It was October 3rd, and every student sat in the gym, awaiting the big news. Normally, the “big news” of a high school assembly would be a new squishy chair in the main office, but this news would prove to be far more exciting. The news centered on a promising basketball player. He is #1 in the state, a TikTok sensation, and today he would be committing to one of the 30 NCAA Division I college offers he had received. As he committed to Arkansas, the entire school roared with excitement—but underneath the cheers was a truth few wanted to acknowledge.
If you don’t know the big news’ name yet, welcome back from your year-long rest! His name is Abdou Toure, and at just 17 years old, he is known by millions as basketball’s youngest rising star. His accomplishments and talents should be praised and honored, yet at what point do he and every student-athlete lose the innocence of a regular high schooler? While their classmates and friends fret over missing assignments, these rising stars stress about their careers, their fame, and their own livelihoods. Should a 17-year-old have sponsorships lined up? Should they have managers handling their presence on social media? At what point does the student-athlete just become a brand that’s easy to sell? No one in high school should have that much pressure to uphold. At Sacred Heart Academy, athletes are always encouraged to place academics above extracurriculars, but as a school community, let us never forget to place mental health even higher.
