Renaii Ortiz has coached San Antonio Sports i play! afterschool team at Briscoe Elementary since the program was introduced at the campus seven years ago. She’s had great success, with school teams winning tournaments or placing in the top three 11 times since 2014, including the Red McCombs soccer tournament held in October.
Ortiz, who also teaches fifth grade at the school, enjoys coaching all the sports, but volleyball and soccer are her favorites.
The impact of the program can be seen in the kids who go on to play sports at Harris Middle School and then on to high school. The coaches at that level say Briscoe’s athletes are “well rounded” and “disciplined.”
What’s the secret to her success? “Being consistent and developing basic skills in each sport; getting lots of practice in; and preparing for competition,” she explains. “Stick with the basics.” As both a teacher and a coach, Ortiz enjoys seeing her kids grow as individual learners and grow into leaders. It’s not just playing a game, but “developing lifelong learning in both the classroom and in sports.” She has seen success with students growing as athletes and into leaders around the school whom younger kids look up to.
Ortiz is a fan of San Antonio Sports i play! afterschool program. “It gives kids opportunities that are really great for developing team skills early on. It teaches discipline and integrity, helping a child become well-rounded. This program also helps kids in the classroom because it motivates them to keep their grades up and helps with behavior problems by teaching behavior modification through sports,” she explains.
Ortiz expressed how much the kids appreciate the opportunity to be a part of a sports team when they may not have access to sports because of the cost. “It keeps the kids involved and out of trouble.”
Anaceli Zapata (10) is a fifth grader at Briscoe Elementary. Her favorite sport is soccer because she enjoys the conditioning and running. Her favorite part of the program is teamwork…being a part of a team and learning to communicate and work together as a team to win. She says she values the program because, “the coaches can trust you to get your work done so we can practice.” Zapata also enjoys that she gets to exercise every day. “It keeps me active.”
Teammate Ileana Jimenez (11) is also in the fifth grade. The two have become friends through class and being on the i play team together. Ileana’s favorite sport is tennis and she enjoys having an outlet for her energy. She also likes strengthening her arms and running. The main thing she has learned from the i play program is, “it’s not a team without communication and working together.” She likes that “we get to play all these sports for free, which we wouldn’t be able to do if we had to pay for a program. It helps us connect socially with other kids through playing sports.”
Only fifth graders, yet both girls understand the value of sports and how it is important for kids to stay healthy and active. The future bodes well for these two and their teammates at Briscoe.
*written by Marina Schweitzer, San Antonio Sports communications intern, who is graduating from Trinity University in December.