There aren’t many places that surpass the volume of a pre-practice locker room at Desert Vista.

As more than 50 teenagers slip on pads and cleats, the area becomes a celebration. Rap music shudders the walls, hands bang against the lockers and athletes howl like their math homework was cancelled.

Coach Dan Hinds loves it. He greets players on the way to his office, relishing in the excitement of another day at work. He knows not many teams come like this.

"This year’s team is all about it,” Hinds says. “It’s strong.”

What Hinds is referring to is the team’s brotherhood, a value that embodies the heart of his program.

The concept was founded in 2011, nine years after Hinds became coach. For the past eight years, the Thunder have used this model to connect their freshman, junior varsity and varsity rosters.

The process begins before an athlete’s first season. Each year, Hinds takes the three teams up to a summer camp in northern Arizona, where they’re surrounded only by forests and strangers.

He then separates each player by position, allowing freshmen and upperclassmen to commingle at will. At that point, Hinds allows each freshman “little brother” to find a varsity “big brother,” a bond that sticks throughout the season.

“Camp is really difficult,” Hinds says. “When you’re away from home, away from your mother and father and girlfriends, [when] things get tough, who do you have to turn to? You got your brothers.”

In the ensuing days, Hinds focuses on the growth of each relationship. He hopes by camp’s end that each player finds a shoulder to lean on during their first year.

“There’s a lot of times where that freshman year is kind of tough for kids,” Hinds says. “Especially here at DV, because the academics are challenging. So just having a big brother being able to text a little brother once a week, checking in with them [can help].”

Senior offensive lineman Michael Lonski was once one of those freshmen. His first summer at Desert Vista came after moving from Westhampton Beach, New York, a situation drastic enough at that age.

Lonski was unsure of what he was getting into while going to camp with hundreds of strangers. But those nerves died down quickly. He met his big brother, Clay Villagomez, and the rocky transition became smooth.  

“I didn’t talk a lot at camp,” Lonski says. “It was really weird because I just moved here and didn’t know anybody. Clay just came over, hugged me and said, ‘You’re my little brother,’ and he took me under his wing.

“That was huge for me because I didn’t go with anybody. He came to me and we formed a strong relationship. That’s what I wanted to do with my little brother.”

Not every relationship pans out. The big brother of senior fullback and linebacker Armando Delgado quit the team midway through Delgado’s first season.

The young Delgado, however, was not lost. A separate group of seniors invited him to join their inner circle, encouraging him to create a better experience for his little brother, David Bills.

“I like to text him and keep a streak with him on Snapchat,” Delgado says. “Just make sure he’s doing ok because all that stuff is stressful. It’s also nice for someone to say ‘hi’ to you and know an upperclassman.”

The aspect of siblinghood puts the gear of brotherhood in the ignition. But what brings the bond full circle is how it’s built within each team.

Hinds insists the success of the brotherhood dictates the success of the season. He saw it in 2011, when the team’s closeness led to a 13-1 record and a Division 1 state championship.

To replicate this attachment, Hinds sets time for weekly gatherings he hopes turn into regular events.

“What we got to do as coaches is really foster that,” he says. “You really have to put them in situations to be together. Every Wednesday night, our linemen have a dinner. Just the linemen go. And that’s where the brotherhood kind of starts.”

For this year’s team, the start gave birth to one of the best seasons in recent memory. The Thunder opened 4-0 for the first time since 2011 before falling to Highland last Friday.

The team is only one victory away from matching its total from a season ago. Delgado believes the commitment to brotherhood is as strong as it’s ever been.

“We’re open with each other,” he says. “The whole varsity team has an entire group chat, and we’ll text about teams or what’s going on in the world or anything, and we just talk with each other.

 

“Last year, I feel like there was a split between seniors and juniors. This year, it’s equal, everyone’s equal. The quality filters through the whole varsity team and that helps with the brotherhood.”

 

It’s common to hear high school coaches talk about building a family. It’s rare to see those relationships grow to that point.

 

That’s why Hinds doesn’t allow the term in his program. Because it doesn’t approximate the goals he’s looking to establish.

 

To his program, brotherhood is something much more than a family. And that can be just as valuable as winning football games.

 

“If these kids work hard together and build that bond, those bonds last a lifetime,” Hinds says. “I just saw a guy this weekend I played with in high school, and it was like we were playing yesterday. It’s something special.”