Riggin Wright is a senior on the flag football team. Her father, Steven Wright, more commonly known as Coach Wright, is the head coach of the varsity football team.
Being born into a football family, Riggin grew up spending almost all of her Friday nights on the football sidelines.
“Honestly, I loved having my dad as a football coach cause that’s where my love for football began,” Riggin said. “Since I was a little girl I’ve been throwing the football. I was always so proud of my dad because I saw his impact on others and the legacy he was leaving! And I still am proud,” said Riggin Wright.
Coach Wright has no sons to carry on his football legacy, but Riggin – his youngest of three daughters – got a chance to carry it on when flag football became a sport at Gibbons last year.
“Ever since I was a girl I’ve felt bad that my dad doesn’t have a son. While that may seem silly and my dad always says how happy he is to be a girl dad, I still felt bad. He would never get to see his son play his first tackle football game, or throw his first football, or win a state championship, or share that father-son bond that is so valued in our culture,” said Riggin.
Cardinal Gibbons just started their first flag football team last academic school year.
“When I first heard about flag football I got so excited. It’s the closest thing I could give my dad to having a kid play football. I was excited in itself because I was finally able to take what I’d learned from watching football the past 18 years of my life, and finally put it into play. My dad was incredibly proud of me, win or loss, and for once he got to be the parent in the stands watching instead of being on the field coaching,” said Riggin Wright.
When asked how he felt about not having any sons to continue his football legacy, Coach Wright said, “God’s given me something, in a lot of ways even better because in the fall, it’s almost like I have 70 sons.”
Football is a sport that can teach different core values.
“Football has honestly taught me so much. There are many life lessons in the game but honestly, it’s taught me patience,” said Riggin. “My dad never really looks at projected games, his focus is on what’s in front of him and that’s a valuable lesson of just focusing on the task at hand and doing it to the best of your ability because in the long run.”
Life lessons are important to learn over time, however, one thing is more important than any lesson.
“The most important thing to me is prayer. Honestly, I’ve seen miracles happen when praying, even for games. Football and flag football have taught me that it’s not in my hands what happens, it’s in God. It’s up to me, however, to take the good and bad games, praise Him for both, and learn from them. Also, I learned how to handle pressure and focus on the task at hand. The older I got the more I realized the crowd doesn’t matter. It was the task in front of me, taking it play-by-play, that would get me through the game. Of course, God was the one calming my thoughts.” said Riggin Wright.
God was just as important for her father as well. Coach Wright is a devoted Christian who preaches the Word in his household.
“Hopefully, she’s seen me and my wife’s relationship with Jesus Christ lived out at home, as well as me here at work,” said Coach Wright.
