Erwin Athletes Meet Hall-of-Famers

A collage showing the six Erwin students at different sites in Raleigh and posing with hall-of-famer Phil Ford.

By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department

Six Clyde A. Erwin High School athletes had the awesome experience of watching a state hall of fame induction ceremony and exploring Raleigh last weekend.

Erwin High Juniors Kayla Guerrero, Keyashia Meade, Annabelle Schultz, Emily Willis, Tristan Brank, and Jamonty Williams attended the Salute to Student-Athletes (SSA) program, which was created by the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (NCSHOF) to promote athletes as leaders and role models in their schools and communities.

“The trip was an invaluable experience for these six young student-athletes,” said BCS Athletics Specialist David Ball, who chaperoned the group along with Erwin Women’s Basketball Coach Matt Carpenter. “It was a great experience that these student-athletes will remember for a lifetime.”

On Friday, the students and their chaperones attended NCSHOF Induction Banquet, and on Saturday a panel of current and past hall of fame inductees captivated students with personal stories about the struggles and triumphs of their collegiate and professional sports careers.

“It was a great experience that these student-athletes will remember for a lifetime," said BCS Athletics Specialist David Ball.

“The five panel members were very candid, and their answers were riveting and kept the student's attention throughout the panel discussion,” Mr. Ball said. “The students heard from the panel about overcoming alcoholism, gender bias, being overlooked for promotions, physical injuries, and dealing with public perceptions. They heard how these obstacles did not prevent these individuals from having successful lives and careers and eventually becoming NCSHOF Members.”

The students also learned about North Carolina sports history and heritage during a tour of the NCSHOF Museum, and they got a broader look of the past at the North Carolina Museum of History.

“The North Carolina Hall of Fame Student Athlete Program goes above and beyond to make this a wonderful learning opportunity for young athletes,” Mr. Carpenter said. “The panelists and the hall of fame genuinely care about the success and well-being of all student athletes, not only in sports, but in life.”

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The panel consisted of three 2019 NC Sports Hall of Fame Inductees and two past Inductees (Dee Kantner, one of first female NBA officials; Eddie Bridges, N.C. Wildlife Resources guru; Joe West, Major League umpire; Phil Ford, basketball star at UNC and the NBA; and Paul Miller, football star at UNC).

Special thanks to Mr. Ball for providing the details and photos of this leadership development opportunity.

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