Congratulations to the Steward girls basketball team, which recently won the Williams Mullen Community Impact Award. The award, sponsored by Sports Backers, honors a sports team that improves their community through service to others. The award included a $2,500 gift, which was made on the team’s behalf to Steward in order to amplify their exemplary efforts. These top student-athletes were celebrated on June 5 at the Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner at Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel. The event featured Billy McMullen, former NFL and UVA All-American player, as the keynote speaker. 

Head Coach Kara Bacile said that the team is extremely honored to receive such a coveted award. “I’m so proud of our girls for all of their community service efforts this season,” she said. “For their work to be recognized and rewarded is special! We demand a lot of their time during the season on the court and in the classroom, but they always jump at the chance to help others … even if it means sacrificing more of their time.”

The event also celebrated Gates Fox '23, who was named a Sports Backers Scholar-Athlete Finalist and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship. A dedicated basketball and lacrosse player, Gates was lauded for her academic, extracurricular, and athletic achievements. Out of 95 applicants across the region, she finished in the top 20! 

The Spartans engaged in multiple community service projects over the course of the season. Each Saturday after practice from December-February, the team hosted a practice for the local Special Olympics team. “The girls basketball program has been working with the Special Olympics for the past five years,” explained Ms. Bacile. “As a culmination of the Special Olympics season, the team held a Special Olympics Play Day, which was full of competition and spirit!” The team organized all of the details: They made posters for each player, announced the game, coached the teams, participated as the opposing teams, and played alongside the athletes. Steward cheerleaders donated gift bags for each Special Olympics athlete, and the Spartan Club donated popcorn and drinks to the athletes and their families. 

In December, the team also spent a morning assembling 120 bagged lunches for the unhoused. All items were donated by the team’s families, and the girls handed out the lunches at Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Middle School History Teacher and Assistant Coach Wallace Inge was instrumental in getting the team connected with Richmond Friends of the Homeless to complete this project. The Spartan team’s generosity of spirit and talent exemplifies Steward’s commitment to encouraging students to make meaningful connections both on campus and off. 

This season, the Spartans, who finished 23-10 overall, were TCIS conference runner-ups and VISAA DII state semifinalists. In addition, the team won the TCIS Sportsmanship Award, and Ms. Bacile was named TCIS Coach of the Year. Way to go, Spartans!