Former major league baseball player Herbert Perry knows a thing or two about success.

Perry, who played both football and baseball for the Florida Gators, spent 10 years in major league baseball and even played in the1995 World Series with the Cleveland Indians. He’s now a successful businessman and community leader in his hometown of Mayo, Florida. So when he visited Oak View Middle School recently to talk about achieving success, students listened.

Perry spent several hours at the school doing many of the things celebrities usually do--signing autographs, having his picture taken, and showing his World Series ring to fascinated students and staff. But more importantly, the former big-league player addressed all students during an interview broadcast throughout the school and visited several classrooms so that he could share the life lessons he’s learned.

“Life goes by so fast, and you only get one shot at it,” he told the students. “Don’t waste your time. If you’re going to do something, why not do it to the best of your ability?”

Setting goals and working hard to achieve them was a big focus of Perry’s talks with the students. He encouraged them to push themselves, whether in academics or athletics. He warned them of the dangers of peer pressure and negative influences like drugs and alcohol. And he reminded them that success in school is vital to success in life for anyone, including professional athletes. Perry told the students he’s seen too many professional athletes who ended up with nothing because they didn’t have the skills they needed to manage their finances or support themselves after their athletic careers were over.

“Everyone wants to live in a nice house, drive a nice car and have nice things,” he said. “Education is the key. What you do in the next few years will determine what kind of job you’re going to have and what kind of lifestyle you’re going to live.”

Perry’s visit was part of the school’s One Book, One School project. Every student at Oak View is reading the book “Finding Buck McHenry,” which tells the story of a group of kids who are rejected by their local Little League and instead form their own team. Students discuss the book in class and several schoolwide activities with a baseball theme are being held to boost their interest in the story and reading in general.

Reading coach Marilyn Shaw, who arranged Perry’s visit, said his messages were just what the students needed to hear.

“Certainly they’re impressed at first by his athletic career,” she said. “But they also got a chance to hear how he set goals for himself and how hard he worked to reach those goals. We couldn’t have scripted it any better.”

“I was excited about seeing someone famous,” said 7^th-grader Saiah Kyler. “But I did get a lot out of it, like how I should push myself the way he did.”

“He said we should do our best in school while we have the chance, because you only have one life to live,” said classmate Alexandria Gilmore.

Oak View will wrap up its One Book, One School project with a schoolwide Boardwalk and Baseball event in early May that will feature baseball-themed activities.