With Murphy Stadium under construction last school year, the disappearance of home football games lowered spirit and attendance. Things had to be different this year to spread school spirit and encourage our athletics program.
Seeing a video of two students, Jackson Richards and Tristan Richardson, on my Instagram page promoting the first game of the season and encouraging students to attend immediately informed me that Tristan, or TJ, would be perfect for the first Athlete of the Month. His unmatched uniting energy has brought the football team success and undeniably earned him the spot as Athlete of the Month for October.
TJ started playing football in 7th grade. Inspired by his older brother, he felt called to follow in his footsteps. He has led the team to a winning record of 3-1 and has been a part of extreme team-wide improvement. In the 2021 season, BC High went 1-11. Last year, they “improved a bit,” but it was difficult with no home games. BC High has had a true comeback story with a winning record, the only loss being by 1 point this year.
Tristan is especially proud of the work he put in during his Junior year and off-season. “I really worked towards a goal of playing in college, and the work really paid off,” he said. So far, TJ has received an offer from Wagner, a D1 team. Tristan credits this success to his coaches, specifically Coach Mantie, saying, “He is always reaching out to coaches and ensuring we all have opportunities to play in college … [Mantie] has our back and makes sure we are the best.”
Even with his winning energy and impressive achievements, being a student-athlete is difficult. With daily practice, Tristan doesn’t get home until 7:30 each night, giving him little time for schoolwork. He advises other students to “use your free time to your advantage.”
He acknowledges the difficulties of balancing school and sports but emphasizes that school comes first. “Coaches will always understand that,” he says. He has also dealt with some injuries throughout his career. Last season, he had a shoulder injury and has dealt with Achilles’ problems this year. While they felt devastating at the time, he credits his rebound to the skills of coaches and training room staff. “They get you back on the field as soon as possible,” he explained.
When asked how he will use his achievements to impact our school positively, Tristan explains, “I hope that my class is a beam of change in BCH athletics.” He remarked on how many great memories BC High athletics has made in his high school career and hopes others feel inspired to have the same experience. With his unstoppable attitude and athletic skill, Tristan is perfect for the 2023 school year’s first Athlete of the Month.