The Lion's Roar

The Lions Roar is Riverwalk Academy's weekly athletic newsletter. Each week we will keep you updated about what is going on in our athletic program. Introduce you to one of our student athletes, and provide you with information that is beneficial to you and your athlete as they strive to improve every day.

Riverwalk Academy’s athletic program, governed by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL), offers students in grades 7–12 the opportunity to compete in a variety of sports. Our coaches are dedicated to supporting student-athletes in their athletic journey while emphasizing academics, character development, and continuous improvement.

We strive to build well-rounded individuals by fostering perseverance, sportsmanship, and teamwork—traits that serve athletes well both on and off the field. Through goal setting, hard work, and overcoming challenges, our athletes develop resilience and determination that extend beyond the playing field. At Riverwalk, success is measured not only by wins but also by personal growth, teamwork, and the lasting lessons learned through competition.

In this section, we’ll share strategies to help our athletes develop habits that strengthen confidence, build grit, and foster lasting mental toughness.

Sports physicals for the 25-26 school year must be dated after April 1, 2025. Athletic physicals, as well as other necessary document, must be uploaded into planetHS before students are allowed to participate in athletics.

Broken to Better will provide athletic physicals in their office for a cost of $25.

Please contact Mr. Ball with any questions.

Directions for planetHS

Athletic Physical Form

There is an athletic fee of $65 per athlete per sport to compete in athletics. The athletic fee is used to help purchase athletic uniforms, shirts, equipment, insurance, rental fees, and other athletic costs. The athletic fees are due prior to the first competition. Fees can be paid on the school store or by clicking here.

We do offer an opportunity for a reduced fee of $50.00, which can be used for one sports season. To receive the “NFHS” rate parents need to complete the NFHS parent certification courses and the sportsmanship course.

If you have any questions please reach out to Mr. Ball.

Riverwalk Athletics is seeking community sponsors to help support our student-athletes and our athletic programs. Sponsorships provide valuable resources for equipment, travel, and opportunities for our teams, while also offering great visibility for local businesses. If your family knows of a company or organization that may be interested, please share this link with them: Sponsor Form. Together, we can continue building a strong foundation for our athletes’ success on and off the field.

October 18 - Volleyball (middle school) at Conference Tournament

October 18 - Cross Country at Starlight Invitational

October 20 - Volleyball at Chester

October 24 - Spirit Night at Ninety's Dessert Bar

October 25 - Cheer at Fort Mill Invitational

October 25 - Cross Country at County Championships

Cross Country at Starlight Invitational - $5 per person

Volleyball at Chester - Tickets are not posted at this time

Cheerleading at Fort Mill Invitational

September 29 - October 3

Kayla Silver - Volleyball

Philip Shugart - Swim

October 6 - 10

Evy Carroll - Cross Country

Gideon Nash - Swim

• Practice will be Monday - Thursday 3:15 - 5:30.
• The team will participate in the Fort Mill Invitational on Saturday, October 25. The team will perform around 1:00pm.

Contacts: Coach Rollins mail

Coach Huffstetler mail

As we move into the postseason, success comes down to focus, intentionality, and self-discipline. Every run, stretch, and recovery choice matters - small actions add up to big results. Be deliberate in how you prepare: show up on time, fuel your body right, and stay locked in during workouts.

But remember, running is meant to be fun. The best performances come when we compete with joy, gratitude, and pride in the work we’ve done together. Keep encouraging each other, keep smiling through the grind, and stay confident in your preparation. We as coaches are continuously proud of your efforts!

Remaining meets:

October 18th - Starlight

October 25th - York County Championships

October 28th - Region in McBee

State team:

November 7th - Qualifiers in Newberry

November 14 - State meet in Aiken

Contacts: Coach M. Wilson mail

Coach T. Wilson mail

Contact: Coach Palmer mail

• End of season celebration is Oct 30 from 6-7:30. Make sure you’ve let Coach George know your attendance numbers.
• Team Debrief - Thurs Oct 23 from 3-4. Middle school is welcome to attend - information about offseason workouts will be available.
• Offseason workouts - enjoy a month of rest, we will begin in December with regular strength training, conditioning and plyometrics to help with volleyball skills. Info to follow soon

Contacts: Varsity Coach George mail

Middle Coach Z. Washington mail

Contacts: Varsity Coach Dawson mail

Middle Coach Boatwright mail

Contact: Coach Glenn mail

Contact: Coach McConnell mail

Contact: Coach L. Washington mail

2025 Fall Captains Course

Looking for a way to show off your school pride? We have stickers available for purchase on the school store for $5.00.

We now have two options for you to purchase Riverwalk clothing items

The Riverwalk BSN Sideline Store is always open! Click here to purchase shirts, shorts, hats, and other accessories!

The Jostens Mascot Shop is available to purchase shirts, shorts, hats, jackets, and other items!

Student athletes that are part of a varsity team before the first competition and remain with the team throughout the year will earn a varsity letter.

Letterman jackets can be purchased through Jostens.

Click here for the sizing chart.

The basic letterman's jacket for Riverwalk Academy has already been designed and can be found on the website. From there you can customize the jacket to fit your taste.

Richard Ball

rball@riverwalkacademy.com

803-327-8423