I must say that today as we announced the names of the sophomores that are getting ready to move on to other schools next season; I had a tear in my eye. I have come to love the USC Salkehatchie family but I have really come to love the young men and women that attend our university, as my own. I have stated this in several other blog posts but I would put our kids up against any in Region X, the NJCAA or the entire country. We have kids that want to achieve and I am thankful for a place like USC Salkehatchie in the state of South Carolina. I was probably like many of you before I became part of the USC Salkehatchie family, I knew that it existed but I didn’t fully understand what it meant to so many of our youth, not only in South Carolina but the entire country and beyond.
For some of our athletes if it wasn’t for USC Salkehatchie they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to continue their dream of playing a college sport. I don’t mean that they were not good enough to go to other schools but after talking to many of our athletes, USC Salkehatchie was the only one that wanted to take a chance on them. I smile every time one of our player’s sign with another school as they prepare to graduate from USC Salkehatchie. It is with each signing that I fully understand our coaches ability to evaluate talent. I know that some of our athletes will not continue to play sports after they leave us, but I know they will move on with an associate degree in hand and many will move on to a four year university to further their education.
I want to again thank you, the parent for allowing your child to attend USC Salkehatchie. It is you that believed in not only your child’s dream of playing college athletics but you believed in USC Salkehatchie and on behalf of the USC Salkehatchie athletic family, I thank you.
For some students they will have mixed feelings about leaving USC Salkehatchie as they move on to the next phase of their career but I can assure you that once they get older, the memories that they made when attending USC Salkehatchie will be lasting, some good, some bad, but this will hold true in everything they do in life.
For some of our athletes if it wasn’t for USC Salkehatchie they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to continue their dream of playing a college sport. I don’t mean that they were not good enough to go to other schools but after talking to many of our athletes, USC Salkehatchie was the only one that wanted to take a chance on them. I smile every time one of our player’s sign with another school as they prepare to graduate from USC Salkehatchie. It is with each signing that I fully understand our coaches ability to evaluate talent. I know that some of our athletes will not continue to play sports after they leave us, but I know they will move on with an associate degree in hand and many will move on to a four year university to further their education.
I want to again thank you, the parent for allowing your child to attend USC Salkehatchie. It is you that believed in not only your child’s dream of playing college athletics but you believed in USC Salkehatchie and on behalf of the USC Salkehatchie athletic family, I thank you.
For some students they will have mixed feelings about leaving USC Salkehatchie as they move on to the next phase of their career but I can assure you that once they get older, the memories that they made when attending USC Salkehatchie will be lasting, some good, some bad, but this will hold true in everything they do in life.
I am just the sports information director (a part-time one at that) but I have seen your child mature over the past year, I have seen them mature not only on the field but in the classroom and on an everyday basis.
I hope today as you stood outside the fence, maybe with your camera in hand, you felt the same pride as I. For you, the student-athlete I hope you will cherish this moment forever and remember USC Salkehatchie as you move forward, I hope you will think of it as the place that gave you your shot at living out your dream.
I know that every moment at USC Salkehatchie may not have been a great experience but if you look hard and as you grow older you will see, what we told you on day one still holds true, “Start here, go anywhere”.
