LUBBOCK, Texas — Lubbock Christian School reinstated the Rick Furr Courage Award Tuesday, one day after announcing it would be discontinued, according to a letter sent to the LCS community.
Athletic Director Chris Softley said in the letter that he had originally thought discontinuing the award would keep it, “special and set apart,” but that he changed his mind following the outpouring of support for keeping the award.
Over 400 people signed the Change.org petition created on Monday that asked the school to continue giving the award, created to honor the life and legacy of Rick Furr, a longtime assistant baseball coach and head softball coach at LCS.
The award was first presented in 2010, according to a press release announcing the award. The award plaque from that year said the award would be presented annually, “to the male and female athlete at LCHS who represents the courage, dedication, heart, desire and love that exemplifies those characteristics synonymous with Coach Rick Furr.”
Furr began coaching at LCS in 2002, according to a press release. He was an assistant coach in 2007 when LCHS won the Texas Association of Private and Perochial Schools baseball state championship, and was head coach when LCHS won the TAPPS softball state championship in 2014.
Furr passed away in 2016.
The Change.org petition said the award was for athletes who, “underwent difficulties but continued to endure.”
“Coach Furr’s legacy and love should be passed down from generation to generation,” the petition said. “It is a disservice to the future athletes at LCHS who will now not have the opportunity to hear about Coach Furr’s life.”
Kalee Robinson, who was the first female athlete given the award in 2010, said in a Facebook post that receiving it was one of the greatest honors of her life.
