Team building is an important part of many sports, and Rock Island High School’s Cross Country Team likes to put on a fun trip every summer to help bond the team. This trip has been going on for 9 years now, and Jarrin Williams, coach of the boys team explains, “Coach Susie and I started doing the Dunes trip during our first year coaching together (2017). This was the ninth time we took the trip.” The Dunes Trip is about bringing the cross country teams together, so it can help newcomers or even people who were already on the team get to know each other better, so they can work better with each other and support one another. It also gives a great opportunity to take a fun trip and make fun memories.
The biggest benefit is the Cross Country Teams getting together and bonding, like Jarrin Williams states, “is giving the team the chance to bond in a setting outside of the Quad Cities. The memories from the trip are usually positive and long-lasting.” It’s important that teammates can get along with each other because teamwork is very crucial to the sport, and it’s important that runners cheer each other on because running is mostly a mental sport.
Running the Dunes is not the only activity the Rock Island High School Cross Country Team does on the trip. The Dunes trip has a lot of activities to do after the Dunes. Liam Muir, one of the runners on the team states, “Once you’re done with the running, it’s just like a mini vacation with lots of friends.” Once the team gets the hard part (the dunes) done, then it’s fun with the team for the rest of the time.
Then, after the long day at the Dunes, the athletes get to pick a dinner they want to eat. Liam Muir states he gets, “Panda Express, it’s like 2k calories for 13 dollars.” Panda Express is not the only option the athletes have, as there is a large variety of food places, like McDonald’s or Subway or even Chipotle. Most of the time, the cross country teams are taken to a big food court, so they are given many options.
The dunes trip has been going on for many years and has made so many good memories. Some will say that the Dunes is rough, but it always turns out to be worth it in the end.
