Once gone, opportunity rarely comes back.

I recently asked a group of returning football players to reflect on their last game of last years season.
What I got was a chorus of groans, shaking heads and tongue clicks. This is what I was expecting of course.

See, it’s been many months since the last game ended. It’s easy to forget the pain, the disappointment, the tears, and the promises. Most seasons end with promises of coming back stronger next year. You’ll hear commitments between fellow team mates to work harder and to take the pre-season more seriously. Vows will be made to come back with a vengeance.

So I reminded this group, that this is the same reaction that many people have. In fact several seniors had just had the same reaction that they had. What makes this year’s Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors different is that they still have an opportunity to make their last game a memorable one. For those Seniors that just left, there is no more next year. You get four years, opportunity knocks four times, and then it’s gone.

There are many people that would give a lot for the opportunity to play one more season, and this group that was in front of me has it in front of them but didn’t understand it’s value.

Time for a reality check

If you will still be in high school next year or if you are planning on trying out for college ball then it’s time to ask yourself, when next year’s season ends… will you be able to say I gave it my all? Will you have no regrets? Or will you be full of “I should of” and “I wish I..” and “Next year I’m gonna..” ?

Here’s a reality check, what are you doing now that is different from last year that will get you better results this year? You’re running out of time. The choice is yours, but the time to act on it is now. There might not be a next year.