On Monday morning, Roy Noricks High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan was filled with excitement as banners, pennants, and flags in a kaleidoscope of colors covered the auditorium stage. Athletic Director Andrew Labeau curated the event to praise the commitment of the school’s student-athletes towards their future in college sports. The seniors of Roy Noricks signed the future team’s flag that will be hung in the high school’s trophy case to keep the sporting tradition alive. The ceremony, called the University of Laboe, was conducted in front of Labeau’s family, friends, and students.
The event marks the second time the college flag has been signed by Roy Noricks’ class of student-athletes, this time for the 2023 batch. Each year, a new ink is applied to the flag from freshman athletes who have signed a letter of intent to play sports at that specific college. Labeau explained that it is vital to have such a ceremony as it creates legends about who goes to which school and motivates future students to join their college of choice.
At the event, twelve student-athletes signed the flag, including two baseball players, one female basketball player, two soccer players, one female cross-country player, one male bowler, one male tennis player, one female diver, one male athlete in competitive athletics, one women’s synchronized skater, and one women’s dual-sport athlete in cross-country and track and field. The colleges that received the athletes included Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, and Wayne State University.
The event was significant, as parents could participate in celebrating the achievements of their children. According to Labeau, it allowed student-athletes to leave memories with family and friends, and the school to have fond records of such events.
Overall, this event serves an essential purpose in inspiring future student-athletes and creating a legacy for Roy Noricks High School.