Saints Cyril and Methodius Hits the Ground Running!

Saint Cyril and Methodius’s Cross Country team hit the ground running in Deer Park, even before the school year got rolling! With Coach Amber Sanchez at the helm, the team began meeting up in August to start training and learning the ins and outs of what it takes to challenge themselves in the coming weeks during the Cross Country season. Coach Sanchez is a triathlete, fitness instructor and mother of three boys at Saints Cyril and Methodius and has been volunteer coaching SSCM’s Cross Country team for three years now.

The Catholic Middle School Athletic Association (CMSAA) provides a structure for interscholastic athletic competition among middle schools in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, offering a variety of sports each season, ranging from Baseball, Softball, Basketball and Soccer to Volleyball, Lacrosse, Bowling, and Cross Country.

In Cross Country running, teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The courses vary in length, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. The benefits of Cross Country are both mental and physical. Cross Country training builds versatility and stamina, with experience running over a wide range of speeds and terrains.

Saints Cyril and Methodius has participated in CMSAA programs for over five years and this year’s Cross Country Team includes 16 middle school boys and girls, whose practices and meets take them to a diverse range of Long Island terrains and parks, such as Belmont Lake State Park, Sunken Meadow, and Heckscher Park, to name a few. At the heart of the CMSAA’s Mission Statement is their role in helping develop well-rounded athletes, so the program’s coaches seek to promote physical endurance and good sportsmanship, while fostering teamwork and Catholic values in all of their players.

For more information on Saints Cyril and Methodius Elementary School, visit www.sscmweb.org or call 1.631.667.4044, ext. 131 to schedule a private tour. To learn more about the Catholic Middle Schools Athletic Association’s programs, visit www.leaguelineup.com/cmsaa/.