Kansas Wesleyan University XC Camp
This past week I drove to Simla, CO, with my men's and women's cross country team for our XC camp. Running at elevation for four days isn’t going to make anyone into an aerobic machine, and that was not my goal. My goal was to take my runners to Colorado and let them know they are family. I would not bring someone I didn’t care about into my home, and I hope they can see that I trust them. With this awareness of my trust in them, I know my runners will be more likely to trust and believe in me which will make it easier to push them and help them reach their limits. 
On day one, we drove from Salina to Simla stopping in Limon to check out the Bailey Track. That evening my family grilled a great dinner for the team, and we were early to bed. The following day we left "dark" and early to drive to the base of Pikes Peak. The hike up the mountain was very successful. We stopped many times as we hiked to play games and work on building team chemistry. This journey up the mountain showed each one of my runners just how strong they were physically, but more importantly emotionally. There will be many challenges they face this fall, but after a day climbing the mountain, they know they can overcome the challenges. After we made it back down the mountain, we drove through Garden of the Gods and enjoyed some beautiful views. We capped off the day with some delicious Cold Stone ice cream. On the third day, besides fitting in a few runs, I also allowed them to ride horses and had a great evening of team building and a talent show.
Looking back, it was a bit stressful for me as a coach to put on such a camp, but it was totally worth it, and I hope to make it happen again next year. My team is not just a bunch of runners, but as you can see the engraving on the rock in many pictures, we are a family. If someone wants to go to a bigger school and just be a number, I wish them the best, but for those who are looking for a family to grow in and reach their running, academic, and spiritual goals, I would encourage those runners to consider Kansas Wesleyan University.
This past week I drove to Simla, CO, with my men's and women's cross country team for our XC camp. Running at elevation for four days isn’t going to make anyone into an aerobic machine, and that was not my goal. My goal was to take my runners to Colorado and let them know they are family. I would not bring someone I didn’t care about into my home, and I hope they can see that I trust them. With this awareness of my trust in them, I know my runners will be more likely to trust and believe in me which will make it easier to push them and help them reach their limits. 
On day one, we drove from Salina to Simla stopping in Limon to check out the Bailey Track. That evening my family grilled a great dinner for the team, and we were early to bed. The following day we left "dark" and early to drive to the base of Pikes Peak. The hike up the mountain was very successful. We stopped many times as we hiked to play games and work on building team chemistry. This journey up the mountain showed each one of my runners just how strong they were physically, but more importantly emotionally. There will be many challenges they face this fall, but after a day climbing the mountain, they know they can overcome the challenges. After we made it back down the mountain, we drove through Garden of the Gods and enjoyed some beautiful views. We capped off the day with some delicious Cold Stone ice cream. On the third day, besides fitting in a few runs, I also allowed them to ride horses and had a great evening of team building and a talent show. 
Looking back, it was a bit stressful for me as a coach to put on such a camp, but it was totally worth it, and I hope to make it happen again next year. My team is not just a bunch of runners, but as you can see the engraving on the rock in many pictures, we are a family. If someone wants to go to a bigger school and just be a number, I wish them the best, but for those who are looking for a family to grow in and reach their running, academic, and spiritual goals, I would encourage those runners to consider Kansas Wesleyan University.
My husband and I really enjoyed reading about your XC team and your journey with them. We really wish Nick could could be there. I hope you will prayer with us that he will be able to eventually transfer over to KWU.
ReplyDeleteWe are coming to Augusta this weekend for the XC meet. I believe your team will be there and hopefully we will be able to share a few minutes to visit with you.
May God bless you in all you do with your team and we wish you much success and everyone good health for this 2012 season.