As a kid watching sports on the television and seeing all the things athletes can do, it’s not out of the ordinary to want to be in their position. Many children and teenagers around the world envy athletes and want to become like them one day. But, even if you don’t reach the ultimate goal of being a professional athlete, it doesn’t mean you failed to fulfill your sports dreams.

Dreams change. The older you get, the more you learn that you have to be realistic about yourself and your talents. You can put in the time, the blood, sweat and tears that come with the growing pains of being an athlete, and still not make it where you want to. Life and sports are about adjusting and adapting to your situations as they unfold, so slightly modifying those dreams could be the best option.

If an athlete believes they have what it takes to play collegiately or professionally, they should fight with every fiber of their being to do so. Work hard, eat right, be a student of the game and soak up all the knowledge you can, because everyone in Beaufort County and beyond will be pulling for you to do so.

Figuring out that baseball wasn’t going to take me as far as I wanted it to in life was a hard pill to swallow, but my passion for the game and sports in general couldn’t keep me away from it. I knew I wanted to do something that pertained to sports to continue being around them for as long as I could in life. Fortunately, I was able to fulfill that modified dream in becoming a part of the sports media.

There are so many opportunities in the sports world that can be used as career paths. Coaching, broadcasting, journalism, marketing, medical trainers, recruiters and scouts are all different things you can take up as an occupation to keep you around the game you love.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what people around the game do if you’re interested. Reach out, send e-mails, and make phone calls to them, because those same people were probably in your position at one point and time. They’ll likely enjoy talking about it.

Just because an athlete doesn’t continue his/her playing career past high school or college, doesn’t mean that they failed at fulfilling their sports dreams, rather, they could just slightly modify them.

Sports teach athletes about work ethic, accountability, how to face adversity and how to adjust when it comes your way. How will you adapt?