Although I have only been coaching for six years, I have had
the pleasure of coaching hundreds of phenomenal young men in cross-country and
track and field. Whether at Palatine, or Monticello, or Zion Benton, or Saint
Ignatius, each athlete has a unique story and has individual attributes. I
have learned something from every single one of them.
One of these
athletes is Dakota Burroughs.
Disclaimer: I’m
writing this blog post with Dakota’s permission.
I first met Dakota during his sophomore year, at the
beginning of the 2011 cross-country season. Dakota came to our first practice
that season, not because he had an intense desire to run long distances, but
because one of his friends was also trying out the sport. After two days, the
friend that Dakota had arrived with had quit the sport, but he stuck with it.
There are many people who come out for cross-country who
don’t initially appear to be cross-country runners. Dakota was absolutely one
of these people. With a frame that appeared to be equally suited for basketball
or football, running did not appear to be Dakota’s optimal sport. In his first
three-mile race, a time trial on our home course, he ran 23:44 for three miles.
There was little to show at that point, that Dakota would one day be a varsity
runner. We were elated, though, that he had run the entire three miles. It was
progress. Over the course of that season, he was able to work his way down to
19:45.
The improvement that Dakota made from 23:44 to 19:45 was
celebrated as greatly as when our 2011 varsity team qualified for Sectionals
for the first time in over 15 years. Every improvement was celebrated. Every PR
was a breakthrough.
From there, Dakota stuck with the team and ran during the
winter, spring, and summers. Through 100 degree days in summer and sub 0
temperatures in winter, he was out running the streets of Zion. He ran 48 weeks
per year and bought into the team motto of, “hard work over time beats talent.”
He had found a home in our team.
Over the past three years, Dakota has lost over 50 pounds
and is currently running 70-80 miles per week. Let me say this again….Dakota
Burroughs runs over 70 miles a week, every week. This in itself is mindboggling
and incredibly inspiring.
He is one of the top runners for Zion Benton this season and
recently ran a 16:03 at the Peoria Detweiller course. Over the rest of this
season, he will help lead his team on a quest to becoming the first Zion Benton
team to ever qualify for the IHSA 3A State Meet. Whether or not that goal
happens, though, is secondary. The aspiration towards audacious goals through
ridiculous amounts of work and dedication is a gift unto itself.
What’s most important is he’s growing into a young man that
is a leader both in his team and at school. Since he found role models in
cross-country and learned the work ethic necessary for success, he has
transformed. I am so proud that I was able to work with him over the past few
years, because it is a story that often gives me inspiration.
I still speak with Dakota regularly and the bond that he has
with his teammates and with me is unshakable. When you put yourself in the fire
on a daily basis with a group of guys who are all committed to a force greater
than themselves, these types of incredible transformations happen.
Cross-country is the most beautiful of all sports. You don’t
need to be tall, or skinny, or fast to become a great cross-country runner. Perseverance,
resolve, and a commitment to continual improvement are the only attributes
necessary.
People criticize Joe Newton at York for running his kids too
many miles. After 28 state titles, and a legion of men who feel so passionately
about ‘The Long Green Line’, this is astounding. The reality is that if a young
man did not feel internal and external motivators to work that hard, they flat
out wouldn’t. If they didn’t BELIEVE that they were working towards a goal so
much bigger than themselves, they wouldn’t run so many miles and they certainly
wouldn’t excel at the State Meet.
Our most important job as coaches is to provide love and
care to every single one of our athletes. Each individual has greatness within.
Every action that we take must be an expression of greatness. Either we are
going through the motions and CHOOSING mediocrity, or we are aspiring towards
excellence with everything we do. From stretching, to goals, to mileage, to
sprints…100% is the only option. Coach Darnell Rios at Zion Benton is one of my
key mentors in this regard. He is transforming lives through track and field.
He is changing the lives of many kids through a daily, 5:30am assault on
excellence.
When a kid knows that their coach and teammates support
them, they will go to INCREDIBLE lengths to excel. They will be punctual, kind,
and work harder than they ever imagined. Expectations must be high. But those
expectations must also be coupled with love and support.
On a very deep level, a successful program must be firmly
grounded in the core value that every single person has an important job to do.
Each person, regardless of current fitness, has to push themselves to their
physical limit and feel that they are an important piece of the team. We need
to teach kids, every single day, that they are important and that their
contributions to the team, their families, and their community are impactful.
Dakota Burroughs has proven this lesson to me, without a
doubt. Every kid matters.
