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Summer time and life is easy. No school. No homework. Just long evenings to sit back and think about life’s big questions.
For example, if you could be a professional athlete in any sport, which sport would you choose? I remember asking myself that question with my best mate Benny many summers ago.
Lots of kids love soccer, but that might not be a good choice. The average career of a player in the National Football League (NFL) lasts just over three years. For some players, such as B. running backs, it is shorter. Chances are you will get hurt. I would give up soccer.
It’s the same with ice hockey. I love the speed of the game, but hockey is tough. With playoffs, the National Hockey League (NHL) season can span more than 100 games. I don’t know how anyone makes it through an entire season.
Benny and I played on a baseball team called The Pirates, so we thought playing in the major leagues would be best. Baseball can hurt you, but it’s not as hard as football or hockey. Now, the average Major League Baseball (MLB) player makes more than $4 million per season.
The average player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) earns about twice as much as the average MLB player. Maybe a player in the NBA is the way to go. I mean who wouldn’t want to be Stephen Curry?
Let’s also talk about women’s professional sport. Unlike before, there are now professional leagues for women’s ice hockey, fast pitch softball, and even women’s tackle football. Unfortunately, these leagues are small and don’t pay nearly as much as men’s sports.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has competed since 1997. With 12 teams, the competition for players to place on the list is fierce. If you make it into the WNBA, you have to be very good.
Men and women compete in golf and tennis. Some golfers travel the world and have played on the Professional Tour for more than 20 years. That sounds great, but if the golfer doesn’t play well, they don’t make any money. There are no guaranteed contracts in golf like there are in other sports.
Tennis pros are world travelers too. However, the truth is that while stars like Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka make big bucks, most professional tennis players don’t.
Most sports are tough, we haven’t even mentioned football yet. Although the most popular sport has professional leagues – men’s and women’s – around the world, almost every child tries the game. That means the competition to be a pro is intense.
So which sport will you choose? Basketball? Baseball? Golf? Or something else?
Think about it. But remember to enjoy the summer and make sure you always practice the sports you love.
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