The Potosi Wall of Fame is a tribute that a lot of people might not know about. The wall started in 2016. It is located in the back hallway that leads from the gym to the main hallway of the high school, which is not used very often. When interviewing Mr. Siegert (Athletic Director) I asked a lot of questions about the idea of the wall and the meaning behind the wall.
When I asked Mr. Siegert where the idea came from, he said, “I saw it around other schools. I thought it was cool, and I wanted to change it up a little to make our own.” Mr.Siegert went to other schools and found it very neat that these schools had this recognition for kids who worked so hard, and some of the time didn't get the recognition they deserved, so he wanted this wall to show that. He stated how he wants this wall to inspire other young student-athletes to compete hard so that hopefully one day they could be on that wall too.
The Potosi Wall of Fame took more than just Mr. Siegert to create; it took the input of many coaches to determine who would be included on the Wall of Fame. Mr. Siegert had to go to many coaches and former coaches to gather information about who won awards in past years at Potosi that were to be represented on the wall. The wall is not complete, as there were some years for which they couldn't find any records, but they know people did win some. Although he wishes he could make sure everybody is up there, it is hard to find all of the records. From the Early ‘80s until now, everybody was there, but before the ’80s, it was hit or miss if they could find records.
Mr. Siegert was never put in charge of the wall by anyone other than himself. He wanted something that showed the past alumni's accomplishments, and he wanted to make sure that it looked good. He knew that there was going to be nothing else in the hallway, so he knew that it would be a good spot to put them. However, he knew the downfall would be that very few people would know about it. This is the hallway that many of the athletes use; they are the people who see it most often. He is hoping to one day have the Wall of Fame in the same spot as all of the other trophies so it can be more visible to the community and others who come into the school.
Mr. Siegert has been involved in sports at Potosi High School for a long time as a coach and the athletic director. When asked what the wall means to him as a person who has been involved in athletics here for so long, he mentioned how it shows the success that a lot of teams and people have had at Potosi in past years. It shows the high honors they have earned throughout the state, which is something to be proud of, and to make sure that we show that off. He also mentioned how the wall shows how there can be good people on a team that maybe wasn't that good, so it shows how individuals can be successful.
When I asked Mr. Siegert what he wanted people to know about the wall, he said that it is not easy to get on the wall. There are a lot of awards that players on teams can win, such as the All-State Team and All-Conference awards. In track, that is not the case; they have to individually do well to earn recognition, as it is mainly an individual sport. He stated that he wants to add an athletic hall of fame to the lobby for people to see different accomplishments through that as well. Mr.Seigert hopes that the wall is something that will continue after he retires, and he hopes somebody else will take it under their wing to continue.