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*Disclaimer - this may be of no interes**t to you, i jus**t had to get it off my ches**t. Feel free to reach for the back button at any time.
When i was in primary school, i knew this kid.
Today, i found out his little sis**ter is competing in the gymnas**tery bit of the commonwealth games.
Of course, i'm happy for her, though i've not seen her for about a decade and she was never really more than my friend's sis**ter. And of course, this is the result of years of dedication and hard work.
But i kind of feel like a failure. I've been working hard (actually working *hard*) at the basketball for years too, and though i've always found teams, i've also always rode benches. I've not played on teams at anything like a high level and been particularly 'good' (compared to everyone else) more than 2 or 3 times in my life. And at the end of uni, unless i fluke a future in the same town as a (*really*) low div. basketball team, i could be out of options - no organised teams to play on, not within my s**tandard, and no will to try to get a few novices to use as court fodder until one of them accidentally injures me.
So what, i leave my sport?
Well, it's all that's kept me going.
In the las**t 8 months, i've screwed my thumb up twice (fractured and ligaments), each taking about 10 weeks of doing f.a. to heal. And they were some of the sh*tes**t times of my life.
I have so little else. I always knew the advice not to rely too heavily on your sport, as one injury takes it all away from you, to be good. But what else do i have? A few friends. Pool as a potential replacement, though i'm pretty average at it. Might be looking to join a football team that's the equivalent of sunday league. Though i suck, and i'm jus**t hoping the team does too (bottom of the lowes**t league going, and i s**till might be setting my sights too high).
Basketball, well, compared to mos**t people, i was good. Maybe not compared to the people that kept me on the bench so much, but s**till good. My motivation was always to play, not necessarily to win. But to play well. And everything else i suck at.
But mos**t of all, i don't want to leave my sport, and the good times it gave me.
And i'm sick of being sh*t at so much.
When i was in primary school, i knew this kid.
Today, i found out his little sis**ter is competing in the gymnas**tery bit of the commonwealth games.
Of course, i'm happy for her, though i've not seen her for about a decade and she was never really more than my friend's sis**ter. And of course, this is the result of years of dedication and hard work.
But i kind of feel like a failure. I've been working hard (actually working *hard*) at the basketball for years too, and though i've always found teams, i've also always rode benches. I've not played on teams at anything like a high level and been particularly 'good' (compared to everyone else) more than 2 or 3 times in my life. And at the end of uni, unless i fluke a future in the same town as a (*really*) low div. basketball team, i could be out of options - no organised teams to play on, not within my s**tandard, and no will to try to get a few novices to use as court fodder until one of them accidentally injures me.
So what, i leave my sport?
Well, it's all that's kept me going.
In the las**t 8 months, i've screwed my thumb up twice (fractured and ligaments), each taking about 10 weeks of doing f.a. to heal. And they were some of the sh*tes**t times of my life.
I have so little else. I always knew the advice not to rely too heavily on your sport, as one injury takes it all away from you, to be good. But what else do i have? A few friends. Pool as a potential replacement, though i'm pretty average at it. Might be looking to join a football team that's the equivalent of sunday league. Though i suck, and i'm jus**t hoping the team does too (bottom of the lowes**t league going, and i s**till might be setting my sights too high).
Basketball, well, compared to mos**t people, i was good. Maybe not compared to the people that kept me on the bench so much, but s**till good. My motivation was always to play, not necessarily to win. But to play well. And everything else i suck at.
But mos**t of all, i don't want to leave my sport, and the good times it gave me.
And i'm sick of being sh*t at so much.
It's kind of like playing say a fps against someone who stinks at it - there's no challenge for you, and they don't particularly enjoy getting their butt kicked either.
That's how playing against really rubbish people feels. And below bbl div. 3, that's all you're likely to get.
Still, i was speaking to someone who thinks div 3. is within reach, and from there, one good season could take you into div 2, which you can just about afford to go professional on, possibly with some other part-time work fitting around it.
I'll be able to speak to people who really know in a couple of weeks from now.
Until then at least, the lost dream of being a pro has been surprisingly resurrected from the grave. More surprising is the fact that if it happened, it'd be maybe a 15 grand a year pay cut on what i'd otherwise be doing a couple of years down the line, the gap increasing with time : S
More surprising still is that i'd give up the money in a second ¦ D
And thanks, it's great to be back : )
That's how playing against really rubbish people feels. And below bbl div. 3, that's all you're likely to get.
Still, i was speaking to someone who thinks div 3. is within reach, and from there, one good season could take you into div 2, which you can just about afford to go professional on, possibly with some other part-time work fitting around it.
I'll be able to speak to people who really know in a couple of weeks from now.
Until then at least, the lost dream of being a pro has been surprisingly resurrected from the grave. More surprising is the fact that if it happened, it'd be maybe a 15 grand a year pay cut on what i'd otherwise be doing a couple of years down the line, the gap increasing with time : S
More surprising still is that i'd give up the money in a second ¦ D
And thanks, it's great to be back : )
Surely if you like playing that much, then it doesn't matter what team you play for, so you could play for one of the lower teams?
It depends how much you want to play, weighed up against how much you want to play for a good team. If you just like playing, and want to carry on, then just play for whoever you can.
That advice is a bit crap, I admit, but it's the best I can do. Sorry.
And it's good to see you around the forums again Duck.
It depends how much you want to play, weighed up against how much you want to play for a good team. If you just like playing, and want to carry on, then just play for whoever you can.
That advice is a bit crap, I admit, but it's the best I can do. Sorry.
And it's good to see you around the forums again Duck.
*Disclaimer - this may be of no interes**t to you, i jus**t had to get it off my ches**t. Feel free to reach for the back button at any time.
When i was in primary school, i knew this kid.
Today, i found out his little sis**ter is competing in the gymnas**tery bit of the commonwealth games.
Of course, i'm happy for her, though i've not seen her for about a decade and she was never really more than my friend's sis**ter. And of course, this is the result of years of dedication and hard work.
But i kind of feel like a failure. I've been working hard (actually working *hard*) at the basketball for years too, and though i've always found teams, i've also always rode benches. I've not played on teams at anything like a high level and been particularly 'good' (compared to everyone else) more than 2 or 3 times in my life. And at the end of uni, unless i fluke a future in the same town as a (*really*) low div. basketball team, i could be out of options - no organised teams to play on, not within my s**tandard, and no will to try to get a few novices to use as court fodder until one of them accidentally injures me.
So what, i leave my sport?
Well, it's all that's kept me going.
In the las**t 8 months, i've screwed my thumb up twice (fractured and ligaments), each taking about 10 weeks of doing f.a. to heal. And they were some of the sh*tes**t times of my life.
I have so little else. I always knew the advice not to rely too heavily on your sport, as one injury takes it all away from you, to be good. But what else do i have? A few friends. Pool as a potential replacement, though i'm pretty average at it. Might be looking to join a football team that's the equivalent of sunday league. Though i suck, and i'm jus**t hoping the team does too (bottom of the lowes**t league going, and i s**till might be setting my sights too high).
Basketball, well, compared to mos**t people, i was good. Maybe not compared to the people that kept me on the bench so much, but s**till good. My motivation was always to play, not necessarily to win. But to play well. And everything else i suck at.
But mos**t of all, i don't want to leave my sport, and the good times it gave me.
And i'm sick of being sh*t at so much.
When i was in primary school, i knew this kid.
Today, i found out his little sis**ter is competing in the gymnas**tery bit of the commonwealth games.
Of course, i'm happy for her, though i've not seen her for about a decade and she was never really more than my friend's sis**ter. And of course, this is the result of years of dedication and hard work.
But i kind of feel like a failure. I've been working hard (actually working *hard*) at the basketball for years too, and though i've always found teams, i've also always rode benches. I've not played on teams at anything like a high level and been particularly 'good' (compared to everyone else) more than 2 or 3 times in my life. And at the end of uni, unless i fluke a future in the same town as a (*really*) low div. basketball team, i could be out of options - no organised teams to play on, not within my s**tandard, and no will to try to get a few novices to use as court fodder until one of them accidentally injures me.
So what, i leave my sport?
Well, it's all that's kept me going.
In the las**t 8 months, i've screwed my thumb up twice (fractured and ligaments), each taking about 10 weeks of doing f.a. to heal. And they were some of the sh*tes**t times of my life.
I have so little else. I always knew the advice not to rely too heavily on your sport, as one injury takes it all away from you, to be good. But what else do i have? A few friends. Pool as a potential replacement, though i'm pretty average at it. Might be looking to join a football team that's the equivalent of sunday league. Though i suck, and i'm jus**t hoping the team does too (bottom of the lowes**t league going, and i s**till might be setting my sights too high).
Basketball, well, compared to mos**t people, i was good. Maybe not compared to the people that kept me on the bench so much, but s**till good. My motivation was always to play, not necessarily to win. But to play well. And everything else i suck at.
But mos**t of all, i don't want to leave my sport, and the good times it gave me.
And i'm sick of being sh*t at so much.