By Don Ketchum

When it comes to supporting high school sports, many people talk a good game, but that’s about as far as it gets.

The Arizona chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals is backing up words with actions.

On Wednesday, the group presented Phoenix Trevor Browne cross-country coach Robert Mika and his athletes with a check for $4,000, raised through the efforts of Grey Sehnert in a recent “Dancing With the Stars’’-type competition.

The NAHRE also staged a running race, the American Dream Run, in October, and proceeds from that were given to Trevor Browne to purchase shoes for the track team and grass seed for the west Valley school’s athletic fields.

“It’s great for the kids that people show they care about them,’’ Mika said. “We want them to have the same opportunity as other schools.’’

Mika puts a premium on community involvement by his athletes. They work with elementary school-age kids with track and field events as a way to bolster self-confidence for the younger students and to show them that high school isn’t such a scary place.

The athletes also try to clean up their community and volunteer at running events. A handful of Trevor Browne athletes struck up a conversation with NAHRE members at a recent event, and the organization decided to “adopt’’ the school and its athletes, due in part to the fact that it is in a lower-income area.

“We wanted to find a way to reach out and help,’’ said Gail Buck, current NAHRE president. “After talking with the athletes, we came to admire them and their coaches and the dedication to their sport.’’

The NAHRE will offer a mentoring program, and hopes to raise funds for scholarships.

Some of the latest funds will be saved so that future cross country teams can have their entry fees covered at some of the bigger events, some of them out of town.

Sehnert, who owns her own real-estate brokerage firm and will be NAHRE president in 2012, was apprehensive about dancing at first because she had limited experience. So she worked with an instructor and won the 10-couple competition, part of the Noche De Gala event.

On Wednesday, Sehnert told the athletes: “We want you to reach all your goals, to never give up. There are great opportunities for you.’’

Sehnert said the group also hopes to assist with other campus improvements, such as in the cafeteria.

“This is just the beginning,’’ she said.