I don't have experience at Blair, but I was your daughter: I joined cross-country at the start of my freshman year, with zero running experience and a real aversion to organized sports. I agonized for weeks and very nearly didn't show up the first day.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that deciding to go changed my life. After a miserable, outsider middle school experience, those XC kids took me in without question, including the upperclassmen. I felt I belonged somewhere immediately. I ran XC and track all four years, and was a walk-on at a Div 1 school in college. I also still run multiple times a week today (mid-40s).

But most of all, my whole mindset about what my high-school experience could be turned around within the first couple weeks of XC practice.

Best wishes for your kid! My children are still a few years from high school, but I sure hope they will run.

My DD was a magnet kid at Blair who knew no one going in. It was a good introduction for her. She was a runner before but a casual runner. She did xcountry and track for 4 years (though not a super star in any way).

Go Blazers.

Anonymous wrote:Great decision! It is an amazing team with a great culture.

My DD will be new to the county too and considering cross country. Happy to connect the girls this summer if you guys are in town by then too - just post an email and I’ll be happy to reach out.

Great decision! It is an amazing team with a great culture.

there will be plenty of new kids. There is a down county consortium so not everyone will be from the feeder MS. She'll be fine.

Dd is coming from out of state as a freshman to blair and as a way to make new friends, we’ve convinced her to join cross country. She’s not particularly athletic and won’t know anyone. Just wondering if that’s a normal occurrence and if other people’s kids are thinking about this. Are there normally novice freshman on the team, especially those who don’t know anyone?