Stoneman-Douglas Football players visit Miami Hurricanes Spring Practice
![ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Mark Richt of the Miami Hurricanes talks in the huddle during the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Head coach Mark Richt of the Miami Hurricanes talks in the huddle during the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/91e99eb11b9dd9436d45e03d694c5d594b801fb79967e1910cb9f85faa272796.jpg)
Richt was also very impressed by the activism the survivors of the shooting have been taking against gun violence since the tragedy.
"“Sometimes when change is needed, people have got to step up and stand up for what they believe,…Everybody has different opinions on what should or shouldn’t happen, but the beauty of this country is the ability to say what you believe and have faith and confidence that you’ll be heard. When you do it in numbers, it makes a bigger statement. I’m proud of them for doing that.”"
Getting back to some sense of normalcy has been important for the Douglas community and particularly the football team to heal. May spoke about its importance with the Sun Sentinel.
"“It’s unbelievable how much it helps. It takes their minds off everything else for a minute and they just are back to being kids again, not back to reliving that day, “I know one of my kids said, ‘Coach, I’m having a hard time sleeping. I can’t get the gunshots out of my head. I constantly hear the shots.’ They’ve seen a bunch of bad stuff. I’ve sat down with my kids and they’ve told me what they saw. … When you come out here, you forget about all of that. You’re just a kid again. You just play. You get to run and catch and throw. “This is their safe zone. I really see that in them.”"
Next: Mark Richt will be Miami Hurricanes Head Coach until he retires
The Hurricanes were just the latest sports team trying to do their part to help the community of Parkland heal. Four survivors threw out the first pitch at the Marlins game on Friday night. Several other college football teams have also called the school to offer their condolences.