity to step out on a team.”

Other schools in the district have already implement cross-country, track-and-field, swimming and lacrosse teams – all sports that Fuhrmann is moving toward adding at IR.

Students interested in running on the school’s cross-country team should arrive at the school, ready to run, at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15. Students who want to participate in morning runs with the Indian River Running Club can do so by meeting at the school at 8 a.m. every morning leading up to Aug. 15.

For more information about the cross-country teams, including schedules, visit www.indians-sports.com online or call Indian River High School at (302) 732-1500.