Local athletes here in Sumter have big dreams in their sports and while they have a slew of coaches to help them find success on the court or field, they don’t always have someone to teach important lessons outside of sports. Now that’s beginning to change.

This week on The Blitz, we sat down with Ericka Williams from Sumter Economic Development. She’s currently leading a new program designed to help local athletes learn new skills like dressing for success, public speaking and finance. She and a few of the students in the new Fit for Life program told me what lessons are being passed to the next generation here in Sumter.