Dream with your Eyes Open
The blog Connie on FbRecruiting recently had a post What No One Tells You About Football Recruiting. There in what she calls, a soapbox moment she describes the challenges of being recruited to a major university football team with the hopes of one day playing for an NFL team. Her advice, “Dream with your eyes open.” If you have a teen at home depending on where they are in their development, you might hear aspirations that include the presidency to the next Kobe. No matter what the dream the advice is universal, dream with your eyes open.
Before you think anyone is considering aspirations of teens are all poppycock, she had another bit of advice, a very important bit and that was to commit. An early (ages 10-14 years) or even mid (ages 15-17 years) teen has BIG Dreams when they have them. They’re going to be the next Tupac Shakur (rap artist), Barack Obama, or George Washington Carver. Their brain knows no limits. They can take the risk, they will be the one to make it, they can’t fail. This is why you have such a tough time trying to get them to think about being safe. Nothing is going to happen to them! Why should they be such a worry wart like you? The real question is why shouldn’t they be like this? This risky thinking was what made people like Albert Einstein (great scientist), Steve Jobs (owner of Apple), and Richard Branson (owner of Virgin). They thought the impossible at least, it was the impossible to everyone else.
Well that’s all fine and well, but meanwhile you have a teen at home who is thinking Big Dreams and you’re starting to worry. How realistic is a dream shared by many, but granted to so few? How do I ask my teen to be realistic without saying that I don’t believe in them? What if they do have a shot? Remember that second word Connie used? Commit.
This is the difference between the few and the many. The few more often than not, commit. They live, breathe and eat their passion. They don’t just tell you they want to be a great basketball player, they act as if! They act as if they’re playing this Friday’s game and they practice, practice, practice. They are distracted by the vices and the “good time” since they know they have work to do. They call people that don’t expect a call from a hungry teen. They think outside the box. They consider other angles including humbling angles. Maybe I won’t be the next Tom Cruise, but I will be a great stage actor and love my craft and if I have to teach college drama in between gigs then so be it. This is the passion and determination to happiness that makes others around them believe. It is the way your teen dreams with their eyes open. They certainly can’t do this failing classes because they’re going to play professional baseball one day and who needs calculus? Hmmm…don’t you need to go to University to get recruited?
No, you absolutely don’t need to shoot your teen’s Big Dreams down, you need only ask them what they’re doing each day to get them to that goal. Ask them, “What they’re willing to do in the way of hard work to get to their goal?” Ask them, “What did you do today to help you reach your goals?” When they reply through their behavior how they have committed, then with a bit of talent you might actually consider that your teen might be that one.
Resources:
You can catch What No One Tells You About Football Recruiting and more posts from Connie here.
If your teen needs help dreaming with their eyes open regarding sports checkout ViewMySport.com for more great tips on how to get noticed as a high school athlete.
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