THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

When you are on the plains of Oklahoma for a clear dark night and you glance skyward, the stars are so bright and close, it seems as though you can reach out and grab the lower hanging ones. The absence of city lights heightens your sense of sight and when the only illumination emanates from heavenly orbs, no man-made display can compare.

Stars have been written and sung about for thousands of years. They have been used for navigational purposes by everyone from Magellan and Columbus to the modern day United States Navy. Christmas has now passed, but even wise men were known to have followed a star back in biblical times. NASA propelled human beings among the stars in the 1960s. These celestial bodies are powerful in life and in death. In fact, astronomers will argue one of the most powerful forces we are aware of exists when a star dies: a black hole.

It's interesting how once-upon-a-time someone used "stars" to measure the quality of high school athletes when considering a ranking system for collegiate recruitment. I'm not sure anyone understands completely all of the requirements necessary to have an athlete register on this grading spectrum. Some say it's size, speed, weight and a certain number of intangibles related to whatever sport you might be measuring. But then there are some silly subjective things which leave you scratching your head. For instance, an athlete could be a 2 star because they have only been recruited by Popcorn Tech, but rocket to higher heavenly status when Blue Blood U offers them a scholarship. It doesn't make much sense sometimes.

To my way of thinking there are two critical things those ranking tools don't weigh accurately, if at all. One, fit into a culture. Not all individuals are a good fit. What is their background, their history? Are they good students? More importantly, are they good people? Will they fit in with a team atmosphere or are they more about themselves? If they can only find their niche in a program who is willing to win at any cost, perhaps they are a ingredient the recipe won't miss. There is more than one way to bake a cake.

Two, is motivation. Will this person work hard? During workouts when the strength and conditioning coach isn't looking, will they skip or rest on a rep or will they push themselves to get better? Will they be motivated off of the field to make decisions a fan base will be proud of or strain our necks looking the other direction? The former is true at Oklahoma State.

My contention is this, these students are not stars at all. Regardless of gender or sport. They are someone's daughters and sons. They have chosen to be a Cowgirl or Cowboy in our extended family. We have a responsibility to take care of them and prepare them for a bright future: A BRIGHT ORANGE ONE.

KYLE WRAY Vice President Enrollment & Brand Management

Kyle Wray OSU @KyleWrayOSU