GREAT FALLS — This past summer, Great Falls CMR senior soccer player Luke Stevenson went on a humanitarian trip to Thailand to volunteer and assist in building a new classroom.
"Just like to give back, and there's so much bad in the world, it doesn't hurt to put a little good back in to it," Stevenson told MTN Sports on Thursday before CMR's match against Belgrade. "Just be nice people, and others will be nice to you."
Stevenson followed in the footsteps of his siblings going on the trip.
"My siblings have all done humanitarian trips across different places," Stevenson said. "My brother in Argentina. My sister went to Thailand, in the same city I went to."
He said he developed "communication and teamwork" abilities while on his three-week journey. Two of which directly translate to athletic competition.
"Very few of them were able to speak English, and so we had to learn how to communicate outside of language, and be able to get along with each other," Stevenson said.
CMR coach Brian Clarke said that Stevenson has a great outlook on life, which shows on and off the soccer pitch.
"Off the field, Luke's one that, you know offering to help, looking around to see if there's a neighbor that might need talking to," Clarke said. "On the field, I think it's just a work ethic and a team-first mentality, knowing that he's a part of something bigger than himself."
Stevenson said working with the kids, and working with the people made it all worth it.
"Just because of how less fortunate a lot of the situations are, and seeing how hopeful they still are, and how much fun everyone can still have," Stevenson said.
After returning back to the United States, Stevenson said it "made me feel good" to see the completed version of the classroom he was helping work on.
"We were the fourth of five phases," Stevenson said. "And just seeing the classroom once it was finished, after we got back, and just how like happy all the kids were to be inside their new classrooms, it just made me feel good to see how much they were enjoying the building."
He would push a message out to anyone to go experience something similar.
"I would 100% recommend going and doing this even if it's within the U.S. or wherever," Stevenson said. "Giving back to community, and doing it for people that you don't know, and creating new bonds and friendships."
After Thursday, Stevenson and the Rustlers have one match remaining in the regular season next Tuesday against Bozeman.
