thinking of giving up on my dream

[rusty_boi]

Hey everyone

ok a bit of background first

i am a rugby league player, i am very passionant about it, as in i dont think anything is better then it. any way i havent been able to play for the last 2 years because i had my knee reconstruction. and because of this i missed my chance to trial for some representative teams. my dream, and i havent told anyone this , is to make it professional. people are always putting me down saying im not good enough.

 

anyway so im finally back to playing, i found a new team and was hoping for a new start (i trained on tuesday), new shot at reps. my mate who does play reps plays with a guy who watched me train, anyway it got back to me that he said i wont have a chance of even making that team (which is local). and that kinda hurt, i dont know why, and for the first time in my life i began to doubt myself. now im thinking of giving up. if that many people tell me im not good enough , it must be true. so im obviously finding a new club but i have lost all confidence in myself. normally id get inspiration from this quote "it is better to try and fail, then not to know at all". and i believed that once.

 

i guess what im asking is, should i give up, i know its not the end of the world, but it hurts to have something you want soo badly ripped away from you. what do you all think i should do anyway.

[shes2smart]

I don't think you have to give up your dream, but you may have to modify it a little.

 

When you're talking about playing professional sports, you do need a certain level of talent/ability to be able to compete at that level. Some of that can be learned, but I think some of it is also just natural ability which people will have in varying degrees. You've also got the added hurdle of a physical limitation (your knee issues) that may or may not be able to be overcome.

 

Having said that, you can also point out people in any professional field who have overcome big odds and who, on paper, shouldn't be where they are. I believe part of the reason those exceptions-to-the-rule are there is because they wanted it more than some others who had more talent and/or ability.

 

It is good that you are taking a step back and trying to be objective and realistic about your options. Only you can decide when it's time to modify your goals, though.

 

If you couldn't become a pro player, would you be interested in pursuing a job in a related field -- say, coaching or team management & promotion? Being a pro athlete is a job with a limited shelf life -- how many careers have been cut short because of injury or younger/faster/better players arriving on the scene? Point here is that even if you were able to become a pro, you were going to have to deal with this issue at some point.

 

You're going to have to take a very hard, honest, objective look at yourself and your level of ability. Some questions to ask yourself: Is there some merit to what the rep said or did he just catch you on a bad day? Do you feel like you're still improving/rehabing from the knee injury? What have your docs told you about the long-term prospects for someone with your type of injury? If you compare your level of skills/ability to others who are playing pro, are your skills/ability at the same level? Better? Worse?

 

Finally, I think it's perfectly normal to go through periods of doubt when purusing a dream...no matter what that dream may be. I also think that, at some point, people do tend to figure out if & when they need to modify their goals to fit the reality of their situation.

[Marianne]

i read ur post and can understand how you are feeling and saying.

ive learnt alot about life and i think you shouldnt give up on ur dreams no matter wot is but just cause you think it will never happen or doubt it doesnt mean it wont happen ,you never should stop believing in yourself

i believe that dreams happen at the right time in life n nothing is impossible! dont be afraid to find out who you are

Dreams do cum true dont give up ur faith or hope!

always here

Marianne

[NJRon]

I had a dream of being a Play Girl centerfold. It didn't work out.. plus I was afraid of staples.

 

You know, there's nothing wrong with dreams. Dreams are there to inspire you to achieve new heights. To be the best you can be. however, in the end, dreams must be tempered with realistic expectations.

 

I say, don't give up your passion for the sport. Why? You seem to love the sport for what it is. Enjoy it for that. As soon as you see it as just a means to an end, it stops being fun. It becomes a stepping stone. With all your hopes attached to it, there is no enjoyment and your life is wrapped up in the success or failure, not the doing.

 

So, I say screw whoever is saying you're not good enough. Not good enough to enjoy yourself? Not good enough to play the best you can?

 

You're 17 right now. Life is funny in how things change. how priorities come and go. Take your pasison for Rugby and apply it to other things that compliment it. Like Shes2Smart said... jobs in a related field. Sports reporting, Sports Therapy, management... The options are only limited by you.

[ShySoul]

Never give up on dreams. Sports are filled with people who were told they would never make it, who have come back from serious injuries to make it big. If you believe you can do it, you can do it.

 

At the same time, have backup plans. Even if you do make it as a professional, most pros have short career spans. You will need something else to support yourself with as well. It can be a related field or something else entirely. The important thing is that you are doing something you like and are happy doing.

[Alabama]

Don't give up, yet. It's true their opinions carry values as they have expertise in this area, but you can still make it. You're still at a good age and you can always train more to become a good Ruby player. Maybe get tips from a friend, or see if you can get proffesional training or something. It's not over, until the fat lady sings. Remember that.

[rusty_boi]

hey everyone

thanks for the help, ive decided to not give up yet, but this season concentrate on playing myself back into form, your help was apprecitated

thanks again

[Alabama]

Awesome! Keep it up! I am sure one day you will be an excellent rugby player!

[ShySoul]

Great to hear! Keep it up and one day you'll probably look back and this decision and smile, realizing that you were right in chasing your dreams and glad you did. You are going to make an excellent rugby player.