THE WALK-ON ROUTE

Sometimes You Have to Create Your Own Opportunity

There is usually more than one road to where you're trying to go.

For young athletes, the college sports dream usually follows a familiar script: play well in high school, get noticed, receive scholarship offers, choose a college and sign your name.

That's a great path. But it's not the only path.

Years ago, I attended Illinois State University and walked onto the men's basketball team. I wasn't following the traditional scholarship-athlete route. I had to earn an opportunity to get into the gym, compete and prove that I belonged.

Looking back, walking on taught me something much bigger than basketball: sometimes you have to create your own opportunity.

That lesson still matters today, although college sports have changed dramatically. The Transfer Portal has changed how coaches build rosters, and new Division I roster and scholarship rules have made roster spots extremely valuable. Walking on isn't an easy back door into Division I athletics, and it certainly isn't guaranteed. But for the right student-athlete, it can still be another route worth exploring.

Maybe you're a late bloomer. Maybe injuries affected your recruiting. Maybe coaches didn't see you at the right time. Maybe you simply weren't highly recruited. None of those things automatically determine what you can eventually become.

Instead of only asking, "Who's going to offer me?" sometimes an athlete should also ask, "Where can I create an opportunity for myself?"

That opportunity could be Division II, Division III, NAIA or junior college. In the right situation, it could also mean attending a Division I university that fits you academically and personally and pursuing a legitimate walk-on opportunity.

But don't chase "D1" simply for the label. Do your homework. Talk with the coaching staff. Understand the roster situation and financial commitment. Study the academic programs. Most importantly, ask yourself one question:

Would I still want to attend this university if sports disappeared tomorrow?

If the answer is no, think carefully.

If you do earn an opportunity, concentrate on becoming valuable. Can you defend? Rebound? Bring energy? Learn quickly? Accept coaching? Handle your academics? Can coaches trust you?

Everybody wants to score 20 points. Sometimes your opportunity comes because you're willing to do something the team actually needs.

And that's a lesson that extends far beyond sports.

When I think about Illinois State today, the biggest accomplishment wasn't being able to say I walked onto a Division I basketball team. It was learning that I could pursue something even when there wasn't a perfectly paved road waiting for me.

I competed. I worked. I created an opportunity. And most importantly, I graduated from Illinois State University in four years.

Basketball was part of my journey. Education helped prepare me for everything that came afterward.

That's what we want young athletes to understand at Play 4 Rings. Don't become so focused on the scholarship offer, recruiting announcement or letters "D1" that you lose sight of the bigger opportunity.

Use the game. Use the relationships. Use the education. And use every opportunity to prepare yourself for life after sports.

Sometimes the door opens for you. Sometimes you have to knock.

And sometimes you have to keep knocking until somebody gives you the chance to show what you can do.

Play 4 Rings | Building Triple Threats For LifeTraining the Body, Mind & Will Power for excellence in any arena.