How much do high school sports really mean?
Would you keep playing if, in addition to going to school five days a week, you worked 30 hours, were raising a 1-year-old son, and had to help support yourself and your four younger siblings?
Would you have the strength to keep going - would you even care? - if both of your parents were in jail, if your father was a convicted felon, and your mother was suffering from mental illness?
For Monique Brown, a senior at Mastbaum, and Martin Hicks, a junior at Arise Academy, this is the type of adversity they face, the questions they must answer.
Their choices are telling. As they fight every day to overcome tremendous obstacles, sports remain a shoulder to lean on, an escape from situations that can often feel overwhelming.
"I keep playing because when I'm on the court or on the field, it's like nothing else matters," Hicks said. "Playing on a team becomes like a family, those are my brothers out there."
"Sports can relieve stress, it's a way to get your anger out," Brown said. "Once you start playing, you just want to keep going."
Hicks and Brown, complete strangers, were honored Monday at ESPN's Chalk Talk luncheon at Lincoln Financial Field before the Eagles' Monday Night Football matchup with the Chicago Bears.
The luncheon is a weekly ritual for Monday Night Football anchors; executives; ex-players; and, in this case, over 500 select fans. Hicks and Brown received the Rise Above Award at the event, which is given to student-athletes who overcame adversity to excel in sports and in the classroom.
"Winning the award makes me feel like I accomplished something, that someone is paying attention to me," Brown said. "It really makes you feel better about yourself when you get recognized for something you never thought you would be recognized for. It makes you want to achieve your goals and keep going."
Brown works 30 hours per week at K-Mart and maintains a 3.5 grade-point average while raising a 1-year-old son and helping her mother support her family.
Somehow, she manages to find time to excel on Mastbaum's soccer and volleyball teams.
"When I had my son, I didn't think there was any way I could play sports anymore," Brown said. "But I realized that playing sports is what I want to do, and I managed to keep going.
"It's a tough balance, but you learn how to handle it."
