It begins with the basketball goal that, by its mere presence, transforms a simple driveway or backyard into a gym.

Eventually, the love of the game turns to blood, sweat and tears being poured into practices before school, during school, and after school. Countless hours in the weight-room and gym. Drill after drill. Stadiums, suicides and sprints. Sacrificing personal and social life for one simple reason: to win.

There is life after high school sports. For many former athletes who know the value of dedication and teamwork, it’s often a very successful life that can be directly linked to their high school athletic career.

For most, the DeKalb County Basketball Tournament in the Coliseum is the biggest stage they'll ever play on...and there's no shame in that.

The Coliseum itself is an arena that's marveled at by visitors (and an arena I feel we take for granted). Fill that venue with 2,000+ people, many of which the players know personally, and it's a stage set that will lead to memories that last a lifetime.

We hear stories from our grandparents, from our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, our friends and rivals. This isn't something that you forget.

There are very few people in DeKalb County that weren't involved in high school athletics in some capacity. That's the culture of our community here. We lived it. We loved it. We still talk about it.

So the question is, why would there ever be an empty seat at the DeKalb County Basketball Tournament?