RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros track & field student-athletes brought great energy to Duck Head Field in Brownsville as they educated 70 participants on the sport at their free youth clinic Wednesday. 
 
Kindergarteners to eighth graders from across the Rio Grande Valley attended the clinic and had loads of fun while learning from the enthusiastic Vaqueros. Participants were split into age groups and rotated through stations to work on sprinting, hurdling and jumping, while others spent time working on the different throwing events. 
 
Track & field/cross country head coach Shareese Hicks credited assistant coach Cleo Borel for taking the lead in planning the clinic, but the coaching staff let the student-athletes take control of running the event, and they did a tremendous job. 
 
"Man, the energy was outstanding," Hicks said. "Introducing young athletes to the sport we love is really what it's all about. All the young kids got to experience throwing events, distance running, sprints, hurdling, jumping and we finished it off with a relay, so they really got a taste of what it's like in track & field all the way around." 
 
True to the fun-loving nature of the team, the clinic also looked like a dance party at times. The kids and Vaqueros shared many laughs, high-fives and cheers of support and encouragement as they worked up a sweat training hard while having plenty of fun along the way. 
 
"The student-athletes love the kids. They really attacked this with a lot of positivity and did a lot of coaching. It's very fun to hear the student-athletes repeat the things you're telling them every day to do, so it lets me know that they're listening. It was a great experience all the way around," Hicks said. 
 
UTRGV's outdoor season begins Friday at the UTSA Invitational. 

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