By Kyle Coppola
Final Thought: Young Athletes Have More Opportunities Than Ever
As we approach the heart of the high school and college fall sports seasons, we should congratulate local student/athletes who are committed to continuing their academic and playing careers.
It seems like more and more, student/athletes are planning to keep playing and studying at major colleges and universities.
To me, that’s a tribute to the dedicated and hardworking athletes in our community, as well as the incredible efforts of parents, coaches, volunteers and faculty who make it all possible.
I see so many in our community giving back to our youth to propel them in their careers. These caring, supportive adults have made an impact on the lives of so many young people.
A big, big impact. In the past decade, I have seen high school athletes in our community sign NCAA Division 1 offers, make it to the Super Bowl, play in the NBA and achieve dreams outside of sports.
For example, 2023 Eustis High valedictorian Syriah Williams, who graduated with a 5.33 GPA, played volleyball for Eustis and earned over $500,000 in academic scholarships for grades alone. Syriah is currently attending FSU to study biological science and obtain her master’s in dentistry to become an orthodontist.
Leesburg High School graduate Riley Goldberg was a great soccer player, graduated at just 16 years of age, has written a book and is attending UCF and hopes to become a college professor!
South Sumter High School graduate Keanu Neal went on to play for the University of Florida and even played in the Super Bowl his rookie season. He also gives back with an annual youth football camp in our community.
Stories like these show how much of an impact our school systems are having. While we still have plenty of work to do, we owe so much to our teachers, coaches, families and people who influence our young men and women and help them reach goals.
Of course, only a small percentage of Lake and Sumter County students become professional athletes. But more and more are pursuing their passions beyond high school. That tells me that significant work is being put in on and off the field.
Having that degree in your hand opens so many possibilities outside of athletics.
Our young student/athletes have more opportunities than ever. Lake County alone averaged a 92% graduation rate in 2023. For Black graduates, the graduation rate was also among the highest it has ever been, which is something we can all celebrate.
Watching these athletes compete at a very high level reminds us how incredibly fast high school and college fly by.
I am so excited about the future of Lake and Sumter County sports and can only imagine how future generations will impact our growing community.
Photos: Nicole Hamel
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Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
