When I was in eighth grade I wrote a paper titled “The First Woman Basketball Player in the NBA”. I remember writing the paper like it was yesterday, and I firmly believed that I was going to play in the NBA. It was my dream, I obsessed about it, and I was going to make it happen…………………until my teacher pointed out in front of the class that a woman would never make it to the NBA, and I should work towards something else.
After this was pointed out I remember feeling a number of emotions, anger, hurt, and unfortunately doubt. This was my dream and here was someone telling me I couldn’t do it. Would the statement my teacher made hold true? Of course it did, as many of you have already guessed I am not a current member of the NBA. I am positive that this teacher wasn’t trying to hurt me or kill my dream, in a sense I think he/she was trying to protect me from future disappointment. Yet this was my dream and I had the right to hold onto for as long as I wanted. In just another year or two I realized that I wasn’t making it to the NBA, and that I was going to have to work really hard to make it to a Division 1 school (which didn’t happen). It would have been nice to hold on to that NBA dream a little longer, but that dream died as soon as the statement was made.
As parents, coaches, and teachers it is our job to protect our kids, athletes and students. Sometimes we feel the need to bring them back to reality, or tell them about the cruelty of the world before it’s necessary. The reality: the majority of kids won’t make it past their Varsity team, and most won’t even make it that far. Your son or daughter will realize that in their own time, until then have a little faith and let them DREAM!!
by Stacey Atkinson