Dave Bloor: Coaching Legend

11/28/2012

I first met Dave Bloor one weekend morning in the mid-1970’s shortly after the conclusion of the Charlottesville Ten-Miler, a daunting (to me at the time) footrace contested over a mostly out-and-back course through some of the toughest terrain the city had to offer.

Somewhere before I reached the turn-around, a competitor sailed almost effortlessly past me in the opposite direction, well ahead and already focused on the finish, and I came to discover that he was a former University of Virginia star who had followed a career path as a high school science teacher and coach.

At the time, I had no inkling that he began Collegiate’s cross country program in 1963 or that I would be his successor for 35 years beginning in 1978 or that our paths would cross many times over the years, or that our teams would toe the line together on more occasions than I could count.

Or, most important, that we would become lifetime friends, sharing the other’s joys and providing consolation in times of difficulty.

After he left Collegiate in ‘68, Dave’s stops included Woodberry Forest, Stuart Hall, Virginia Episcopal School, and, since the fall of ‘89, St. Catherine’s, where, with his wife Margaret at his side, he officially retired from coaching November 9 after 50 cross country seasons.

At his final stop, his ledger is impressive: six consecutive League of Independent Schools titles and 20 overall, and five VISAA state titles (plus two at Woodberry).

He stepped down as track coach last spring.

“I’ve enjoyed the championships and the kids who have run in college,” said Dave, who’s 76.

“The biggest thing I’ve enjoyed is runners that I’ve coached still running, some well into their ‘60’s. That means they’ve enjoyed their high school experience.”

What follows are thoughts and reflections about Dave from friends who shared his journey.

Fred Hardy Jr., retired Fork Union XC and track coach

Dave has been a positive force in the quality of performance we’ve seen in private schools through the decades in both boys’ and girls’ running.

Perhaps less obvious to some but even more meaningful is the way

these young people have responded to his influence. When all the medals have been long-lost and the records forgotten, the qualities he’s taught endure in the lives the athletes he has touched.

Mike DeCamps, Collegiate class of ’68 who ran for Dave (and is still running)

Dave Bloor has left an indelible mark on the development of lifetime runners, triathletes, bikers, or whatever athletic endeavor distance running leads you towards. No one has done that better in the world of Virginia independent schools than Coach Bloor.

We runners pride ourselves on willpower and endurance. Coach

Bloor's career is a testament to those qualities. When you watch a Dave Bloor practice, you see that every runner gets attention and nurturing. I applaud him for the steady guidance he has given to all who have had the benefit of his coaching.

Jon Molz, former St. Catherine’s XC assistant, now distance coach at the University of Richmond

Dave's successes and longevity speak for themselves. He taught me great perspective for coaching, not only at the high school level, but at any level. Mainly, I learned that you can't stress too much on a day-to-day basis; you have to keep the big picture in mind. It's simple. Are the kids enjoying practice? Are they working hard?
Do they want to be there? If the answers are yes, then they will compete hard when it's time. I suspect that for the last 50 years, his athletes have always been able answer yes to those questions.

Julie Dayton, St. Catherine’s athletic director

Coach Bloor’s impact has been far reaching during his 50-year coaching career. There are few coaches who can say they have successfully coached the Baby Boomers, the X-Generation, the Y-Generation, the Millennials, and the Net-Generation.

Because of his extraordinary care for our student athletes and the many years of the undisputed success of his teams, Dave has set a bar that will be hard to match. Hundreds and hundreds of student athletes, most running more than a dozen seasons under Coach Bloor’s leadership, (have grown) as the result of a remarkable coach.

Marcus Jones, Trinity Episcopal XC/track coach

Dave is one of the greatest minds in independent school cross country. He is essentially one of the founders of independent school running and has an amazing ability to recall names and times of athletes from long ago. A couple of years ago I got interested in the history of the State Meet and was stunned at Dave's ability to recount in detail how every race unfolded from 1966 to the present day.

I've been coaching at Trinity for the past nine years and am always impressed at the size of Dave's team at St. Catherine's and his ability to instill confidence in each girl. It’s clear from watching his team at meets that his athletes have respect for him and that he cares about his athletes. Dave has coached some of the best girls in the state, and they always seem prepared and execute well designed race strategies.

Taylor Clevinger, St. Catherine’s class of 2011

Mr. Bloor is such a great coach and teacher but most of all just a wonderful person. Since I arrived at St. Catherine's my junior year, he made the "new girl" feel welcome amongst the team right away.

From my very first day of cross country practice until I graduated, Mr. Bloor was always there for me, and now running in college (UR) he still remains in contact. Mr. Bloor's love for the sport and every one of the athletes he has coached for 50 years will never be forgotten.

Ben Hale, Woodberry Forest XC coach

Bloor was long gone when I came to Woodberry, but years later I am still coaching in his shadow. I still have alums come up and say, "You the cross country coach? I ran for Bloor!" And there's always an intonation there that says, "Not sure what your kiddies are doing these days, but we were men."
Maybe that's a typical alum response, but I think it’s spot on.

Whenever I am at early season camp (a tradition Dave started, by the way) I never settle into my bunk without remembering that in Bloor's time they were staying in pup tents and cooking on a pump-up Coleman stove. And I won't even mention the 15-20 miles a day that they were doing. If I tried that, I'd be out of a team in two days.

Dave's shadow has been like a big shade tree whose roots remind me of the rich history of this program, whose soft shadows remind me of his gentle toughness and his patient inspiration of 50 years of Prep League runners. He has always been a state of being that I aspire to.
-- Weldon Bradshaw

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