While my friends were trying to decide where to go to school or what major to choose, my mind was on another dilemma-to play or not to play.
I can't remember a time when I didn't play soccer; from my first game at the age of 5 when we chased the ball like a little herd of cattle to that last big championship when our team worked like a well-oiled machine with every man covered. But with all the other responsibilities I expected to have in college, did I really have time to play a sport, too?
This question weighed on my mind for a while. The truth is that I don't expect soccer to make me rich and famous. I've read the statistics. It's estimated that only one in 10,000 high school athletes will make it as professional athletes ("Job Trends," par. 3). Of those, "the average career span of 95 percent of all professional athletes is three to four years and 75 percent of that 95 percent depend on new employment for their survival" (Blansett, "When the Cheering Stops," par. 9). What's really important is getting an education, regardless of what I decided about soccer.
I've already decided on my major: journalism. At the advice of my school counselor, I met with journalists in my community to get a better idea of what their daily responsibilities are and what they like and dislike about their jobs. I've enjoyed being a reporter for my school newspaper, but I wanted to find out first-hand what it is like in the "real world." My school counselor suggested that I take this same approach toward deciding whether I want to play soccer or not.
I talked to my friend's older brother, who is a junior in college and plays Division II football. He gave me a lot of insight as to how many hours he puts into football each week. In addition to the expected practice time and game time, he spends a lot of time weight training and running. He also spends every Friday afternoon in "Films," where they go over footage of the last game and areas of needed improvement. He also told me to factor in travel time to away games. He said that this could be a good time to read and study, if I have the ability to mentally separate myself from the distractions of a bus full of my teammates.
Next, I went to my soccer coach. As a college graduate and student-athlete, he had some pretty good information about the pros and cons of playing. I admitted to him that I was leaning more and more towards playing soccer in college. He recommended that I visit CampusChamps.com (http://www.CampusChamps.com), a free sports-information Web site, to learn more about what I need to do and when, how to select the right school for me and how to get the attention of recruiters and coaches. So, my decision is made, but I still have a lot of research to do.
I need to decide what division I want to play in and find the right school for me, one with solid journalism and soccer programs. I also need financial aid information and tips on writing a solid sports resumé. Luckily, I know where to go. Works Cited: Blansett, Ph.D., Phillip L. When the Cheering Stops... Counseling and Consultation Associates; 22 March 2002 . Job Trends. Minnesota Careers; 22 March 2002 .
