By Claire Richardson

As a team captain this season, Claire Richardson will be counted on to be a leader both on and off the basketball court.

“Claire is only in her second year, but she displays a lot of leadership qualities.  She is a vocal leader that works really hard to make herself and her teammates better,” said women’s basketball head coach Chad Romanuk.

“I’m a very loud person, a vocal leader. I enjoy encouraging the girls and seeing them get better,” adds Richardson. “I really love seeing the joy on their faces when they do something right.”

Richardson, a second-year Biblical Studies student, is excited about the young roster that has been assembled this season. One of only three returning players from the 2012-13 roster, she knows that the team is young and inexperienced, but is encouraged by the energy that is brought to the gym each day.

“They are eager to play, eager to run,” says Richardson. “They are not lazy, they don’t complain. They’re just ready to go hard in drills. We’re playing for the glory of God, so it is different than any other team in the league. We do want to win, but we want to glorify God in all we do. Our whole team is in agreement in that.”

Richardson hails from Brownfield, Alberta and played her high school basketball at Prairie Christian Academy in Three Hills, Alberta. The couple whom she lived with during her years at PCA encouraged her to attend Briercrest, as they had both been part of Briercrest Athletics.  They told her that the Briercrest community was amazing and that they were sure that she would love the experience as much as they both had. Claire wanted to play ACAC basketball, so the opportunity to also learn about the Bible while playing made it an ideal situation.

“When I came I fell in love with the team and the whole Bible College atmosphere,” said Richardson.

Richardson explained that outside of basketball the dorm life has been amazing.

“Winning the Briercrest Olympics as part of Whit One was pretty sweet,” said Claire. “Just having those sweet moments together in the dorm has been incredible. There are some girls that I will be friends with the rest of my life. That’s pretty special.”

Richardson won a Provincial Championship in Grade 12 and hopes to bring that leadership to the team and help lead Briercrest to the playoffs during her tenure.

Coach Romanuk feels that she brings much needed leadership and athletic ability to the team in many capacities and hopes to see her build on her rookie 2011-12 season.

“Last year she was our leading rebounder and we look to her to do the same for us again this year.  I also expect her to step it up in the scoring department, as we are a very young team and will be looking for our young veterans to Dress up Games lead us in many of the statistics this year,” says Romanuk. “Claire has such a servant heart, and leads our team with a servant attitude.  I am looking forward to watching her develop over this next year as a player as well as a leader.”

One cannot talk about Claire Richardson without mentioning her love for farming. After her time at Briercrest is over she would love to go back to the farm and smell the scent of harvest in the fall.

“The only thing I would like to do is be a farmer,” says Richardson. “I haven’t been home for a harvest in quite a few years, so being home for harvest would be amazing!”

Richardson brings a farmer’s work ethic to her team each and every day and hopes to reap a beautiful harvest by the time her career at Briercrest reaches a close.