“So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive”
“Eye of the Tiger” - Survivor

As he began work on “Rocky III,” Sylvester Stallone had music on his mind. He contacted the group Queen to attempt to use “Another One Bites the Dust” as the theme tune for the movie, but he was denied.

Stallone then turned to Survivor, a Chicago-based band who had only one top-40 song in their career before Stallone tapped them to write the song for his movie.

The group wrote the lyrics from dialogue from the screenplay they were given as reference, so the song tied in tremendously well to the movie. Chord changes in the song are written to mirror the timing of punches. The band was so broke that they used a glued-together guitar in the recording of the song, and guitarist Frankie Sullivan swore the glued-head guitar had a different resonance that really added to the “street” sound of the song that Stallone was seeking.

“Eye of the Tiger” was released in 1982, and the song was an instant smash, holding the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and becoming the top song of Survivor’s career.

Huron students have been singing that song for more than 40 years and hearing the pep band play it to cheer on the local Tigers. My children were born 30 years after the release of the song and know every word.

For some reference, the top song 30 years prior to my birth? The original “Riders in the Sky” by Vaughn Monroe that was controversial in its reported stolen melody and lyrics from Stan Jones. Needless to say, I do not know every word of that song!

We come together as a community tremendously well to support our athletic teams, and for a brief moment of time, the athletes involved are local celebrities, for better or for worse.

Last weekend, Moses Gross ended one of the most storied wrestling careers in Huron history. However, he was one of six seniors on this year’s Tigers wrestling team, and he’s the only one who finished his season on the podium.

What becomes of those whose final games or meets or matches have recently been played or will be played in the next few weeks as basketball season comes to a close?

As far as community celebrity, it may be the end, but that can certainly be a blessing as much as a downfall. Athletics can be an incredible thing for building self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, and so many vital life skills, but unfortunately, like so many things in life, it becomes limiting.

Who you are off the field can be so much more than you are on the field. Former New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet had a rags-to-riches story on the field as an undrafted free agent who became the best receiver on a typically terrible Jets team, recording more than 500 career catches. Concussions ended Chrebet’s career, but he then took financial management exams and showed the skill to be a major player on Wall Street, managing funds worth billions of dollars.

Even those seemingly predestined for athletic greatness very well may find their true value to the world off a playing field. Myron Rolle had five cousins who played in the NFL, including All-Pros Keyshawn Johnson, Chad Johnson, Antrel Rolle, and Samari Rolle. To say he had familial push toward athletics would be understating the obvious.

Myron attended Florida State on a football scholarship and was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 draft by the Tennessee Titans, where cousin Samari had become a star. Instead of jumping into football, Rolle took a different path, spending a year studying at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar. He spent time on the practice squads for the Titans and Steelers after returning from England, retiring from football in 2012 - in order to attend medical school! Rolle is a pediatric neurosurgeon now, working in Florida.

The Huron boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have a combined seven seniors. One of the best compliments an athlete can receive came from girls’ coach Kody Kopfmann last Friday when speaking about the two seniors on his team.

“My two boys absolutely love them,” Kopfmann said, when asked about Madison Jurgens and Allison Janes. “Those two have worked so hard just to be here. I have no doubt they will be great at whatever they do in life.”

In the “Eye of the Tiger” song, it discusses trading passion for glory. Here’s hoping that each person participating in their final strive toward “glory” in their high school careers comes away still holding onto a passion in life that can truly make the world, not just between the lines, in the ring, or on the court, a better place.