In the fall of 1980, I received a seven-inch trophy. It had a little gold football player on the top and an engraved plate that read, “Marshall Ramsey, Most Improved.” It was my first real trophy.
I felt a surge of self-confidence. And receiving that moment of recognition changed my life for ever.
I was in seventh grade. The previous spring, I had tried out for football and it wasn’t pretty. By the end of spring practice, I was bruised inside and out. But I didn’t quit. I kept working. And by the end of that fall, I was standing there in front of my teammates and their parents.
Thirty-five years later, I can still feel that moment. I was pretty darn proud.
The Clarion-Ledger will be hosting the first MS Preps Banquet on the evening of May 28th in Jackson. New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees (a man who also knows a lot about hard work and not quitting) will be the speaker. Talk about star power. But the real stars in the room will be the student athletes from all around Mississippi. These young men and women have worked hard and sacrificed to get here. They are the best of the best. And what really appeals to me is that athletes from sports that normally don’t get the spotlight will also be getting their moment of glory on a big stage.
That’s awesome.
I know they’ll feel the same pride I felt so many years ago. And who knows, maybe the confidence they get from their trophy will propel them to the next level. And maybe, just maybe, one of them will be the speaker at the 20th MS Preps Banquet.
The banquet will be held at the Jackson Convention Complex and individual tickets are on sale for $50 through bestofmspreps.com. The deadline to buy tickets for the event is May 25.