There was a legitimate buzz in the air on Aug. 15 just outside of Scottsboro, Ala. And it wasn’t just the mosquitoes and other bugs flying around outside. In a converted hunting lodge located ‘in the middle of nowhere,’ 35 young, eager faces awaited their retreat’s keynote speakers.

The ‘middle of nowhere’ is no exaggeration, either. There’s no cell phone reception at the lodge, and televisions are not allowed. The members of the Scottsboro High School cross country team have been isolated for two very specific purposes: to focus on their running, and to build team unity.

Syracuse cross country members Griff Graves, Steve Murdock and Cassie White took center stage and looked out at the standing room only crowd. They proceeded to address the impressionable young runners about overcoming obstacles, running in general, and the road ahead. Driving over 1,000 miles from Syracuse, Graves, Murdock and White were there to give back.

Graves, a sophomore from Abingdon, Va., attended Scottsboro High School for his freshman year before moving. During his tenure at SHS, he developed a particularly close relationship with Scottsboro coach John Esslinger.

‘My head coach had a big impact on me and me running,’ said Graves. ‘Everything he taught me as an eighth grader and as a freshman in high school helped form the runner I am today.’

Inviting the runners to speak was the idea of Graves’ father Tom, a seven-time All-American at Auburn, and former assistant superintendent in Alabama. The elder Graves pitched the idea to Esslinger, who was more than happy to oblige.

‘We thought it would be a good idea for some college kids to inspire our kids to work hard and fight through injuries and accomplish some of the things these guys and girls have done,’ Esslinger said. ‘It just motivated and inspired them to work harder, and they could accomplish something if they really put their mind to it.’

The Syracuse athletes spoke to the kids about their particular areas of expertise. Graves talked about making it to the next level, the collegiate, national and international stages of running, Murdock spoke about dealing with adversity, while White stressed nutrition and training consistently.

‘I told them not to listen to anyone else,’ said Murdock, a junior from Clifton Park, NY. ‘If they put you down, just ignore them and just keep fighting and believe in yourself. That’s something I’ve always fought through. I’ve had people telling me all my life that I wasn’t going to succeed…if someone says you can’t do something, you go out of your way to prove them wrong.’

Graves preached a similar message.

‘You can’t go out there and have a shadow of doubt in the back of your mind that you’re not going to run so well because you got a cramp right before the race,’ Graves said. You’ve got to believe that you’re going to do the best you can do and you will do the best you can do.’

The night concluded with a special PowerPoint presentation and a brief Q&A session. The presentation of music and photographs helped illustrate the points the athletes made, as the audience witnessed Graves’ maturation from a puny high school freshman to the Division I runner he is today.

The closing event was the highlight for a proud coach.

‘It’s just amazing, I guess you’d say emotional at that point, just to see him develop and being able to see what’s gone on in his life and see it there on the screen,’ Esslinger said. ‘For me that was the most emotionally intense and gratifying time just to be a part of it with him.’

lefulton@syr.edu

Published on September 17, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Contact Lorne: lefulton@syr.edu