MATHER H.S. TRACK REVIVAL: COACH GOES EXTRA MILE

Team hurdles drawbacks, rule Chicago

By Darren Swan

Sports Reporter

Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism

Two boys and one girl, all with tattered uniforms, sat on a set of stairs seven years ago. Newly hired Mather High School boys’ track coach Dale Devinney asked the principal who they were. 

He quickly responded: “That’s the track team.”

Seven years and more than 70 kids later, Mather High School has won the Chicago City Championships and boast an impressive resume for a team in a city without a field house and a school whose practices take place outside lockers and water fountains.  The coach and catalyst for the Rangers’ success reflected about the growth of the program.

“We host a 20-team invite in April and I’ll have surreal moments at that when we’re winning the meet with all those teams and 2,000 fans,” Devinney said. “And to think this wildfire started from the ember of a few kids sitting on a set of stairs 7 years ago.”

Mather High School is overcrowded and forced to have its zero period shortly after 6 a.m. On an 11-period schedule the last students to leave class exit the building at after 4:30 in the afternoon. When the bell rings during practice the athletes have to stop for 10 minutes while students move to their next class.

According to coach Jackie Huber, unconventional methods work at Mather.

“I think that all we’ve done is try to come up with alternative methods where some people have facilities to put a track inside we throw medicine balls up and down a flight of stairs,” Huber said. “Other people have a nice weight room, but we do simple things with dumbbells or the kids’ own body weight.”

Without conventional facilities the Rangers practice in other ways as well. They run 50-meter sprints in the hall ways; touch the lockers and run back to emulate the 100-meter dash. They jump one or two hurdles for technique near the water fountains. The coaches lay down a black rope ladder near the blue walls in the hallway for footwork drills.

Devinney said being an athlete and working through such difficulties is not a problem for his team.

“No one kid on this team is spoiled or starving,” he said. “They’re from working class families and have work ethics that reflect it.”

Senior Edwin Moreno said Ranger track is about doing what it takes to win.

“We expect to have a strong season,” Moreno said. “We have a lot of speed and good times…We are a top team in Chicago and that’s what we expect. Competition among us pushes us.”

Moreno performs well in both track and field events. The coaches use him as a leader for the otherwise younger team.

Devinney’s days start at 5:30 a.m. He sold his Nissan Altima to get an eight-passenger Honda Pilot. He picks up several members of the track team and takes them to school or to meets. He also transports the equipment—the Altima wasn’t cutting it.

Practice comes to a close well after 6 p.m, but before the head coach drives home 30 minutes down Lake Shore Drive he poses as the athletic trainer. He wraps shins with ice packs and establishes treatment for the runners.

For 12 hours a day, 351 days a year, the Math teacher from rural Ohio sells his soul to the team. He sleeps, eats, breathes and coaches. His wife says he spends too much time with it.

However, even though Devinney won’t make a million dollars, he said that’s not important to him.

“People quit their jobs to make a difference in the lives of others,” he said. “It’s what I get to do every day.”

Hurdles coach Christina Goto counts the tiles in the hallway linking the storage garage to the cafeteria wing and puts down a hurdle. Devinney counts the tiles and puts down another hurdle.

“Each tile is a foot and rather than bringing tape out, from the blocks to the first hurdle is 45 feet, so we count 45 tiles,” Devinney said. “We use the natural measuring stick of the tiles to prepare ourselves for competition.”

According to Athletic Director James Richard, grades for athletes are checked once a week. Students are not allowed to participate if they aren’t passing at least four of their classes. The track team coaching staff takes it a step farther.

“We have a nice filter system in place,” Devinney said. “First we check their character and then we see what kind of grades they get.  We say no to a lot of kids, but we never cut a kid from the team. If the kid is a good kid and he’s going to come and work hard and have the dedication—we’re going to keep them.”

Being a part of a team is no lackluster effort at Mather. The track coaches establish a necessary work ethic for its athletes in order to remain a part of the squad.

“We instituted a three-strike rule,” Devinney said. “Over a four-month long season if you miss three practices you’re done. It’s awesome because we have every kid here, every day, all 70 of them.”

The camaraderie is noticeable between coach and player at Mather. The coaches use nicknames for the students. “Heavy” is for Moreno—the strongest of the Rangers. The staff uses “Heavy” to demonstrate drills with. Senior leadership trickles down to the younger performers.

“Everybody looks forward to track because we have the same people every day and sometimes we get more people on the team,” sophomore Darius Camara said. “Nobody really leaves, but if someone does leave they always want to come back.”

Schools across the nation have closed because of the cold. The Mather track team thrives in it. When asked if having to throw the shot put in the snow or being outside bothers the team, coach and player alike, agreed.

“Going out in 10 degrees, well it makes me feel like Superman,” Camara said.

“I think it’s a lot of fun for the kids,” Huber said. “It’s a different sort of atmosphere for them.”

Devinney’s efforts are not for naught. Huber said the effort displayed by the team on a daily basis symbolizes the head coach’s drive.

“They want a ring, they want a city title, and they all work hard for Coach Devinney,” Huber said. “They all see that and they want to do the same thing.”

A lot of the athletes wear t-shirts to practice. The three words, printed in Mather blue, describe the attitude of the team, school and program. Devinney stands by it.

“Discipline, desire, dedication.”