Cross Country

Do you like to run far and fast? The Houston Mavericks Cross Country team gives homeschool runners the chance to compete with public, private & homeschool teams in cross country meets all across the Houston area.

All skill levels are welcome, from beginning runners to serious distance athletes:

• High School Boys will run in a mix of 3200M and 5K races
• High School Girls will mostly run in 3200M races and a few 5K races
• Middle School athletes will run in a mix of 1, 1.5, and 2 mile races  

Cross country season runs from July to October:

• Practices begin in July, and are held at the Bear Branch Sportsfields (5205 Research Forest Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77381) on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00pm

• Cross country meets are held throughout the Houston area beginning in August and continuing through mid-October, when the season concludes with the Texas Homeschool State Cross Country Championship

• Meets for both highschool and middle school athletes usually take place on Saturday mornings in Houston and the surrounding area

Outside of cross country season, runners can continue to develop their skills with our Winter Off-Season Training program for distance runners, and they also have an opportunity can compete as part of the Mavericks Track and Field team each spring.

Cross Country is for athletes between the age of 8 and 18 or grades 4 through 12. See the table below to help you select the proper grade for your athlete. High School athletes will compete against JV and Varsity teams from other schools. Middle School athletes will typically compete against teams made up of 5th through 8th graders.

HIGH SCHOOL $250*

MIDDLE SCHOOL $200*

OFF SEASON/TRAINING ONLY  $150*

UNIFORM (singlet and shorts) $70 

* $50 of the registration fees is non-refundable and due up front when registering

Sibling Discount - $25 will be refunded for each sibling after the 1st

Fees pay for Cross Country meets, equipment, tents, park fees, liability insurance, and other misc. expenses



Q: I have never been to a cross-country meet - how do they work?

A: Meets will typically run in the following order: Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls, JV Boys, JV Girls, 7th/8th Grade Boys, 7th/8th Grade Girls, 5th/6th Grade Boys, 5th/6th Grade Girls. The first race will start around 8 am. Each race will usually start about 5-10 minutes after the previous race ends (aka a "rolling start"). A few races may actually have a set time for the races to begin.

Q: What time should I be at the race?

A: Your athlete should plan to arrive at the team tent at least 45 minutes to one hours before the race. Allow for extra time for parking, walking to the tent area, and some cushion for rolling starts. This allows ample time to lace up the shoes, warm up with your teammates, get your racing bibs on, go to the bathroom, get to the starting line, and received last minute race instructions.

Q: What are my payment options?

A: Our new registration system allows you to pay using a debit/credit card (for an additional fee) or using your checking account. You can pay the full amount at the time of registration, or in multiple installments. However, if you prefer to pay using another method, please speak with Coach Reagan or David McClelland.