Ferriday Jr. High School students were recognized for their achievements in sports programs last summer at a long-delayed banquet Saturday night.

The banquet, sponsored by the Interacting Parent Committee of the FJHS Parent-Teacher Association and Recreation District No. 1, was themed “United: one voice for the support of our childrens’ education.”

“We are so proud to award the children for activities that they do outside of school,” PTA President Margie Hines said.

The banquet was supposed to take place last year, but was delayed by several circumstances, event emcee Valerie Parker said.

The purpose of the banquet was to thank the children for participating in track, softball, baseball and football programs, Parker said.

“It doesn’t end with the end of the season,” she said. “There’s the summer program.

“It’s fun, fun, fun.”

The banquet’s keynote speaker was Henry “Doc” Woods, a long-time teacher, coach and civic activist in the Miss-Lou.

Woods commended the program coaches.

“(The) coaches are doing a good job with and for you,” he said.

Woods challenged the athletes to see if they can take themselves to the next level.

“It is good to be an athlete, but it is great to be an elite athlete,” he said.

To do that, he charged students to dedicate themselves to discipline.

“Good students always do schoolwork,” he said. “A good student loves to work, because preparation always comes before a performance.

“An elite athlete is the same.”

Receiving a reward for hard work is a good thing, because it is an acknowledgement of accomplishment, Woods said.

“Stay the course,” he said.

When athletes lose, they learn an important lesson, Woods said.

“You’ve got to learn how to lose, because when you lose, you’ve got to fight back to win,” he said.

Woods counseled students to make up their minds and select a vocation.

“You need to have a role model,” he said. “You need to have the idea that you can achieve, that you can do.”

The program included the performance of a spiritual dance by the St. Mark Baptist Church in Clayton, as well as a drill presentation by the St. James Baptist Church in Ferriday.

Participants in last summer’s program were awarded trophies and framed certificates of appreciation were presented to adults who helped the program.