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What started in local recreation leagues soon grew into something bigger. By the age of 7, Harbin had been invited to join a travel softball team, opening the door to opportunities across the region. Over the years, she played for teams in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Murfreesboro, sharpening her skills and gaining the kind of experience that only comes from competing at higher levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication carried her through four years at Lincoln County High School and into collegiate softball at Motlow State Community College. She continued her career at Bluefield College in Virginia \u2014 now Bluefield University \u2014 where she played for two years and even stepped into a coaching role for one season. She went on to expand her experience as a graduate assistant at the University of Rio Grande.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even as her playing career evolved, Harbin began to recognize that her future might not be defined by professional athletics, but by something just as meaningful \u2014 shaping others through the game she loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ve always wanted to coach softball,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I was little, I wanted to be a professional softball player, but as I got older and knew that probably wasn\u2019t in my cards, switching to coaching was number one for me because I love to see how the girls react to figuring things out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That passion eventually brought her right back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cComing back home was never not an option,\u201d she said. \u201cI was not going to stay away very long. I loved getting to experience life somewhere else and all that, meeting people, but coming back home was always in the plans because I love Fayetteville so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, Harbin is a physical education teacher at Highland Rim School, where her influence stretches far beyond the gym. Teaching runs in the family \u2014 her aunt, Pat Sarver, once held the same role at the school \u2014 but Harbin has made it her own, blending her lifelong love of sports with a deep commitment to her students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to teaching, she coaches both volleyball and softball, keeping her calendar full and her connection to athletics year-round. For Harbin, it\u2019s not just about sports; it\u2019s about growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn both the classroom and on the field, I try to push everyone to be the best that they can be because that’s what I remember most about my coaches and my teachers \u2014 they never let me give up when things got hard,\u201d she explained. \u201cFor all of my players, I try to foster a love of the game. I try to make them realize that they won\u2019t get to play forever, and I want them to know that it is a blessing to get to play anything at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s world, where young people often feel pressure to perform, Harbin said she strives to create something different \u2014 a space where they feel seen, supported, and valued exactly as they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said building relationships with her students so they know they have somebody is what matters most to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are certain points in everybody’s life where they feel like they don’t have anybody,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, I would like to be that person for them. I hope they remember that I love them, and that I am always there for them, no matter what. I love them with everything in me, and I would do anything for them.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For Fayetteville native Riley Harbin, sports have always been about more than hitting a ball or running faster. They shape character, build confidence, and reveal who a person is beyond the game. Long before she became a teacher and coach, Harbin learned to look past the scoreboard and see the person behind it. That perspective […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":26252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[69,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fayetteville","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/08\/submitted-1024x683.jpg\")
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