Basketball Without Borders: BYU Athlete Richie Saunders Is Changing the Game | My Member Story

Richie Saunders, shooting guard for the Brigham Young University (BYU) basketball team, has been playing sports his entire life. But, unlike many young people, he decided early on that sports would not be his only focus.

In addition to excelling at sports, he has not only volunteered his time to help people—he has led the charge!

The sporting life

Growing up, Richie loved both baseball and basketball. He stood out on both field and court but, at the age of 12, his father asked him to commit to focusing on one. “I grew up playing baseball, and I had to make the decision to really focus on basketball,” he recounts. “My family is a big basketball family, and they kind of nudged me to make that switch.”

Richie’s family has been a significant driving force in his basketball journey. One of his sisters played college basketball, and most notably, his father, who played basketball at UC Davis, has helped with his training from the beginning. “Every morning at 5:00 or 5:30, we’d be training at the church,” he recalls. “Now, two decades later, he’s still a big part of looking at the game and thinking about different actions and strategies. He’s still huge for me.”

College bound

As the end of his high school years came into sight, Richie had some big decisions to make—one of which was where he was going to play college basketball. Richie’s dedication to his craft paid off, and he was courted by several different schools. He ultimately decided to play for BYU, siting the fond memories he had of watching their games as a child. “I couldn’t pass up on home,” he says.

According to Richie, the road to playing for BYU was difficult and one of growth. “It’s a lot of hard work, but I love it.”

Friends, teammates and partners

Something else that influenced Richie’s choice to choose BYU was that he gets to play with his good friend Fousseyni “Fouss” Traore, who came from Mali to live with Richie and his family to get an education. They spent a lot of time together in their teen years and formed an unbreakable bond. “When I was 15,” Richie shares, “Fouss came over from Mali and lived with my family. During those years that we lived together, we grew super close.”

Not only have they created an explosive partnership on the court as teammates at BYU, but they also have aligned to create a nonprofit organization doing good work in Mali. The Fouss Foundation, named after Richie’s friend, is focused on improving the lives of the people of Fouss’ home country and introducing them to the benefits of basketball.

So far, the foundation has put on several basketball camps and erected outdoor hoops. Unfortunately, there is only one indoor basketball court in Mali, and shoes and other equipment are hard to come by. The Fouss Foundation has started the process of building a 20-acre sports complex. This ambitious project could put Mali on the world stage for basketball. “I had the opportunity to go to [Fouss’] home country several times,” Richie remembers. “I came back from my mission, and me and Fouss, we wanted to do something together to help his country because we both just love that place. There are so many good people in Mali.”

Richie and the Fouss Foundation are well on their way to creating something near and dear to their heart and meaningful to the people of Mali.

Building a future

As if a thriving college basketball career and humanitarian work weren’t enough to keep one man busy and fulfilled, Richie has also experienced big life changes as well. Last year, he married the love of his life, Sierra and, shortly after their one-year anniversary, they bought their first home.

Richie has been banking with Mountain America Credit Union since he was ten years old, when his parents helped him open an account with the money he earned from mowing lawns. He has trusted Mountain America with his finances ever since. So, of course, it was his first choice for his mortgage. “As first-time homebuyers, it’s scary! There’s so much that we don’t know, that we’ve just never experienced,” he confessed. “We talked to different people throughout the process that really just taught us, and [buying a house] went from being just a dream to actually, like, being signed and done in reality.”

When he looks to the future, Richie hopes to continue playing basketball competitively, whether that be in the NBA or overseas. We’re excited to see what amazing things he accomplishes with his penchant for hard work and the love of his craft!