News

May 15, 2008

Home run legend Hank Aaron tells B.E.S.T. boys ‘there are no short cuts in life, no alibis’

ATLANTA – Former Atlanta Braves home run legend Hank Aaron visited the Business, Engineering, Science and Technology (B.E.S.T.) boys academy and urged them to study and work hard, not to “cut corners” in search for the easy way in life.

Home run legend Hank Aaron mixes with B.E.S.T. Academy boys after admonishing them to study and work rather than seek ‘shortcuts’ to success.

Aaron, whose career 755 home runs for the Braves and Milwaukee Brewers stood for 33 years, spoke to an assembly of the new single-gender APS school on May 15 about hard work, integrity and success as the essential ingredients in success. He told the students they “have special opportunities here at B.E.S.T. Academy. Here you are learning what life is all about, and you should make the most of it.”

“All of you can reach your goals – but one step at a time,” said Aaron. “There are absolutely no short cuts in life – and there are no alibis” for breaking the rules.

He was especially critical of drug use, and in a veiled reference to the steroids allegations plaguing some major-league baseball players, told the boys, “eventually, if you put drugs in your body, it will catch up with you – not just legally, but in the damage it will do to your body.”

Aaron also told the boys, most of whom are African-American and come from challenging socio-economic backgrounds, that they should pay special attention to the success of presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“Mr. Barack Obama stands a good chance to become president of the United States,” he said. “He, too, had his ups and downs, but he kept his eye on the prize – even when it would have been easier to give up.” Like Obama, said Aaron, “you have to make do with what you have.”