The triumphs of NCAA student-athletes grace front pages of newspapers and come alive through television highlights. Outstanding administrators and coaches are recognized and honored for their accomplishments, and rightfully so.

However, many individuals within the collegiate athletics system do not gain glory or recognition even though they are the backbone of many collegiate athletics programs. Those unsung heroes are our athletics secretaries and administrative assistants.

As many student-athletes can attest, athletics secretaries play irreplaceable roles in many athletics programs. For example, Erin Ball, the athletics secretary at Wheeling Jesuit University, not only keeps a handle on the vast amounts of work and issues that arise each day, but she also takes a special interest in the individual lives and accomplishments of student-athletes. She is visible at almost every single athletics event and cares about the success of each team. Further, the university SAAC considers her a critical resource since she volunteers on behalf of the WJU athletics department in the community.

Based on communication with student-athletes around the country, it is evident that people like Erin Ball are not the exceptions to collegiate athletics departments, but rather the rule.

Administrative assistants and secretaries in many collegiate athletics departments are integral to the student-athlete experience. In many cases they go above and beyond the call of duty, and their hard work and dedication to the student-athletes at their institutions is truly appreciated. In many cases their efforts make student-athletes’ competitions and successes possible. These individuals are in many instances the hands and feet of athletics programs, and they perform their duties with enthusiasm, despite little acknowledgement.

So from the hearts of student-athletes everywhere, please take a moment and give our athletics secretaries some well-deserved and long-overdue recognition and appreciation.

Megan Burd is a softball student-athlete at Wheeling Jesuit University and chair of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.