Today is National Signing Day and congratulations to all of those high school student athletes moving on to the next level in their athletic career. It is also a time to remember a few people that have shared their journey.

Everyone who’s signing on to play at the next level has teammates that have supported and contributed to that athlete's success. A number of those teammates will find that continuing their involvement in athletics means intramural fields in college, local recreation leagues or clubs, and coaching the next generation of young local athletes. Their tireless commitment to practice and the team made everyone better.

There are also the coaches that provided encouragement when there was despair, challenged everyone to get a little better everyday, and made grades matter.

There are parents that were up early or late traveling to games and practice, manning the booster club concession stands, and making academics important.

There is a lot of success to celebrate, but National Signing Day is also a good time for a reminder that it’s difficult to achieve anything without shoulders to lean on.