by Craig Russell | Staff Writer
Whitworth’s track and field team has a special emphasis when it comes to their TEAM. TEAM is not an acronym nor a code, but a reference to the special bond between the athletes.
“Capital ‘T-E-A-M’ is just a distinguishing title. We know our coach is talking about this team, not other teams,” Daniel Harper, a mid- distance senior, said. Harper said the idea is to emphasize how special the relationships of the members of this group is. There are alot of teams out there, but only one TEAM.
“I started capitalizing TEAM about 20 years ago because everyone talks about teamwork and sports teams and being a team but not very many people understand what TEAM really means,” said Toby Schwartz, the head coach of the team. Schwartz said that being intentional with “TEAM” helps to remind athletes of what they really are apart of.
“My goal is to take the best part of high school sports and combine it with the best part of college sports. The best part of high school sports is the emphasis and identity to a school or team. Most high school athletes grew up their whole life with the same people from elementary school to their senior year. They are bonded. In college, unfortunately, athletes come from various schools and cultures and backgrounds, and become self-centered and selfish and tend to worry about their spot on the team instead of the success of the TEAM,” Schwartz said.
Athletes also talked about how the emphasis on the TEAM makes the program about more than just athletics.
“The idea is that there is a lot of things this program tries to be that is more than simply athletes competing together. Toby pushes for this culture of people empowering each other and driving each other rather than just individuals,” said Grant Bingham, a senior distance runner.
Sarah Cool, a mid-distance sophomore, also stressed the importance of team support and the team culture.
“One of the best things about our TEAM is that we know everyone’s name, despite how big the team is,” Cool said. The TEAM strives to be the loudest, cheering on each team member by name.
One of the ways they push the idea of a TEAM is by baring the number “210” on the back of all their jerseys. A score of 210 means the team took first and scored 10 points in all 21 events. The team strives for perfection, but knows they can’t do that alone.
The TEAM mentality, even for an individual sport, has a big impact on the athletes.
“If I was out there running just for myself it would be pretty easy to quit,” Bingham said. “But when I’m with the TEAM, it’s almost like I have a job that’s bigger than just fulfilling my own goals. Even if I’m not having the performance I want, it’s important that I’m performing the best I can on a specific day so that the TEAM can do the best they can.”
“Being on a team and trying to accomplish goals within the team is a lot more fulfilling than just focusing on yourself. You can find joy in other people’s success and the group’s success,” Harper said.
Schwartz hopes to instill a team mentality for the athletes in both their sports encounters and their lives.
“It starts from the recruiting process until the final TEAM gathering an athletes senior year. The TEAM is emphasized more than any individual,” Schwartz said.
This past weekend, Whitworth’s track and field TEAM competed at Oregon Twilight in Eugene, Oregon and at Linfield Open in McMinnville, Oregon. These meets are in preparation for the Division III finals Thursday, May 24.