Parents of student athletes are rock stars. For a good part of their lives they spend their time shuttling kids to practices, games, tournaments, camps, and everything in between. The kids themselves also spend so much time mastering their sport of choice that it’s hard to see the bigger picture of how their focus and dedication translates to their future. However, the drive and focus needed to be great at a sport can be channeled into being an academic superstar. In order to get everybody on the same playbook, the Texas GEAR UP State Grant held an unforgettable Parent & Student Athlete Symposium.

Former athletes shared their stories of how they enjoyed sports in high school and college—but they agreed that their most meaningful achievement to date was getting an education. Perhaps world-champion Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs made the biggest impression. Green revealed that he wasn’t the greatest athlete growing up, and his dad forbade him from playing ball if he didn’t focus on going to college. Head on over to the Toolbox for another “Texas GEAR UP in Action” video to see how this day ended with everyone feeling like champions.