Steele would take the kids who wanted to run and drive them the two hours to Raleigh to compete with the Durham Striders. In 1993 the parents of the youth begin to see the advantage of their children competing in track and broke away to start their own area team. The team includes kids from a thirty-mile radius around Salisbury. The parents are real good supporters of the program, said Steele, they are beginning to see the benefits. Kids reach high levels of motivation.
Parents see track as an outlet to do something positive.
Something positive is exactly what he has achieved with his Rowan express. Currently, there are former members of the Rowan Express track team who are attending Seaton Hall, University of North Carolina, St. Augustine and the University Arizona on scholarship. Next year Pharr will attend the University of Alabama on a full ride scholarship. Another track member is in the navy. Steele believes that the Simplot Games allow his Team the chance to become motivated.