Spartan Spirit
Dec. 6—It was early Friday morning when Union High welcomed Bobby Ray Smith to the auditorium. The room exploded with applause from young to old as his legacy permeates the school.
Dubbed the "best point guard to walk these halls," from Tim Pope he stood center stage and address the audience about his time at Union. He began from the beginning as he recollected his time in New York. A scrappy lad in his youth, he spoke on how his attitude had been changed upon his arrival to Union. He describes the cultural difference coming from the big city to North Carolina with his uncle.
He tells the tale of the first time he met Nathan Gay, the man who would radically change his life, describing him as the cornerstone for his life. He chuckled when recounting how Mr. Gay told him that he was a Spartan now. As a young man, he'd brush off this inital encounter but as time waxed forward that moment would be cemented in his mind. Trying out for Coach Gay's basketball team during those years wasn't a free pass on the team. In New York, Smith had shown a talent on the court and despite his skill set, he was forced to try out for the team as a freshman.
"I walked onto the court at Union. That was my home in those times. I approached Coach Gay and asked to try out for the team. Gay replied 'Alright talk to the JV coach.'"
Hardheaded, Smith didn't want to play for JV, he wanted Varsity. So, Coach Gay gave him a set of goals to accomplish to try out for Varsity and reminded him once again, he was a Spartan. At that time, no freshman had played on the varsity squad. He told him that if he got cut from the team, Smith wouldn't drop to JV but have to wait a year to play. Setting the stakes high, he rose to challenge and believed he would make it.
"You've got to believe in yourself despite the temperature around you." Smith told the audience.
Smith would run into some problems in his time there with attitude issues. Those moments would be the catalyst that would propel him to make big changes in his life, all stemming from his time as a Spartan. He spoke to the audience about how preparedness and low points.
"High school is where you build the foundation. By the time you graduate 60 to 70% of who you are is established." he said.
The spirit of the Spartan way has been lost over the decades after a string of losses with a floundering men's program trying to revitalize those days of the past. Smith touched on how in those days everyone was a little friendly, a little more chipper and little more optimistic. After his time at Union and some life changes along the way, he started weaving through the traffic that is living.
"I attacked life like I did the court. There is no room for fear in self-development. This is your foundation don't play with it. Now that we got this beautiful school, set it up for the next generation, show people what is right. Don't second guess yourself, believe in yourself."
The audience remained capitvated and hung on every word as he reminded the youth that there is life outside of high school and opportunities don't always come knocking but are waiting for you to make the first move. He finished it out the speech to resounding applause and rallied the students to close out the morning and the echoes from the cheer reverberated the room.
Union Principal Leslie Neal praised the experience and commented on how she hopes it will affect the students.
"I think it was wonderful for our students to hear from a former Spartan. They see alum all the time, we have staff memeber who went here and graduated. I think what he has been able to accomplish outside of our county and state, I think it was a new voice to them, but a familiar one. His speech definitely got my wheels turning and we want to foster a Spartan mentality here at Union."
Reach Anthony McConnaughey at amcconnaughey@clintonnc.com or on Twitter @SportsSampson
