By Derrick Smith

When a kid decides to play a sport, they are ready to jump in and learn the ins and outs of that game and how to be the best that they can be. But as most parents will agree, the things that come along with playing a sport are just as important as the sport itself. Michelle Jarret says that her kids learned things playing a sport that they can continue to use for the rest of their lives.
“Academics are important, but sports also teach kids so many life skills,” she said. “Things like working in a team environment, work ethic and discipline, being there for your teammates, persevering through challenges, and other things like that.”

Michelle is a graduate of Altus high school, where she was involved in a few different extracurricular activities. She played basketball throughout junior high. But in high school, she switched over to the band and color guard. As a parent, she had three kids attend and graduate from Yukon, the latest was Pacey, who was part of the class of 2021. 

Being involved in the kid’s athletics is something that is important to Michelle, who says she was involved as much as she could be.

“While my boys were in school, we were involved and present, which is key,” she said. “Being a parent of an athlete can be tough, it’s a balance of them learning life lessons, while still knowing you’re there to support them.  Growing up, my parents weren’t very involved and I owe a lot of my success in life to my friends’ parents who supported and mentored me.  It’s been important for me to pay that forward, which is one reason I love our Adopt-a-Miller program and have enjoyed coordinating, as well as adopting players for the season.”

As a member of the Yukon community, Jarret says that it is home and it will always be.
“I recently had a job offer to move to Houston,” she said. “One key aspect of turning it down was our community. We’ve lived in Yukon for 28 years, it’s home and our extended family.  I’ve loved seeing students come back to teach or coach for their alma mater.  I’ve also witnessed firsthand both our school and community rally around those dealing with tragedy and loss.  I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”