As the Texas tradition of Friday Night Lights goes full steam ahead, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que continues their commitment to high school sports and extracurricular activities that reinforce the benefits of performance both on and off the field.

“The team at Soulman’s knows that the notion of teamwork starts at a young age, and we absolutely see the benefit of participating in sports, belonging to a team and building self-esteem for lifelong gain. We want to support the communities who support us, whether it is through sponsorship, scholarships, advertising or on-site Your Nights to help fund specific programs from elementary to high school,” says Brett Randle, CEO of Soulman’s Bar-B-Que.

Studies find that past participation in high school sports helps youngsters develop a host of crucial skills that give them a leg up as they enter the work world and achieve success for decades afterward. The Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies has found that teenagers who played sports developed stronger leadership skills, worked better in teams and demonstrated more confidence.

Randle continues, “I pretty much played every sport in high school, from football to soccer to lacrosse, even golf. Through those experiences, I was afforded skills like time management, mental toughness, discipline and focus. Those skills help me every day to thoughtfully and purposefully lead a team, make business decisions under pressure and spread the sense of accomplishment companywide. Our corporate culture has been greatly influence by sports, so of course we want to pay that forward.”

Communities and schools who have benefitted by Soulman’s include: Allen High School, Rockwall Heath High School Hawks Booster Organization, Rockwall High Scholl Jacketbackers Football and Baseball, Van Vandals Baseball, Quinlan ISD, Van ISD Education Foundation, North Forney FFA Alumni and Cedar Hill Booster Club.