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.

Living Clean Week is next week, September 15-19, 2025.

The focus for this week is sportsmanship. Interscholastic sports is a prime environment to teach student-athletes the proper way to show respect to opponents and officials during competition. As coaches and parents it is our job to clearly explain and demonstrate what is and isn’t appropriate behavior.

Dos and Don’ts for Living Clean Week

Do: Respect Your Opponents; Show Respect to Officials; Be Humble in Victory and Gracious in Defeat; Model Good Behavior for Fans and Teammates; Engage the Community.

Don’t: Take Cheap Shots or show Unsportsmanlike Conduct; Don’t Blame or Yell at Officials; No Negative Social Media Posts; Don’t Lose Control in Tough Moments; Avoid Taunting or Gloating.

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.

September 13 - Volleyball (MS) at Bearcat Invitational

September 13 - Cross Country at Clover Invitational

September 15 - Volleyball (MS) at Great Falls

September 16 - Cross Country at South Pointe

September 16 - Volleyball (MS) vs South

September 16 - Volleyball vs Lewisville

September 17 - Spirit Night at Hobo's of Rock Hill

September 18 - Swim at Rock Hill

September 18 - Volleyball (MS) at North Central

September 18 - Volleyball vs GSSM

September 20 - Cheer at Rock Hill High School

September 20 - Cross Country at Hare & Hounds Invitational

Tickets for home events can be purchased here.

Volleyball (MS) at Bearcat Invitational

Cross Country at Clover

Volleyball (MS) at Great Falls

Swim at Rock Hill

Volleyball (MS) at North Central - $5 at the gate

Cheer at Bearcat Invitational

Emma Cabe

Volleyball

Mason Burns

Swim

Cheer practices in the MS/HS MPR Monday thru Thursday 3:15-5:30pm.

Cheer competition on Saturday, September 20!

Contacts: Coach Rollins mail

Coach Huffstetler mail

Parents,

We're entering a key part of the season where our team is increasing the intensity of workouts to improve performance and stay competitive across the board.

In addition to daily workouts and mobility training, we’ve emphasized to all athletes the importance of strengthening key areas, particularly the hips, glutes, lower legs, and core—through resistance band exercises. These can and should be done at home as part of their routine. It only takes 15 minutes a day!

Please encourage your athlete to stay consistent with this at home work. It plays a vital role in helping prevent injuries and building the strength and speed needed for peak performance.

We are incorporating these exercises into practice as well, so the athletes know them. If your athlete doesn’t yet have resistance bands, they can see one of the coaches, we’ll provide a one until they’re able to get their own. And if they need additional support with any of the workouts, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re here to help.

Thank you for your continued support! Go Lions!

Contacts: Coach M. Wilson mail

Coach T. Wilson mail

Congratulations to the following swimmers that set a school record this week:

Moises Hudson, Mason Burns, Gideon Nash, Lucas Pool - 200 Medley Relay

Moises Hudson, Mason Burns, Gideon Nash, Marquis Williams - 200-yd Freestyle Relay

Kendall Crisp, Audrey Wilson, Naomi Hudson, Taylor Adams - 200 Medley Relay

Naomi Hudson - 200 Freestyle

Naomi Hudson - 100 Butterfly

Audrey Wilson - 100 Breaststroke

Contact: Coach Palmer mail

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