Being in athletics in Richardson ISD teaches far more than how to win at the game. For students across the district, the field is just the beginning.
When student athletes are exposed to experiences that build character and model empathy, their perspectives begin to shift. They’re exposed to real-world lessons that they keep with them for life that begin with service and giving back. The impact is felt through better results on the field, in the classroom, and beyond.
Recently, 40 girls on the Richardson High School soccer team and their parents took time out of their winter break to volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, a local non-profit food bank. Weighing items, bagging food, and packing donations for children in Guatemala was an eye-opening experience for many. What started as a service project quickly became a lesson in gratitude, awareness, and seeing the impact they can have when they use their time and influence to serve.
Trey Pearce is the Richardson High School Varsity Girls Soccer coach and an RHS graduate. He says, “I feel so lucky to coach in Richardson ISD, where we have so many great kids, who are raised through the schools to have such great character, have so much diversity, and come from so many different backgrounds.”
When speaking about his athletes, he says, “The more kids believe that you believe in them, the more you appreciate them, the better they are going to do. Teams play better together when they are bonded through opportunities to learn more about each other, face challenges, and share experiences.”
During their recent giving back experience, the girls worked diligently for two hours to pack over 100 boxes of food. The fruits of their labor resulted in 23,328 meals, which will feed 63 kids a meal a day for an entire year. Though it isn’t easy work, they walked out feeling energized. “I think what everything comes back to is what it means to be in a sport,” says Pearce. “They know we aren’t just representing ourselves. We’re representing our team, our coaches, our schools, our principal, and our district.”
In addition to community projects, athletes in Richardson ISD are taught a robust character development curriculum called 2Words. The video-based lessons empower coaches and are provided to secondary athletes across all sports in the district. Lonnie Jordan, Richardson ISD Executive Director of Athletics says, “With the addition of programs like 2Words we are able to build, not just better athletes, but stronger young people who are prepared for every part of life.” The program teaches character, resilience in the face of adversity, and topics that foster leadership and good values.
Despite athletics taking more time and effort, on average, student-athletes have a higher average GPA and attendance rate than those who are not. “As an athlete, you don’t want to let your teammates down, so you know that you’re to focus in class, you’re going to try and put in effort, in the same way you wouldn’t want to disappoint them on the field.”
“What makes Richardson ISD Athletics special is the culture our coaches are creating in their programs. When athletes learn to serve, they discover how meaningful it is to lift others up. We are grateful for coaches, like Coach Pearce, who take the time to mentor athletes off the field, helping them grow mentally and emotionally,” says Jordan.
Experiences like this are intentional and designed to shape not just better athletes, but better people and graduates who are equipped for life.
