The UTRGV Men’s Soccer Team was supposed to open its regular season Aug. 25 in Houston as part of the Houston Baptist University Invitational.
However, when tragedy strikes like Hurricane Harvey did Texas less than two weeks ago, sports takes a backseat to the devastation, unity and heroic efforts that shine through in times of difficulty.
Four members of the men’s soccer team—junior Isaiah Hinds and sophomores Sergio Loredo Jr., Angel Lopez and Andy Rios—and their families call Houston home. Six hours away from loved ones, the group quickly realized this was a historic tropical storm turned Category 4 hurricane, and began to worry.
Hinds, whose grandmother’s house flooded up to the stairs with nearly 6 feet of water before they were rescued by boat, said he couldn’t believe the severity of the situation going on where he spent half his life.
“My initial reaction was I didn’t really think it was going to be anything that big; I just found out it was a tropical storm, I didn’t find out it was an actual hurricane, so my initial reaction was OK, it’ll be fine,“ he said. “When I saw the images and stuff I was, like, in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was actually seeing. Houses were underwater, the highways were all underwater … I couldn’t fathom.”
As of Friday, officials said at least 46 deaths were related to or suspected to be related to the storm, a number that could still rise as the damage clears. The devastation is life-changing and will require strength and resiliency that Texans and Americans share to overcome, resiliency that has been on display by the countless number of Good Samaritans who drove toward the danger to rescue people with boats, jet skis, kayaks and lifted trucks, those who started collecting donations and those who donated, people helping people.
Loredo’s family was out in floodwaters rescuing and evacuating nearby neighbors by kayak. He said he was thankful his family was safe.
“It makes me happy, because obviously I would like to be there to help others too,” the Houstonian said. “They’re just taking advantage of them being safe and they just want to help others with food, water and help them evacuate to a safer place. It’s nice to see everyone come together, not just this area but everywhere around the country, it’s good to see that people recognize that people are in need and they’re helping out.”
Fourteen student-athletes across the 16 UTRGV sports teams are from the area that suffered severe flooding and evacuations, an area that faces an uphill battle in rebuilding the place they call home.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, donations of money and supplies have come from all over the country.
UTRGV Athletics teamed up with Food Bank RGV and H-E-B to collect supplies to distribute to the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey. With both the women’s and men’s soccer teams hosting tournaments at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex on Thursday through Sunday. Fans who donated five non-perishable food items received a free ticket to the games, while students could donate and receive Orange Out for Hunger Action Month T-shirts.
Rios said while his family, who live in the north Houston suburb of Highlands, was safe, some of his friends had to be rescued. The redshirt sophomore was proud to see the effort UTRGV is making to help the place he and many other Vaqueros call home.
“It’s fantastic, honestly, because I know there’s quite a few people, not only on the soccer team, but around the campus, around all athletics that are from the greater Houston area, so it’s great to see the school and other organizations are trying to help out with the flooding in Houston,” Rios said. “I think it’s great because not only the community up there but communities elsewhere are all helping out that one area, so it’s great to see the whole state come together to help the community.”
Sports can bring unity in times of struggle; take the first NFL games after Sept. 11 or the New Orleans Saints first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, for example.
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt started a campaign on Twitter that raised over $15 million to help the city he plays for professionally.
Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lew Hill donated UTRGV shirts and shoes to University of Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, who plans on distributing the collected gear from collegiate programs to kids and families in the Houston area.
Lopez said the families of the four men’s soccer players are friends and have supported each other throughout the difficult time. He’s proud to see the impact universities and celebrities are having in helping Houston recover.
“It’s a really good thing for schools to send donations and clothing. … I’ve seen on Twitter there’s a bunch of celebrities donating money to Houston and it feels good because everybody’s in need right now,” Lopez said.
Hinds, a Klein High School graduate, said the soccer field helps take his mind off the situation temporarily. While the UTRGV Men’s Soccer Team begins its 2017 campaign, the Houston native appreciates what everyone is doing to help the city he loves bounce back.
“To me, I appreciate it, and especially from the people in Houston,” he said. “I’m sure they appreciate seeing people that don’t actually live in Houston but they’re caring and they’re helping and they’re doing everything they can so that it will be a faster recovery for the city.”
