SILVER CITY — It's almost time to use the expression, "separating the men from the boys or the women from the girls." In basketball and wrestling, the sporting world is getting ready to hit district competitions and then state playoffs.

Coaches will look to lead their teams to greatness and success, while others will sit around and wonder why they haven't gotten any better during the season. First of all, the success of a team starts with the coach. In this day and age, athletics is supposed to be teaching our student-athletes about life. Determination, perseverance, a good work ethic, never giving up, sportsmanship, that's a couple of things that come to mind that will help these student-athletes become great citizens.

Sports has gotten to be so competitive over the recent years that our young men and women need to find an edge, and that edge is hard work. In most cases, champions can't be made during the two-hour practice after school. Sometimes these players have to go out and put in some extra time in the court or on the mat or in the gym. If you ask the successful athletes what their secret are, a lot of them will say a lot of hard work after their practice.

In today's society, television, video games and cell phones have made some of our student-athletes lazy. Hard work is a thing of the past, but if you take a look at the successful teams around the county, you will see that the work ethic lives on through school spirit and extra time in the gym or on the mat.

I encourage all athletes to continue to strive toward being the best. After all, sometimes its not about winning or losing. It's about the climb and the performance when you get there. If you as an athlete can say that you gave everything you had and still fell to defeat, there is nothing wrong with that. But, if you fall and still say that if you gave it another 10 percent things might have been different, then you don't want to be in those shoes.

Trust me, you will grow up and wish that you would have worked harder and left it all out on the floor or mat. Don't put yourselves in those shoes. Persevere, listen to the coaching staffs, put some extra time shooting, dribbling, working out in the gym, on the mat. It's time to get rolling and represent your schools to the best of your ability.

Athletes are normally the first thing people think of when they talk about a school. You know they say that runner-ups are rarely remembered and champions are always praised. But, that's not true. If the runner-up performed to the best of their ability and gave a valiant effort, they will be remembered and would have learned more from that experience than if they truly won a title.

For all of the seniors, there is no next year. A lot of you will embark on your final journey in your choice of sport, and many of you will never play this sport competitively again after graduation. Make some lasting memories, and go out and leave it all out on the court or mat. Don't finish the season saying, I wish ... things would have been different. You have the power to go out and take charge of your future, and teamwork can live on through the underclassmen when you are gone.

Good luck to all teams in all sports during the close of another winter sports season. I am looking forward to going out and covering the victories and the defeats during this wonderful time of the season. Win or lose, everyone is still a champion, because it takes a lot to be a student-athlete playing and representing your school.

Danny Udero may be reached at dudero@scsun-news.com; (575) 538-5893