RIO GRANDE VALLEY – In the early days of the 2022-23 basketball season, after a hard practice, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball head coach Matt Figger challenged his team. 
 
His words weren't related to the athletic performance of the student-athletes. His challenge was for the 15 young men standing in front of him to do something kind for someone else every day. He asked them to be a source of light, with even the smallest action, to make the world a little less dark. 
 
The Vaqueros men's basketball team was a great light in the community throughout the school year. They accumulated 1,086 hours of community service and assisted in campus and community cleanups, school and youth-centric activities, basketball camps and other competitions, and logged many hours with Be A Champion. 
 
They finished as the top men's team among all NCAA Division I programs for community service on the 2022-23 Helper Helper Service Report. The Helper Helper app gave the team an impact score of 100 as it went above and beyond to make a difference with 18 organizations. 
 
"Community service is the number one thing that I believe in," Figger said. "I believe your job as a young person is to help give to the community that you serve because serving is the right thing to do. I'm proud of my young men for serving others and ranking best in the country." 
 
UTRGV Athletics has shown an unwavering commitment to serving the community, and the efforts of the student-athletes once again earned them recognition on the 2022-23 Helper Helper report. 
 
UTRGV ranked No. 7 among Div. I programs with 3,706 hours of community service. The Vaqueros are the only Western Athletic Conference (WAC) or Texas school in the top 10, finishing behind North Dakota, Tulane, Towson, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh and Miami, and ahead of Providence, Old Dominion and Western Michigan. 
 
Every team on campus saw 100% participation from its student-athletes for volunteering. Their admirable efforts moved the Vaqueros up three places after finishing the fall semester ranked 10th nationally. 
 
Along with UTRGV leading all men's basketball and men's teams in general, UTRGV's men's track & field/cross country team ranked third in its category, men's golf was fourth in its sport, and men's soccer checked in at No. 6 among similar programs. The women's golf team ranked fourth in its sport. 
 
UTRGV's track & field/cross country program combined for an impressive 719 hours of service, with the men's teams tallying 293 combined hours. The student-athletes participated in campus and community-wide cleanups, food drives and youth-centric activities like assisting at track & field competitions and festivals. The program also offered a highly attended, free youth clinic in Brownsville. 
 
"It gives me an overwhelming sense of pride to see our student-athletes serve the community at a high level," track & field/cross country head coach Shareese Hicks said. "Our efforts give us a chance to reciprocate the outstanding support that we receive and goes a long way in strengthening our relationship with the community." 
 
The men's golf team tallied 133 hours. The Vaqueros made a difference in all parts of the Valley, volunteering their time to clean UTRGV's Brownsville campus and assisting with the RGV Partnership Association golf tournament and an all-women's golf clinic. The student-athletes also spent time working with the Special Olympics. 
 
"Giving back to the community is a reflection of their character and values. This is a reminder of the positive impact we can make when we work together and give back to those around us," men's golf head coach Houston Moore said. "It's important because it builds a sense of community and connection and creates a positive impact that can be felt far beyond the immediate moment."
 
The women's golf team recorded 238 hours with the student-athletes averaging a commendable 26 hours of service. They worked closely with the RGV Food Bank, spending time every Tuesday and Thursday through November aiding the organization as it gathered and organized food for needy families for the holidays. They worked with the RGV Partnerships Association and scholarship foundations through VAMOS, and served in Cameron County as well. 
 
"Our team's commitment to the community is the number one priority of our program and athletic department," women's golf head coach Bryan Novoa said. "We will never take our privilege for granted. We will always give back to the Rio Grande Valley and come from a place of gratitude to be able to do so."
 
UTRGV's men's soccer team accumulated 264 hours of community service. They volunteered at several local elementary schools and the RGV Food Bank, assisted with community marathons, and helped students on move-in day at the Edinburg campus, among other opportunities. 
 
"Any time you can be involved in the community like the student-athletes on our team have been is awesome," men's soccer head coach Bryheem Hancock said. "Taking time to visit elementary schools to read to students and to have a soccer clinic with the kids is so rewarding. You get to see the smiles on their faces which makes it so gratifying." 
 
Eleven of the 14 teams on campus eclipsed 100 hours of community service, including baseball (407), women's track & field (349), women's basketball (270), volleyball (207), women's soccer (192) and women's tennis (114). 
 
Vaqueros volunteered in towns across the Valley, serving multiple schools and youth centers and various organizations. Baseball, tennis, soccer, volleyball and track & field/cross country all hosted free youth clinics in Cameron County, reaching over 300 boys and girls. Additionally, student-athletes and coaches volunteered on School Day presented by Rio Bank, showing over 2,000 kids from multiple RGV schools around campus before they watched a women's basketball game. 
 
This is the second consecutive year UTRGV Athletics has finished in the top 10 nationally in community service efforts. During the 2021-22 school year, UTRGV student-athletes totaled 2,443 hours of service and ranked eighth among all Div. I programs according to Helper Helper's community engagement report. 

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