Back to School

Running track in an interscholastic high school environment is a thing of the past for Emery Davis. The 20-year-old former Ben Davis sprinter ran the 100-meter, the 200, the 4X100 and the 4X400 in his heyday and is now a sophomore criminal justice major at Ivy Tech. But he's more than just a college student/track club member these days. He's back in the high school realm as an assistant boys track coach for Pike, his second year running now. "I love to coach," Davis says. "I used to coach a K through 12 program, the Indy Racing Cheetahs, so I decided to come back and coach for a high school team." It's a natural role, he says. Even when he was on his Ben Davis squad, he would help out his teammates. Lest we forget, Davis is still only two years removed from high school, a point he says helps him with his current Pike runners both on and off the track. "I can relate to some of the athletes, and I'm still able to help out kids that are having trouble," Davis says. "I had friends that were in trouble in high school but were good athletes. Maybe this is my gift to give back and help reach people." Back in high school, Davis quickly acclimated himself into the coaching role because he was not able to play in some sports. "I was going to play football, but I couldn't," says Davis, noting that his heart murmur was the cause that prevented him from playing cornerback among other sports. "I was still a part of the team and still helped out, but I wasn't actually able to play." Track was the exception for Davis because the events he ran were short and translated into plenty of rest opportunities. "Emery was an enthusiastic kid who would always do what you asked and always wanted to help out wherever he could," Ben Davis track coach Mike Davidson says. "His dedication to track allowed him to compete well as a 200-meter sprinter his senior year." Resting was not really on Davis' mind, though. During that senior year, Ben Davis' squad was facing the renowned Warren Central squad. Davis was racing in the 200 and the result turned into one of the biggest highlights of Davis' high school track stint. "I was thinking just to get in the top three, just to get points because every point counts," Davis explains. "I thought if I can get up and stay with the No. 1 runner (Devin Pipkin), I'd have a chance. I wound up winning." In his first year as an assistant coach at Pike, Davis immediately saw occasions where students lacked confidence in their running ability, but he saw those occasions as chances to inspire. "Last year, I had a freshman come to me and tell me that he couldn't run anymore because he didn't think he was fast enough," Davis says. "I just sat down with him and told him speed isn't everything. We worked on his technique, and he's still on the team today." Davis is especially involved with the maintenance of the students' grades. He assigns tutors to those in need, and he has been getting an overall positive response from his efforts. "If I can help them outside of school, their attitude and their confidence will be different as they run," Davis says. "If they can be a gentleman outside of school and keep up their grades, they'll be successful at track. "To be a part of a team is a privilege, and if you don't have the grades for it, there's no hope for you to be on the team." Davis hasn't been a stronghold for students only, though. His former track coach knew how dependable and accessible Davis made himself to the other coaches as well. "Emery was always a positive and encouraging teammate," Davidson explains. "He would always stay late with the young athletes and help them with fundamentals and techniques. For three straight years, I counted on Emery to be one of our summer youth track camp coaches." Once a runner, always a runner, though. Davis, who used to run the 100 in 11 seconds flat and the 200 in the low 22s, says he can still keep up if it came down to it. "I think they'd be right up there with me," Davis says with a laugh. "I can still run."