A dream deferred

Over the years, sports have dominated my life. When I was 5 years old, I would stand up and sing the National Anthem in front of my TV before each Chiefs game. I owned a large Teddy bear that I would run around the house with. I would pretend I was in the Super Bowl, sprinting through the house full speed and celebrating by spiking my football into the turf that was my carpet. I replicated every NASCAR race with my Hot Wheels, recreate the Final Four in my driveway, or smash the game-winning home run in my backyard.

I keep a very special paper in my nightstand, and I intend to keep it forever. It was something I wrote in first grade. The short paragraph pertained to what I wanted to be when I grew up. First grade me wanted to become the next star cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Senior me still wants that too, even though the chances are slim to none.

As much I love sports, I struggled to play them. I was afraid of getting hit in football, I couldn’t catch a baseball, and my shooting skills are less than impressive. Unlike most first graders who grow out of their dreams, I never did. I still envision myself on the biggest stage and making the play of the game.

My dreams have evolved a little since I wrote that fateful paragraph. I understand that I probably won’t have the athletic skills to make it at the highest level, but now I have my sights set even higher. My dreams consist of coaching the biggest game of my life, or managing it. I also want to talk about sports. Some of my favorite sports analysts host morning radio talk shows in which they sit around and talk about everything sports. I can foresee myself doing that as well.

What I’ve discovered over time, is that once you find your passion, pursue it. And don’t take a narrow-minded approach. As a freshman, I assumed I would hate journalism, and because of that, it took me 3½ years to realize, hey, this might something I actually want to do. One thing I do know for sure, there is no way that I will go into any career that doesn’t involve sports. That’s what I’m passionate about, that’s what I have been passionate about, and that’s what I’m gonna do.