Grant Teaff Beyond the Game Team Award
“Helping coaches,athletes and teams to use their influence to make a difference in their
communities has been my passion. Going beyond the game to serve others benefits the
recipient and helps to create servant leaders.”
-Grant Teaff
College Football Hall of Fame Coach Grant Teaff, with the support of the Texas High School Coaches Association, the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association, Dave Campbell’s Texas Sports and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame will recognize servant leadership and community service initiatives by Texas high school sports teams.
Our goal is to encourage athletes to go beyond their efforts on the field/court of play and use their platform to help serve their communities.
The service must be performed by a high school team in any male or female sport and may include, but is not limited to, building homes, volunteering at a food bank or homeless shelter, mentoring elementary school students, community and residential cleanup, encouraging those with special needs, etc.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
& COMMUNITY SERVICE
RECOGNITION
The highest ranked team based on judges scoring will receive a $5,000 grant, a table for eight (8) at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction on April 17, 2027 and be recognized during the ceremony. Four hotel rooms will be provided for the night of the event. A three-minute video describing the team’s service and outcomes will be aired at the induction. The team video will also be added to the Grant Teaff Beyond the Game display at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
The Grant Teaff Foundation will also award twenty (20) $1,000 grants to deserving Texas high school athletics teams.
2024-2025 Recipient, Freeman High School Softball
The Grant Teaff Foundation will award one (1) $5,000 grant and twenty (20) $1,000 grants to Texas high school athletics teams.
ENTRY
Participating high school teams will complete the online entry form on the Grant Teaff Foundation website describing your service project along with a community impact statement including outcomes. Please view the scoring rubrix to help submit your most effective application.
The entry must be accompanied with photos and/or videos uploaded to the entry form (below).
NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY, COACHES, PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS.
Deadline for 2027 Award
is MARCH 6, 2027
Projects must be completed within March 25, 2026 – March 6, 2027
AWARD PROCESS
Award criteria will include Service Description, Impact & Project Outcomes and Statements from Those Impacted. It is important that all fields on the submission form be completed and photos and videos are relevant to your service description. Submissions will be scored based on the following criteria:
Team Community Service Description (0–3 points)
Clarity and completeness of the description of the service project.
3 points: Clear, detailed, and well explained
2 points: Adequate description with minor gaps
1 point: Limited detail or unclear
0 points: Very vague or incomplete
Community Impact & Project Outcomes from the team (0–3 points)
Explanation of outcomes from service project (2 paragraphs or less).
3 points: Clear, detailed, and well explained
2 points: Adequate description with minor gaps
1 point: Limited detail or unclear
0 points: Very vague or incomplete
Statements from Those Impacted (0-3 points)
Inclusion and quality of statements from individuals or groups served.
3 points: Clear, detailed impact statement from those served
2 points: Adequate impact statement with minor gaps from those served
1 point: Impact statement was detailed, but NOT from those served
0 points: Impact statement very vague, incomplete
Photos and/or Videos Included (0-2 points)
Relevance and quality of visual documentation.
2 points: Clear, relevant photos/videos showing the project
1 point: Media included but not relevant to project
0 points: No photos or videos
Completeness of Online Entry (0–1 points)
All required components completed and submitted correctly.
1 point: All requirements met
0 points: Incomplete submission
The entries will be judged by a panel that includes members of the Teaff family, the Texas High School Coaches Association, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Judges will select and notify the team by March 25, 2027.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CALL Meg Messitt at 254-756-1633
meg.messitt@tshof.org
