Several times each year, the student-athletes of the Roslyn Public Schools are honored for their achievements. As our athletics program continues to grow, with more than three dozen interscholastic teams now competing at Roslyn High School and more than two dozen at the Roslyn Middle School, the sports awards programs have become greater celebrations than ever before.

It has been my great pleasure to congratulate our student-athletes on their wonderful accomplishments at many athletic awards programs over the years. Last week's Fall Sports Awards Program at Roslyn High School was particularly poignant, as it was the first such event held in Roslyn since the terrible events of Sept. 11. I would like to share some thoughts with you that I presented to last week's audience of students, parents and coaches.

It was quite a fall season in the world of sports, just as it has been in the world of events that we have all lived through in the last few months. There was a time in September, as the baseball season was temporarily suspended, that the country had some doubts about the value of sports in a time of national tragedy. There was some concern that it would be very difficult to take sports seriously. Even many professional athletes expressed their feelings about the relative unimportance of sports at such a turning point in history.

Fortunately, those doubts did not last. The thrills of this year's World Series clearly demonstrated the capacity of sports to elevate and heal our spirits. The idea that sport is a mere diversion was proven wrong by the sense of community and patriotism engendered by the games we have watched in the last two months. Who could have imagined that just attending a sports event would become an expression of national determination?

By their own statements and generous actions off the field, professional athletes also reinforced the new definitions of heroism that we have all learned. We now know, better than we ever did before, that while athletics has the power to enhance our lives, both as participants and spectators, its greatest gift may be its ability to prepare our young people mentally and physically for the enormous challenges of life.

As Jackie Robinson said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." The athlete who perhaps did more than any other to change American sports in the 20th century understood that his contributions on the field paled in comparison with how they affected people in all the other fields of life.

The student athletes we honored last week can teach us all a lesson not only about striving for excellence in sports, but the pursuit of excellence generally. Their achievements on and off the field make us proud; the heights that these achievements will lead them to in the future will make us prouder still.

As always, it was my great pleasure to congratulate them on their courage, focus and determination. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Mira Martincich and the entire physical education and athletic staff of the Roslyn Public Schools for the outstanding work they do on behalf of the hundreds and hundreds of youngsters who participate in interscholastic athletics every year.