WHAT'S THE GOAL OF THE GAME?

Not Every Young Athlete Needs the Same Destination

Ask a group of young basketball players what they want to become someday and you're probably going to hear some big dreams.

Varsity. College basketball. Division I. The NBA.

I love it.

Kids should dream big.

But as adults, maybe our responsibility isn't simply to encourage the dream. Maybe it's also to help young people understand what the dream is supposed to produce.

Because sometimes I wonder if we've confused the destination with the purpose.

A kid starts playing basketball because it's fun. Then we discover they're pretty good. Now they join a team. Then a better team. Then travel basketball. Then private training.

Before long, everybody starts talking about rankings, exposure, scholarships and what level they might eventually play.

Suddenly the question becomes:

Where is basketball going to take you?

That's a fair question.

But maybe there's another question we should ask first:

Who is basketball helping you become?

Those are two very different questions.

Maybe your child eventually plays Division I basketball. That's outstanding.

Maybe they earn a Division II scholarship. Outstanding.

Maybe they play Division III, NAIA or junior college. Outstanding.

Maybe they make their high school team, compete for four years and never play organized basketball again.

You know what?

That can be outstanding, too.

Because not every young athlete needs the same destination for sports to have tremendous value.

Did they learn discipline? Did they learn how to work when nobody was watching? How to handle losing? How to be coached? How to become a good teammate?

Did they learn how to compete without quitting when things became difficult?

And most importantly, did we use sports to help prepare them for life?

That's the goal I don't want us to lose.

At Play 4 Rings, we absolutely want young people chasing championships.

It's right there in our name.

Play For Rings.

Compete. Try to win. Work to become the best player you can possibly become.

But the ring isn't really the final destination.

Neither is the scholarship.

Neither is Division I.

Because eventually every athlete plays their last game.

For some, that's middle school. For others, high school. For a few, college. For an incredibly small number, professional sports.

Then what?

That's why we talk about developing the Body, Mind & Will.

Build the body so you're prepared to compete.

Develop the mind so you're prepared to make good decisions.

Strengthen your will so you're prepared to keep moving when life becomes difficult.

If basketball helps pay for college, that's tremendous. If it opens doors, use them. If it creates relationships, value them. If it takes you places you never imagined going, enjoy the journey.

But don't let the game become the only thing you have.

Use basketball. Don't let basketball use you.

So maybe the next time we're sitting in the stands worried about playing time, rankings, exposure or what team our child should play for next, we should ask ourselves a different question.

Not:

How far can basketball take this kid?

But:

How far can the lessons they're learning through basketball take them in life?

Maybe that's the real goal of the game.

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