Going through middle school is often a young teen’s greatest challenge. You finally leave the comfort of your elementary school where you have a maximum of three teachers in a day, and you’re thrust into a bustling middle school schedule where you change classes every 55 minutes. In these times, students go through an adjustment period where they just try to survive the awkward and stressful years of early adolescence. In rare cases, however, some students thrive in this environment. Some students can easily grasp the fast-paced schedule and make the most out of it.
This is the case of three young men at Pine Grove Middle School: TJ Quinn, Zavion Anthony, and Josh Inman. These three are some of Pine Grove’s finest students, not to mention they’re also fantastic athletes. All three are on the all-A honor roll, and because of their success in the classroom, they are able to transition that ability to the playing field.
Too often we glorify those athletes who barely scrape by academically but thrive on the field, but that is not the case with these young men. Quinn, Anthony, and Inman embody what we all look for in our model student athletes. They work hard in the classroom, make great grades, treat others with kindness and respect, and then go showcase their talents on the field.
Quinn is a two-way player on the football team, playing linebacker and fullback. During basketball season, you can catch him posting up players in the paint as a dominant center. During track season, he runs the exciting 4×100 relay and does field events.
Anthony is another two-way football player; he plays tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. During basketball season, Anthony found his home as the team’s power forward. During track season, he performs the long jump and runs the 4×100 with teammate Quinn.
Inman, too, is a two-way player on the football team, playing quarterback and defensive back. During basketball season, he enjoys playing power forward along with teammate Anthony. During track season, you can catch Inman running the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
All three are every coach’s and teacher’s dream. They take care of the classroom first and then take care of what they need to do on the field. As almost every teacher can attest, this is all too rare of a phenomenon. These athletes are special, and their accomplishments should be something we all point to when we glorify student-athlete achievements.
Every student-athlete reading this, no matter if they’re in middle school, high school, or in college, can look at the example that these young men have, and continue to, set. Sports come and go. The day always comes when athletes must hang up the cleats. However, a quality education lasts a lifetime. The classroom is where leaders are born. Not the practice field, not the weight room, and not the gym, but the classroom is where true leaders emerge.
But to be sure, their journey has only begun. While the testimony of Quinn, Anthony, and Inman is one to admire, the hard work has just begun. Their leadership will need to continually develop and evolve with each stage of life, but these bright young men seem to be up to that task as they head toward that next step: Lowndes High School.
Pine Grove Middle’s Triple Threat
Written by: Zack Pine
Photography by: Brittany Wyche
