Van Buren Cross Country Head Coach Reflects On 2018, Smaller Team Going Into 2019 Season
Some teams like reminiscing on previous seasons, as it allows them to re-live some great memories. The Van Buren High School cross country team is not interested in looking back on 2018 however, as it was filled with a lot of what-ifs.
For Head Coach Dusty Ragland and company, 2018 brought nothing but injuries to the team. This derailed a season of high hopes and although they pushed through it in attempts to reach their goals, Ragland is ready to turn the page on last year.
“We had a lot of injuries last year that prevented our runners from competing at their best,” Ragland. “We had to back up and look at the situation … we had to find out how to better our situation so our runners weren’t getting injured.”
It wasn’t a lost year entirely, as both the girls and boys team each still managed to send a runner to state. Even with that, it was a far cry from what Ragland knows this team could accomplish. After all, this is the same program that sent the entire boys team to state two years ago. The problem facing the roster this year is the lack of runners, as Ragland is unsure if she will have enough athletes for both teams.
“We have five boys on the team, I hope to fill a few more slots on the roster,” Ragland said. “I’ve got two girls, and they are both really strong. I think if I can keep them healthy and keep them competing at the level that I know they can compete at, I believe they can both go to state.”
One plus to having a smaller team is that they can create a family-type atmosphere amongst the runners. This allows for some healthy competition within the team, and this is where their numbers give them an advantage. There’s such a bond, Ragland says, that these kids look at each other as siblings more than friends.
“Because we’re so small, we have a unique situation in that we form a family bond,” Ragland said. “These students become like brothers and sisters to each other. You get that sibling-rivalry between teammates … my girls will compete against any of my boys, any day.”
This is a team that, despite its numbers, could make a push to state. They have the competitive atmosphere amongst their runners and they are always pushing to get faster. It all comes back to health though, when you ask Ragland what her hopes are for the year ahead.
“I want to see good health out of my athletes,” Ragland said. “I want to try to minimize injuries as much as possible…I think several of my boys will be contenders for state. I would really like to see (my girls’) times get lower and lower as we progress through the season.”
