Six of Norwalk’s student-athletes participated in an Athletic Signing Day on Wednesday, February 7 to commit to a college to continue their athletic career. A total of 20 of Norwalk’s student-athletes have participated in the periodic signing day this year as a way to recognize the continuation of their sport publicly.

Norwalk Athletic Director Josh Tobey said that Norwalk produces athletes from multiple sports.

“So far we have [athletes from] baseball, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, softball, swimming, football, and soccer,” Tobey said.

Tobey said that an email was sent out to athletes where they could sign up for the signing day.

He also said the coaches and people around these athletes played a big role in their development.

“Our coaches at Norwalk understand and embrace this and do everything they can to help provide a great experience at high school and prepare students for a college career,” Tobey said. “This is a credit to their parents, coaches, dedication to the sport, and a passion to continue to play beyond high school.”

Senior Vincent Martin was an athlete who partook in the signing day on February 7. Martin said that sports taught him tools that he can use in life and gave him positive feelings.

“[Sports] allows me to be a leader in ways that I normally wouldn’t be able to be,” Martin said. “It gives me a sense of perseverance and self-worth.”

Chris Basinger, the principal of Norwalk, said that involvement in athletics transitions well into the classroom.

“The more you’re involved, the more likely you’ll be invested in your education,” Basinger said. “You’re probably going to be more successful in courses.”

Basinger said that building a community has multiple benefits.

“Anytime you can kinda find your people, it just helps you with your interests, your passions, helps you with self-discovery,” Basinger said.

He also said that you learn multiple lessons from being in activities.

“You learn how to be part of a team, and so you learn how to work with others,” Basinger said. “You learn how to accept feedback and develop a growth mindset in order to get better… there’s just a lot of different skills I think that athletics can help with.”