Want to Know Why College Sports are Important?

This weekend, two words: Celia Anderson.

She was profiled by Sean Cartell at the SEC office, their new digital content producer, and it is a perfect example of the type of stories that don't get headlines. (Click here to read it; it is long and detailed -- read it all the way through.)

Celia is one of those athletes who went professional in something other than sports. And it took her a while to find that voice, but now that she has it, you can tell two things.

First, she'll be successful. Second, it is because of basketball.

Oh, now some of us that were there might have had moments in which they would not have believed the mature, focused, career-oriented woman might not be in the college freshman or sophomore.

But you know, if you survive four years of college athletics, it is really hard to not be changed. More times than not, for the better.

Celia had that spark in college, she had ambitions and dreams. More to the point, she didn't let circumstances get in the way.

Let me add this -- if you have a tween daughter, I'd highly recommend her books. I read the first one out of curiosity and courtesy to Celia, but when I finished it, I handed it to my daughter, 11 at the time and becoming a voracious reader. She loved it.