Hedwig Village, Texas (KTRK) – Schools in the Houston community are trying to recruit students to return to the classroom after many of them disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a nationwide challenge, but Spring Branch Independent School District is calling on a longtime partner to help them with this problem.
At Spring Branch, more than 100 kids are on the playground on a hot evening in early August, trying to pick up speed until they’re better at soccer, tennis, basketball, or any other sport that requires a fast foot. But, as for KC Miralrio, his mother says she didn’t register him with the Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association, or SBMSA, just to help out with football.
“He made him what he is today. Now, I make him study more to be on the right track for school work. He wants to wake up every day now because we tell him you can be the best out there, but if you don’t you don’t have academics the right to,” said Chasidy Miralrio. You don’t play.”
Spring Branch ISD lost about 5% of students during COVID, a number not as many students as some other local areas have lost. However, the district does not want students to drop out or lose out on younger students who have missed important years of education.
“I think it’s transformative,” said Paige Hershey, executive director of athletics at SBISD. “I think kids see themselves differently when they have other people in the community standing around them.”
Hershey and other district leaders said they wanted to see the kids north of Interstate 10, where resources are more compact, exposed to all area sports early and let families know each other.
“When they have the opportunity to meet and play sports, they now know each other and are more willing to stick around the school and become part of the PTA,” Hershey said.
SBMSA Director of Football Chris Thompson said the program, which began in the 1960s, is seeing a record number of participants.
“COVID has really helped SBMSA,” Thompson said. “The ability to deliver the sport, to work through those guidelines, and to be able to continue to be involved in the sport, our numbers in all of the programs have grown and continue to grow.”
Brenda Reda said sixth grader Rico had anger issues and was misbehaving in school, but not since his success at SBMSA.
“He started to get more play back, more focus on football, and that (him) affected the school,” said Reda. “He was excited. His grades came home, he started staying in for lessons, and he started inviting his teachers to his games. I saw a really big difference.”
“She taught me manners and discipline,” Rico said.
The district hopes that the partnership will continue to help them reach students because victories in any arena or field are good for children’s confidence and self-discovery.
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