30 / 36
Choose Wisely
By:
Mark Croft
When I play golf, every time I goto
play a round, I learn something
about myself as a person.
As parents we hope our
children make wise choices.
I want to share a true story,
directed towards parents,
that illustrates the point
that expectations are often
clouded by success.
It is not meant to belittle any
sport, but is only to share
a perspective that is often
overlooked when viewing the
future of a child.
My cousin was a phenomenal
football player. He was strong,
could run like a deer and he
possessed a brilliant mind.
Unlike most top athletes, he
remained humble and was
the most kind and gentle
person you could ever meet.
He was a College All-
Americanonbothdefenseand
offense, which is unheard of
in today’s sports world. When
he graduated from college,
he realized every young boy’s
dream and was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys.
The expectations being that,
since he had been a standout
collegiate football player, he
would naturally want to be a
successful professional. Even
more important were the
expectations of those around
him that believed it was his
d e s i r e
to be an
NFL star
also.
Du r i ng
training camp, he made it
through to the final cut. Stoic
Dallas Cowboy Head Coach,
Tom Landry called him into
his office and outlined a
problem,
“I have a dilemma. You are
one hell of a football player,
but at the end of today, I must
release one more player. I am
going to leave that decision
up to you. Should I keep you
or Charlie Waters?
NWO Golf Links