Whose Dream Is This?

A lot of kids stay in this thing because they were always a little better than the kids around them. Then they get older and realize it was never their dream. It was the logical next thing. That’s how you get burnout.

Ask him. Not after a bad game. On a normal Tuesday. Does he want the work, or does he want you to stop asking?

Love of the game is the first goal. Without that, there is no college goal that holds.

Signs you’re ahead of him: you’re the one booking extra lessons he doesn’t want. The car ride is a recap of everything he did wrong. Sunday is never off. Vacation is a tournament.

Travel isn’t the enemy. A calendar with no backyard, no rest, and no say from him is.

If he wants it, be the support. Talk about the goal. Match the work to that goal. Motivate when he needs it. Build his confidence. Sometimes tough love is the right medicine. Be there on a daily basis.

If he doesn’t want it, don’t buy another showcase to convince him. The time still goes fast. My oldest is 11. I’m old enough to know how fast the next seven years will go.