Community Sports Leader Series: David McClurg

North County Sports Magazine's Community Sports Leader Series features local people who demonstrate how sports can be used to help young athletes learn life lessons. If you would like to contribute a profile on a community sports leader, please send the article in a word document to ncsports@PositivePlaceSD.org

Coach David McClurg Teaches the Lessons of Life
By Max Duncan McArthur

In talking with "Coach" about all the talented and hard working young athletes who have passed through his program, one memory clearly stood out for him. "The 1996 California State Championship Team, that was a special group of athletes who also happened to be best friends. We are talking about a middle school that probably had 120 students at the time, the story behind it all is really like a contemporary 'Hoosiers'. "E5" is what they called themselves, because they looked at it as 5 RSF Eagles against the world, and it really was. That team beat club squads that represented entire states, State All-Star Teams from Arizona and Utah, it was truly amazing to watch. At the end of the day, they worked harder than anybody else, and I have always preached that in our program here."

Each starter on the 96' Team, who years later got "E5" tattoos to remember their run together and their life long friendships, play at
the gym along side Coach on Sunday mornings. Kam Walton, Dave Bradley, Chris "Tuffy" Walton, Blake Perry, and Brad Nelson all
maintain close ties with "Coach" and the school.

"That season was like a dream you never wanted to wake up from," former RSF standout and Harvard Graduate Kam Walton remembered.
"Aside from my parents, there is no other adult in the world that Irespect more or care more about than Coach McClurg. The community of RSF is lucky to have such a good man as one of their own, he is a mentor and a dear friend."

Fellow E5 teammate Blake Perry, currently a medical student at Georgetown University, shared those sentiments. "Coach taught me what it means to work hard, to be dedicated, and to persevere. The lessons I learned from 'Coach' keep showing up in my life, and I continue to draw from the principles he embedded in all of us. 'Coach' is not like family, he is family."

Coach McClurg however, firmly believes that he is the lucky one in all of this. "To have the caliber of men surrounding me and my
family that I do is nothing short of a blessing. I could not ask for better role models for my own children, and that is really a testament
to the boys. From the Pollards and the Brockets at Torrey, to Cory and Hoop, Sammy, Phil, all the 96' guys, and so many others. Pauly,
lord knows Pauly. These are best friends I have, they are quality men, husbands, and fathers."

A perfect story to paint the portrait of Coach David McClurg was told to me by Jamie Hooper, it was told with true gratitude. "I remember coming to Rancho in 8th grade, I didn't seem to know a soul. 'Coach' could clearly see it, and he went out of his way to
introduce me to every kid and faculty member on the campus. I immediately felt like a part of of the school, accepted, and 'Coach'
did it because it was the right thing to do. That is 'Coach'."