Many high schools across the country and in the state of Arizona are empty without students in the hallways because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But American Leadership Academy in Gilbert makes sure that its R.A.I.S.E. values are implemented, learned, and practiced no matter if it’s in the classroom, on the field, or virtually.

Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service, and Excellence. Those are the five values being taught by ALA to its students and to the varsity football team. They serve as a guideline on how to prepare the student for life after high school. 

They are even listed in all the student/parent handbooks that are given to every student and parent in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

Randy Ricedorff, varsity football coach at ALA, believes that whether his team wins or loses these values are engraved in the minds of his athletes in order for them to be prepared for their future.

“These values were implemented by the leadership at American Leadership Academy and they serve as standards that the students can hold on to. Not just to the football team but to every student at ALA,” Ricedorff said. “I try as much as possible to implement them into my coaching philosophy because I really believe that the values really represent something important.”

Ricedorff has won one state championship with the ALA Eagles during his four years at the head of the program, but he makes sure that he also focuses on the personalities and lives of his players besides trying to coach them to win football games. 

“Of course we want to win games and championships but to some of these kids, high school is their last time playing football and we want to make sure that we are preparing them for the life that they are about to take on once they fulfill their high school education,” Ricedorff said. “We want these students to become good members of society, be good husbands to their future wives, and good fathers to their future families.”

ALA quarterback Jack Ricedorff, Randy’s nephew, said he was initially shocked by the values that were being taught by the school because he never heard of a school that actually had something like that. “At first I thought it was a joke,” Jack Ricedorff said.

But eventually, through the years, Jack started to believe that these values are meant for both in the classroom and after high school. 

“Throughout the course of my high school career, I’ve seen these values have definitely helped me to become a better student, a better football player, a better person in general and it helps me prepare for life after high school,” Jack Ricedorff said. “Coaches are always telling us and mentoring us to be good men in society, be good husbands to our future wives, and good fathers to our future children. Coach (Randy) is a perfect example of what these values represent.” Jack Ricedorff said.

As a leader of the team during the pandemic, Jack saw that the R.A.I.S.E. was needed to be instilled even more in order for him and the team to follow rules in order to have a season. 

“We have to respect, which is the ‘R’ in the values, the rules, and the masks policies that are established because we all want to play football. We shouldn’t take this for granted whatsoever.” Jack Ricedorff said.

Jack has been the quarterback for his uncle for all four years of his high school career, and so far this season, he has thrown six touchdown passes and 728 yards in the first three games. Over his career, he’s thrown 52 touchdown passes and for 5,101 yards for the Eagles.

JT Slade, ALA’s defensive coordinator, also believes that his head coach is a prime example of the significance of what the R.A.I.S.E. represents. 

“These values align perfectly with the type of person our head coach (Randy) is,” Slade said. “They align with the type of people I try to surround myself with and coach Randy is that type of person. He was like that even before he was at American Leadership Academy.”

Slade said should be put into practice every single day during the season no matter the circumstances. 

“These values should be implemented before you even play a game. Do your teammates respect you enough? Are you being accountable to one another in the classroom and the weight room? All this is crucial before you are given the privilege and opportunity to play the game of football. And I believe that it all ties up to the last value which is excellence. We want to be the most excellent team at the end of the season. We want our athletes to excel beyond the football season as well.”

And just like coach Ricedorff and Jack Ricedorff, Slade also saw these values being accomplished more during this past offseason when the 2020 season was in jeopardy of not being played.

“We tried to have Zoom meetings just to stay active and connected with one another. It was hard at first but we were later seeing how the kids were creating group chats to stay connected and in those group chats, they were encouraging each other to attend the team meetings, to stay hungry for the season, and to keep working hard to be in the best possible shape in case they were able to play,” Slade said. “They were keeping each other accountable and we couldn’t ask for anything else from the kids.”