Northside College Prep Mustangs Cross Country

www.mustangsxc.com Head Coach Jon Gordon

655 W. Irving Park #1510, Chicago, Illinois 60613Telephone 773.935.1617 Fax 312.346.1398

May 17, 2009

I’m writing you this letter to welcome you to Northside College Prep and invite you to join the Northside College Prep Cross Country Team.

Cross Country offers many benefits to an athlete that few other sports can provide. It develops your aerobic system, strength, mental discipline, and mental toughness. The TEAM trains five days a week, and is in the Weight Room after every practice. The majority of our races take place on Saturday mornings.

The Northside College Prep Cross Country Team is the largest Fall Sports Team at Northside College Prep. The Team has Pasta Parties the night before meets for the athletes and Tailgate parties after several races for both athletes and parents.

In 2007, Olympic Gold Medal Winner Billy Mills, featured in the movie, “Running Brave”, traveled all the way from California to visit the highly motivated Mustangs the night before the City Cross Country Championships. Olympic Athletes that have visited the Northside Cross Country and Track Teams from 2006-2009 include: Todd Williams, Jamie Nieto, Jon Drummond, and Hazel Clark.

The Northside Cross Country Team will be having a Team Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 in the Northside Cafeteria at 4 pm to distribute team training logs, and to talk about summer training. As an incoming Freshman, T-shirts are awarded for running 300 miles or more during the summer.

Summer Training activities that will help prepare you for the season, begin on Monday, June 15, 2009, in front of the main entrance at Northside, at 6:30 am. A weekly training schedule will be provided at www.mustangsxc.com. Summer training activities include: morning runs, weight training, Team breakfast runs to IHOP, Ultimate Frisbee, and Capture the Flag. As an incoming Freshman, preseason Team activities prior to the start of school give you an major advantage on the first day of classes (September 2, 2009). By joining the Cross Country Team, you will already know over 100 people before classes begin, which makes the adjustment to High School much easier because you will already be a part of a team where your teammates care about you and depend on you.

Official practice starts on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at 3:45 pm. We will meet in front of the main entrance of the school during pre-season training. There is no such thing as being too short or not being big enough or strong enough or fast enough to join the Team. Every athlete that joins our program will experience success. Every athlete I have ever coached has seen dramatic improvement in endurance, and strength. We will make you Great!

In Fall 2001, I coached at St.Johns in Orange Park, Florida. I had an athlete on the Varsity Basketball Team, Michael James, join the Cross Country Team for conditioning purposes. Michael James could run no further then to his mail box when he first started, and he ended his High School career at the State Cross Country Meet, and earned a $5,000.00 Scholarship to Harvard from Gatorade as National Cross Country athlete of the year. He also had the best basketball season of his high school career after developing his aerobic system and strength through Cross Country. In addition to Boys and Girls Basketball, Cross Country will also put athletes over the top in preparation for Girls Soccer.

During my coaching career, I’ve coached at both the high school and collegiate level.

I’ve had the privilege and honor of coaching State Champions, All-Americans, and National Champions. The key to success is having a personal motivation to improve and succeed. Without personal motivation, it is difficult to make the sacrifices and apply the dedication needed to become a Champion. You must know what you want to achieve and that is the first step toward reaching the top. Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is…You must “want it” and be willing to work very hard to achieve it. You must develop supreme confidence in yourself, and your own abilities. You must have determination to follow through, regardless of obstacles, criticism or circumstances or what other people say, think or do.

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, after practice, we will have a Team / Parent Pasta Party at 6:30 pm. Villa Palermo Catering will provide the Mustangs and parents with Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta, Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Penne Pasta with Marinara, Fresh Bread, Garden Salad, and bottled water. All expenses are 100% paid by the Northside Cross Country Coaching staff. At the Pasta Party, we will introduce the coaching staff, and provide athletes and parents information about the upcoming season.

In 2008, the Northside Cross Country team put the first IHSA Regional Championship Banner on the gym wall in Northside history!

In 2009, our goal is to put the first Boys and Girls State Cross Country Championship

Banner on the gym wall. If you want to be a part of it, come join us at our TEAM meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at 4:00 pm, in the Northside College Prep Cafeteria. Any miles you can run this summer, before our first practice will give you a major advantage in your Freshman season.

If you want to join the Team and help us win a State Title this year, please email me your name, phone number, height, shoe size, and uniform size to JonGordon9@aol.com. Thanks.

-Coach Jon Gordon

2008 IHSA REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!