Coach Rick Andreassen, founder of Saints International, a physical education program for home school students, received the “Heroes Among Us” award at the Panthers vs. Blue Jackets hockey game on January 29. The award recognizes South Florida heroes who strive to serve and show selflessness in our community.

CJ George, a home school student who attended Saints, nominated Coach Rick for the award. George, who was often anxious and struggled with panic attacks, said Coach Rick always displayed patience, love and encouragement toward him. George said the athletic spirit he learned at Saints carried him through stage three cancer and two years of chemotherapy.

Coach Rick has been operating Saints for eighteen years and has shown love and joy to children in five states and five different countries. Begun in Florida as a way for homeschooled students to participate in athletics, Saints has now expanded to orphanages, boy homes and children’s centers in other countries. The motto of Saints is “Where Jesus is Lord and every child is a winner.”

Loving children unconditionally on the athletic field is the number one priority of Coach Rick and his coaching staff. To learn more about Saints, visit saintsofflorida.com.