Belton, TX – The message speaker Adam Ritz delivered to more than 400 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor student-athletes Sunday afternoon came from the heart, because he has lived the story. And from the stunned silence in W.W. Walton Chapel, it certainly seemed like that message made an impact.
Ritz, a former college football player at Purdue University, shared a message of alcohol awareness and the decisions people make that can affect their entire life. He had student-athletes read stories of people whose lives were affected by those kinds of decisions. The last example read was the story of a man who was arrested for sexual assault after a night of heavy drinking. When Ritz shared that the last story was actually his story, you could have heard a pin drop. Ritz was a successful radio personality when, after a night of heavy drinking, he attempted to sexually assault his children's babysitter. Ritz was arrested, spent six months in jail and lost his job, his family and his home. Now, Ritz travels the country, sharing his message and encouraging others to learn from his mistakes.
“Everywhere you are, you have to be on your toes to avoid making a bad decision,” Ritz told the student-athletes. “Think before you drink, because every decision you make can affect the rest of your life.”
Ritz's presentation was the first of several student welfare programs for Cru student-athletes this school year.
