The road to success is paved with choices, and sometimes we all need a little help finding the right way.

Members of the B.C. Lions visited Belmont secondary school on Thursday, Feb. 13 to speak to about 400 students about making positive choices and achieving goals as a part of the teamB次元官网网址檚 Lions Pride program.

Wearing their trademark orange and blacks, safety J.R. LaRose, 2012/2013 All-Star linebacker Adam Bighill and 2010 Most Outstanding Rookie and 2013 West Division All-Star linebacker Solomon Elimimian strutted in to the North Gym to lay some wisdom on the young minds of Belmont.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to spread some positive messages to the kids: the power of choice, goal setting, teamwork, all things that weB次元官网网址檝e learned along the way,B次元官网网址� Bighill said. B次元官网网址淲e have a lot of fun doing it, kids enjoy it, we play a lot of fun games.B次元官网网址�

The Lions players told personal stories of their careers, both the highlights and lowlights, in between playing some games with volunteer students, including a relay race and a tug of war contest.

LaRose spoke about missing his chance to win the 2005 Grey Cup with the Edmonton Eskimos due to being cut from the team for the choice he made, including partying. He had worked so hard to get to the CFL, he was disappointed in himself after losing that chance.

He didnB次元官网网址檛 give up though, working through severe injuries and his own choices to make his way back to the league and win the Grey Cup with the Lions in 2011.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e going to stumble, youB次元官网网址檙e going to fall. ItB次元官网网址檚 what you do after you fall,B次元官网网址� LaRose said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 learning from your mistakes.B次元官网网址�

All three players said they find the school visits a really positive aspect of their job and that theyB次元官网网址檙e more than happy to impart some wisdom.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of these kids are at an important age, where making the right choices and decision making will get them to what their goal is,B次元官网网址� Elimimian said. B次元官网网址淏ringing a positive message and helping these youngsters get to where they want to get to is even more important than us playing football.B次元官网网址�

LaRose said he remembers Edmonton Eskimos kick returner Henry B次元官网网址淕izmoB次元官网网址� Williams coming to speak to his high school class in Edmonton and how it affected him.

B次元官网网址淚 remember being in school, sitting in the stands and listening to him like B次元官网网址榃ell why canB次元官网网址檛 I do what heB次元官网网址檚 doing?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� LaRose said. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 what itB次元官网网址檚 all about. With hard work and dedication any one of these kidsB次元官网网址� dreams can come true.B次元官网网址�

Senior Belmont Bulldogs cornerback Cody Wist, Grade 12, was among the crowd and volunteered to come down and participate in a pushup and sit-up contest led by the Lions.

Wist said he took a lot away from the presentation, including a minor inferiority complex.

B次元官网网址淚t was a bit intimidating, especially hearing how much they lift and bench. I thought I was strong, but definitely not now,B次元官网网址� Wist joked. B次元官网网址淚 get where theyB次元官网网址檙e coming from. IB次元官网网址檝e had friends with the same sort of problems, like with drugs and whatnot, so IB次元官网网址檝e had to make similar choices as what theyB次元官网网址檝e had to do.B次元官网网址�