The Upcoming Glasgow Bond

Dear Editor,

I grew up in Saco and have been a member of this community since 2004. I married into the Glasgow lifestyle and could not be more proud to live anywhere in the world. Which, if you know my husband, you recognize that living in Glasgow wasn't up for negotiation! The bond put forth by our school board cannot be reduced to an academics vs athletics discussion. When I look back on my youth my academic and athletic successes are completely intertwined. Academics contributed to my future as a nurse, and athletics fueled my passion for people. I work side by side with friends I made as a young kid playing against each other in basketball. I get hugs from my wonderful elementary school teacher when I leave the gym after coaching a volleyball match. High school sports laid the foundation for a lifestyle of being physically active, using exercise to treat stress and anxiety, and playing and coaching sports to bond with my own children. I share this because I am a huge advocate for loving and respecting people where they are at in life. What drives and inspires people at age 10 or 16 or 18 is no less important than what drives and inspires you at 30 or 40 or 50. As a community it is our duty to support and develop EVERYONE here, we support people through fires and illness, we support our elderly through the nursing home, and we need to support our children through the public school facilities. We need to repair the school buildings, we need to ensure continued safety when our kids walk into those buildings, and we need to secure safe places for our kids to be active and competitive and learn what it means to want something and work hard to achieve it. These issues are all part of the same picture. I LOVED growing up in a small community. I left and gained valuable education and life experience but my love for this small community brought me home where I have served many of you as a nurse for nearly 20 years. Investing in the academics and athletics of our youth comes full circle. My husband and brother and I are examples of that.

Sincerely,

Brooke Martin

GHS Volleyball Head Coach