Being good at a sport shouldn’t be the only reason why you play
August 19th, 2008 - by
I look up to Elena Delle Donne. Not because she was Naismith national girls high school basketball player of the year or because she’s a lot taller than me (she’s 6’5).
No, the reason I admire Delle Donne, who was slated to play at UConn, is because she followed her gut instinct to not play basketball in college, despite being the best player in the nation. From the Hartford Courant:
“I have decided that in the best interest of both UConn and myself that I will not play college basketball this year,” said Delle Donne, a 6-foot-5 guard from Wilmington, Del., who committed to UConn last August. “Both UConn and I require 100 percent dedication to the sport, and as of now I feel I cannot give that level of commitment. It therefore would be unfair to the excellent program, Coach Geno Auriemma, the team, and UConn fans, for me to play.
“Coach Auriemma and the team have been extremely understanding during this time of my transition from high school to college, and I thank them for that. I am especially grateful to Coach Auriemma, whose kind wisdom has shown me why UConn is such a class program.”
It’s unfortunate that Delle Donne already had committed to playing at UConn before coming to this conclusion, but I do respect that rather than struggling through her freshman year, she admitted that she couldn’t commit to playing at that level.
As a star-athlete, you might feel pressure to play at the next level or take on an additional workload. But the only person who can truly tell you what to do and what is right is YOU. I’m sure Delle Donne felt said pressure, but rather than subcoming to it, she eventually broke out and decided that basketball in college is not right for her, at least not right now.
Athletics are a great way to help you get into college – I preach that everyday. But on the flip-side, you got to do what’s in your own best interest. If you plan on going to school by participating in your sport, and you might not necessarily enjoy playing at the college level, you have to think long and hard about the decision to accept any athletic scholarship that comes your way.
It’s all about being happy.
