Athletics director James Lewis wants all of the athletes in the Vicksburg Warren School District to dream big, succeed at the highest levels, and follow their passion in sports.

He also wants them to be realistic about their chances of becoming a professional athlete.

“When you walk around and talk to student-athletes, and you’re around the sporting realm, you hear a lot of kids talking about, ‘I want to go pro.’ But we all know statistics say it’s a very slim chance of kids becoming professional athletes,” Lewis said.

To that end, Lewis and others in the VWSD are trying to get students to look beyond the playing arena and to other careers in sports.

On April 1, the VWSD will host its first Athletic Career Fair. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon in the Vicksburg High School gym. Representatives from about a dozen sports-related industries will be on hand to talk to students about how their jobs tie in to sports.

Lewis said his goal is to get students to think outside the box about non-playing careers that can keep them close to athletics.

“I’ve been trying to create an avenue to where kids can see that you can still be involved in sports for the rest of your life, but there are different avenues that you can pursue outside of being a professional athlete and still be successful in the field of athletics,” Lewis said.

The industries were selected to tie in to the VWSD’s academy education model, and to represent its three core areas of communications, arts and business.

Among the fields that will be on hand are media, engineering, business, and health and human services. Some, like media covering games and athletic trainers who treat athletes, are highly visible. Others, like the architects and construction workers who build arenas and stadiums, are often overlooked.

“I think a lot of kids don’t really understand the behind the scenes of what makes athletics go on every level from the high school, intercollegiate and professional level,” Lewis said. “Anywhere you go in sports, you need those medical professionals. You need those athletic directors to oversee budgets. You need those architects to design and lay out new facility upgrades and construction.

“Kids may see just the act of that athlete playing, but there are still so many avenues where you can be involved in athletics and get paid for it without having that professional athlete title to you but still make a good living.”

About 150 students from Vicksburg High School, Warren Central, River City Early College and the Academy of Innovation are expected to attend the career fair.

Lewis said all students are welcome. They just need to scan a QR code on a flyer available at their school to sign up. Buses will take them to VHS the day of the event.

Door prizes and giveaways from vendors will also be handed out to those in attendance.

“We’re really truly engaging every kid. It’s not just open to student-athletes,” Lewis said. “Any kid that wants to come in and be a part is welcome. I’m super fired up. I can’t wait.”

Lewis is hoping the Athletic Career Fair becomes an annual event. He also hopes it inspires students with a passion for sports to look in a direction they might not have seen otherwise.

“My mind is to do this athletic career fair every year,” he said. “If it’s just one kid we get to open up their mind and have that light bulb flash to say, ‘Hey, I think I want to pursue a career in this field,’ it would mean the world to me.”