SZVETITZ COLUMN: Area athletes should be proud

It was another great day for area athletes. A great day.

Twenty-eight area high school seniors signed football scholarships Wednesday on National Signing Day, 22 of them came to the Opelika-Auburn News for our annual luncheon.

But it’s wasn’t just football players who made the day. Two area athletes signed track and field scholarships to SEC schools — Auburn High’s Mary Ashton Nall to Ole Miss and Lanett’s James Harris to Mississippi State.

Also, Auburn High’s Leigh Anne Kuhn inked a soccer scholarship to Division II Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.

And that’s just what happened Wednesday. For the last couple weeks, there’s been at least two signings per week around the area with athletes taking the next step in not only their athletic careers, but also with their education.

Well done. Congrats to all of you, and your families.

What a day. What an opportunity.

As many of the athletes we talked to Wednesday said, playing college ball is most definitely a dream come true. All the hard work and dedication has paid off. And not just on the field, but in the classroom.

Remember, you have to have the grades to get in. Contrary to popular belief, academics do matter.

To play at the next level — heck, to even get a look by a college program — you have to have those three things: work ethic, talent and grades. Two of the three won’t cut it. Just ask the countless great, talented athletes who never got a chance at furthering themselves athletically because their grades weren’t up to par, or because they didn’t have the dedication.

I’ve known too many to count.

But signing a scholarship just isn’t about the athlete. Sure, they deserve the bulk of the credit and praise, but they didn’t get there by themselves.

Let’s give a hand to all the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters who lent a hand or a swift kick over the years.

You guys deserve just as much credit. All the practices you drove to. All the times you went without so you could afford to support your loved one’s obsession with sports. Oh, and the gas money. All the gas money.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the coaches. Talk about time. Talk about effort. And gas money, too.

There were a lot of proud faces in our newspaper building Wednesday, parents, coaches, family and friends there to support the athletes they love one more time.

With the stroke of a pen, all those years, all that time and all the money proved to be well worth it for everyone involved.

Also with that signature, the athletes, whether they knew it or not, signed onto something more than just a college scholarship. They signed their payback note — a pledge to carry on the same hard work, talent and academic prowess that brought that letter to their mailbox in the first place.

It’s a big responsibility, but one I’m sure they all can handle. And if it gets tough, they’ve all got a huge support system to fall back on.

Again, congratulations to all our signees and their families, friends and coaches.

You’ve made us all proud. Now, keep up the good work.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at mszvetitz@oanow.com or 737-2513.