Durango High School cross country head coach David McMillan understands the kids on his team probably won’t remember every meet.
That’s OK.
He’d rather have them remember sitting around a campfire singing songs, putting up tents and the feel of cool sand under their feet.
Those memories come from McMillan’s choice to take his team camping before meets rather than put them up in a hotel.
“It was partly out of necessity; we can’t afford to keep putting 50 kids in hotel rooms,” he said.
Mostly, though, McMillan wanted to do it for the experience.
The whole team helps in setting up the tents and making preparations for the trips, which helps build stronger bonds as a team.
“It builds the type of team we want to have,” he said. “I think the camping and similar experences make the kids feel they are a tougher bunch.”
DHS camped for the first time last year before a meet in Alamosa and has continued the tradition this season.
McMillan plans to continue his plan of integrating life experiences with running when he takes his team to the 2013 Stanford Cross Country Invitational on Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif.
The team will take a tour of the Stanford University campus as well as “a couple San Francisco standard things,” such as the Golden Gate Bridge.
“When I mentioned the Stanford University tour the kids lit up,” McMillan said. “It was awesome feeling that energy and passion.”
Parents are paying for approximately two-thirds of the trip, while Backcountry Experience, Osprey, Saucony and Your Running and Tennis Store also are providing some sponsorship in addition to the funds DHS raised with its summer fundraising trail run.
“We couldn’t do it without the support of our community,” McMillan said.
There’s still the matter of a meet to run, which will prove a much stiffer challenge for a state-ranked DHS team – both boys and girls – that has won its last four meets.
“It’s a very high caliber meet; I thought it would be a great experience for the kids,” McMillan said. “It’s time to challenge ourselves.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
