I have always had an appreciation for high school athletes. I was never much of an athlete even though I tried to play volleyball and softball.

Back in my high school days, athletes didn’t have as many distractions. Oh, there were the usual things like the opposite sex, running around with friends, and working a part-time job. People around my age can remember a time when homework came first, going to the library was a nightly occurrence (if working at a job wasn’t), and teens were expected to be home before 10 p.m. on school nights.

Juggle all of this with sports practices, games, and the usual teen angst of hair, clothing, and peer pressure and you have the life of a typical Marion County teen except now add in distractions of technology, playing sports year-round, and being more mobile.

On top of that, teens are concerned about their future. They wonder, “What am I going to do after graduation?” “Are my grades good enough to go to college?” “Will I be able to afford college or will I need to get a job?” “And where will I do all this?”

I have also watched parents juggle all of this — parents with children in more than one school or in the same school but participating in different sports. Parents concerned about whether their children are getting enough sleep, eating properly, and making positive decisions.

Yikes! That’s a lot of pressure for everyone.

And through it all, we hope children — and parents — are coping with the busy schedules and hectic lifestyles.

From what I observed last week, I believe the parents and teens of Marion are in good shape.

What an incredible show of support for the girls basketball team! There was a large crowd Thursday at a pep assembly to send off the girls in proper style. Marion Police Department escorted the girls’ bus out of town, not only that day, but Friday and Saturday as well. And what about the reception for the girls Friday and Saturday nights? Only in a small town like Marion could this occur.

My better half and I attended the championship game Saturday at Hutchinson. Although we wanted the Lady Warriors to win this one, we were impressed with the manner in which they played. When the players knew the game was out of reach, they didn’t yell at each other. They didn’t take out their frustrations on the other team. They continued to play with class and finesse.

Being second in 3A basketball is an incredible accomplishment, ladies, but you behaved like champions throughout the entire season and particularly in this biggest game of your young lives.

Hats off to all of our athletes.

We know you work hard for your accomplishments and even though we may not say it often enough, we are proud of each and every one of you.

Thank you, parents, for your dedication as well. It would be a lot tougher for these athletes to be successful without your support.

All of these positive things make me proud to be from Marion.

— susan berg