The Big Decision
“But in the end, it’s less about being a professional, and more about the memories and work you put into trying to become who you are.”
Ann Meyers once said that if somebody gives you an opportunity, say yes to it. But I’m going to put my own spin on that quote: Don't forget to always bet on yourself.
The road to becoming a professional athlete is never an easy one. It takes years of love, dedication, & sacrifice just to reach your fullest potential. Each level of play has its own challenges. As a high-school athlete, I ask myself if I have what it takes to get to the collegiate level and fulfill my dream of going pro. Just imagine the uproar of the crowd as you anchor the baton around the track. Or the cheers when you score a touchdown! Or the screams of your name as you kick the soccer ball into the goal. I can almost feel it. I envision it. I can hear the crowd chanting RONALDO RONALDO RONALDO! Everyone wishes that their name could be chanted like that, don’t they? But the road to such a dream being fulfilled is a hard one, and sometimes it is unattainable..The competitive field of the sport requires physical strength and mental strength alone to be good. But what separates you from the people in your sport that makes you better? Just because you do a sport doesn't mean you are the best at it. Let's ask one of the best on how it's done.
Coach Johnson, a former professional basketball player, used to play overseas and won NEC player of the week twice in 2008-09. She told me: “The more you advance into a professional career, the more people you thought had a passion for the sport start to disappear; they didn’t have what it takes.''
The dedication and time that you need to put in really does take a toll on your life. If you feel that's the right decision and you expect the worst, you cannot be disappointed. Johnson added: “Your pyramid is an important reminder for athletes, parents, and the coaches as to the importance of developing the fundamentals of the game. Without sound and fully developed fundamentals, players will never play to their potential.”
Data shows that over 7% of high school athletes (about 1 in 13) go on to play a varsity sport in college and less than 2% of high school athletes (1 in 57) go on to play at NCAA Division 1 schools. According to some sources, only 0.02 to 0.03 percent of high school basketball players end up playing in the NBA and WNBA. Think about that number. This means that literally 1 in 10,000 high school athletes make it to professional sports.
The practice days when you have to go train for a sport won't just cut it. Those days you have to work behind the scenes to fit your body into the sport and your mind. The nights when you don't want to run, when you don't want to throw the ball into the net. The amount of stress I put on my body just to beat my time, and it barely changes, and the stretching and weight lifting in gym just to get a small benefit, while others are naturally good at it. But in the end, it’s less about being a professional, and more about the memories and work you put into trying to become who you are.