This is a story for every young player and parent. For some it’s too late. For those, they will need another road and a new dream. Today is a story about what shouldn’t be but too often will be. It’s the story of unfulfilled talent . A story about ego and mistakes along the way. This is a story about the pain and suffering of chasing dreams.
As I watch her and dad bond as they often do. She takes shots after shot. Her form is a thing of beauty. Her dad rebounds and smiles like all proud dads do, when they know their child is good at something. In this case, the player is more than good. She has talent worthy of playing in college, in fact a D1 college or even get a full scholarship, she is that good. But as I watch I know none of this most likely will not take place. I have seen this picture before way too often. In fact to many times to mention. It’s the Story of busted dreams and hopes. A story that is repeated year after year. A story that begins long before we get to the end game.
They say the graveyard is where you will find more hopes and dreams than anywhere. When it comes to sports I can’t think of anything more true. The problem is that in sports, the death of dreams are long and painful. It too often ends with all parties pretending and putting on a false face. It too often ends with embarrassment and disappointment. But always starts out with real dreams. That’s because you remember when they played the sport because they loved it. You remember the joy that kid played with. You remember when they were exceptional among their peers. But then something changed. You realized that kid could get a free education, be a star and maybe even play D1 basketball. So you lost track of what was important and what matters. You started talking about how your kid didn’t like certain kids, how they didn’t want to be part of certain organizations. You started worrying about the things that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Like which parents you liked or didn’t. Who got the most tweets. Who was winning the awards. This is when things started to go south and they didn’t even know it.
I watch her dribble and see the true passion in the eyes. I walk over to her and her dad and offer to help in anyway with her recruiting. But both are proudful and mention how they have coals in the fire. They mention D1 school who have interest. But those schools do not even have a current head coach. They say they will sit and talk me with, but I know this will never happen. Now we are both playing the game. You know that game, the one we call pretending. The game that is too often played this time of year. It’s a game that is played every year across the country in every town and city. It’s just a different name and face.
They and there inner circle know the dream is now fading. Now it’s about settling and saving face. But all this was put in motion long before today. It was put in motion when you tired to convince the kid and family to train in a competitive environment. But the kid and her family felt disrespected that others were considered better and more important.. You tired to advise them but they listened to those with no track record. You tired to explain to them name brands mean nothing. But they needed that brand name for credibility in their mind. You tired to tell them stats and awards mean nothing in the big picture. But they didn’t believe you. So they transferred from school to school, AAU TEAM to AAU TEAM and they indeed often got those big stats. But here there are today with stats and still on the outside looking in. They believe there are forces working against them. But never could understand it was there decision making along the way, year after year, that got them where they are today. You will never convince them different.
This is a story that can be told every year, every 4 years it a new face. It’s about parents refusing to listen. Kids refusing to understand their is a price to be paid. It’s a story about what should have been to what it is now. This is an old story. The one that starts and ends with a dream or a nightmare!
NEXT WEEK
