Show What happens when the final whistle blows Mat Baer Sports Editor There is a scene played out every day in virtually every neighborhood in America parents America parents introducing introducing introducing ing their children to the world of sports In each case the outcome is different Some kids drop sports at atthe atthe atthe the first drop of the ball Others participate in sports in the same manner as all other childhood games Still others are are immediately fascinated fas with the accomplishment of their first basket goal or hit and let sports become their driving driving driving ing force Believe it or not a five year old kid can enjoy more I hours each day throwing a baseball against a wall or slapping a makeshift puck into a make-believe make net than watching Sesame Street on television Kids are naturally drawn to sports especially if they are naturally natural natural- ly good athletes Its It's these natural athletes who end up as high school jocks with some few becoming becoming becoming be be- coming college and professional professional professional superstars But what happens when the final whistle blows The final whistle is something something something some some- thing never thought of during a young athletes career When hen an athlete is young she feels invin invin- cible A twisted ankle heals in hours arid nd ribs tend to bend instead of break But reality hits nits hard when the whistle ends the last game of an athletes high school college college college col col- col- col lege or even professional career and there is nowhere to go The end can come early due to injury or late due to toa a lack of ability to com compete pete at a higher level High school athletes have a hard time realizing that their let let- ter-jacket ter means little and that they probably wont won't be participating at the college level The same goes for junior college athletes who arent aren't recruited by four year institutions institutions institutions in in- and those major college players who dont don't continue on into professional professional professional sports Every athlete who takes on sports as a way of life had better be ready to compete in the game of life as soon as that whistle blows The purpose of a college education is to prepare a student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent for the game of life Far too often a student athlete athlete athlete ath ath- lete pays no heed to the educational sector of his college college college col col- col- col lege experience and finds himself with no plan game-plan with which to attack the new opponent opponent life An athlete must continue to play the game in the same manner as all other past games Dedication d determination determination deter deter- termination ter- ter intensity and other key components of a successful athletic career must continue to guide the plan game-plan throughout his existence if success is to fol fol- fol- fol low The star athlete who exits the old game and enters the new game with a weak plan of attack will himself becom become become be be- come com e a third or fourth stringer |