by Walter Brasch
The
signing season has begun.
Look through your local newspaper for the next few
weeks, and you’ll see a lot of posed pictures of high school athletes.
Everyone
will be at a desk or table.
Around
each one will be their parents and their coach. In some cases, add in an
athletic director, a principal, and someone representing a college the young
athlete is planning to attend.
It
makes no difference if it’s a Division I or Division II school; sometimes it’s
even a Division III school. Star athletes at the end of their high school
careers get photos and applause. They can even get special financial aid and
scholarships just for being able to play a sport well. At Division I
universities, they also receive special academic tutoring to make sure they
stay eligible.
Excel
on an athletic field, and the local media will take your picture and write
stories about you. If you’re good enough, the sportswriters might name you “Athlete
of the Week” and present you with a certificate or small plaque.
