14th Picture

Although this picture is of Auckley Playing fields, I’ve used it to talk about sports activities in general.

I’ve done quite a few different sports in my time; Golf, Football, Cricket, Hockey, Squash, Badminton, swimming, cycling and I’ve even tried to run once or twice. It’s fair to say I was useless at them all. It's not as though I didn't try, I really did! It’s just that I have no hand/foot to eye coordination. None what so ever!!

So you can imagine how difficult it is for someone like me, who really wants to succeed at a sport, any sport; seeing those with the ability simply squander their opportunity to make it all the way to the top.  

As a shopkeeper I’m in a privileged position to see lots of youngsters with the potential to make their chosen sport a life long career. Yet very few if any go on to realise their true potential. Why?

I’ve met a lot of ex sports players who either were in the same teams or played against some of the best known sportsmen/women in the world. I knew a pub landlord in Edinburgh who used to play football along side Graheme Souness and according to the landlord was a better player and even went out of his way to help the then struggling footballer. Yet one is an internationally recognised sporting icon, the other is a pub landlord. I could repeat this story a thousand times and all I’d have to do is change the names of the individual and their chosen sport.

So what happens to these budding sports stars to make them want to choose a different career path? Why do they simply stop trying?

These two questions have fascinated me for as long as I can remember, alas if I knew the answer I’d be a very rich man. The only thing I can come up with is; at some stage what they were doing is less exciting than an alternative choice.  

If you find yourself in a situation where you have a god given talent and are about to sabotage your career prospects, come and see me and I'll try my hardest to talk some sense into you. Otherwise, I'll simply add your name to my stats. (Trust me you don’t want that)!

Ammo