It’s always billed as a celebration of history, but Sunday’s Nashua Athletics Induction Ceremony had a message from many of the inductees that was as clear as the talent they all had:

Play a sport, student athletes.

“Just try it,” former Nashua three-sport star Jaime Franks said. “Just try it. There’s no harm in trying. Worst comes to worst you make new friends, you learn new skills, and maybe you find something you’re truly passionate about and you love. And it’s OK if you’re not the best at it.’

“What’s more important is that you’re invested in yourself, and it’s doing something for you.”

Sunday’s ceremony was living proof what it could do. Franks herself played volleyball, basketall, and competed in indoor and outdoor track. She went on to play basketball at the University of Hartford and did it well.

Chrissy and Joe Harrington, kids of late Nashua athletic director and HOF Inductee Al Harrington recalled how their father tried to get kids to participate in sports, even if they might not be able to afford the time or struggled in school.

“He would go out of his way to help kids who didn’t have the resources get into sports,” Chrissy Harrington said. “He knew he importance sports can have in the growth process.”

“Sports,” inductee Sarah Neville Guadiano said, “helps keep kids out of trouble. … Sports can be a gateway to your future.”

Sure, these athletes had talent. But perhaps it was talent they wouldn’t have known they had if they didn’t try out for a team. And those who may not have had the same talents were pieces that helped them all succeed, became their friends, and helped create memories.

Memories like the many that were shared in the video interviews, or at the tables that filled the function room at the Courtyard Marriott. That’s why ceremonies like Sunday’s are so important to keep the athletic spirit alive in a city, a community or a school. Every school should honor it’s athletes past and present. Many do. Some don’t. Maybe eventually they will.

“It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work from a lot of people,” former Nashua track and football standout and HOF inductee Matt Sheehan said. “From coaches, from athletes, from teachers. It’s not just the individual athlete. It takes a lot of people to go all in to make this work. The coaches have to do all the stuff behind the scenes to get the players ready, the players have to buy in, and the finished product is a testament to work ethic of Nashua athletes and Nashua coaches.”

Nashua Hall of Famer Jamie Franks receives her award from Nashua Athletic Director Lisa Gingras, left, and Master of Ceremonies Jason Robie on Sunday at the Courtyard Marriott. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Now here’s where the history comes in: It motivates you to be part of it.

“History is everything,” Sheehan said. “You stand on the shoulders of the people who came before you. For me, being a member of that last class in 2004, we wanted to leave a legacy of what Nashua athletes stood for: Hard working kids from all parts of the city, guided by coaches who really cared and put everything they had into it. And I think the results speak for themselves.”

Who wouldn’t want to be part of all that?

Tom King, who is also a member of the Nashua Hall of Fame Committee, can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on X @Telegraph _TomK.