You know, I played sports for a long time, up to my third year of college. I never saw so many players quit the freaking team, just because somebody won the first string job over you, or maybe because you aren't starting yet.
What else are you going to do anyway if you quit the team? Answer: nothing.
In my day, admittedly a long time ago, you played, and you tried, and you eventually got your shot, you got your opportunity. And then it's up to you.
Make yourself indispensable! Whatever happened to WORKING FOR SOMETHING???
I'm getting so sick of these kids. I really, really want to be a fan of the football team, but something is just not working.
Man o man, amen brother. Great post says one older dude to another, lol, but spot on.
Losing really does take its toll, and even though it is even more acute and widespread now some degree of this me me me approach leaving at the first sign of difficulty has always been going on.
The place I played we went something like 3-24 our first three years, and started with 55 players our first year.
That losing takes it’s toll as I mentioned, coaching changes, with divided fractured locker rooms as a result, more losing, coaches “losing the locker room”, etc. such that the attrition rate of players leaving, quitting was very high.
Well with finally a good coach and assistants brought in to modernize the approach, brought in some good young players able to contribute early on, the combination of that, finally, we got good going 7-1-1 the last year championship type year beating the #2 nationally ranked team the last game.
Here’s the point, by that last year the 55 kids we started with was down to five of us who stuck it out. As we were beating that #2 team, in the stands and along the sidelines were many of those same kids, the ones who didn’t transfer.
Partied with a bunch of them afterward and couldn’t help seeing and feeling, not to mention hearing from some of them at different points, their regrets at not hanging in there. Both Learned lessons carried over to this day.
Can’t imagine there will not be similar regrets by many that have chosen to leave, perhaps not for a championship type season end result but, hopefully, for some good successes that with one injury or quirk of fate they would of been a part of, especially if/when things don’t pan out for them at their landing spot.
