Education taking a back seat?
By Erin Hussey
'Pretty soon they'll have to start coloring diapers to match jerseys," my grandfather joked the other day when we were discussing teenagers being drafted for the NBA.
Demetrius Walker is 6 foot 3 inch, 175 lbs., hasn't lost an AAU game in over two years, and is only 14 years old. His goal, along with his head coach and mom, is to be in the NBA by age 18.
While reading the four page spread in Sports Illustrated about Demetrius, I couldn't help but think about all he will be missing.
Yes, a multi-million dollar contract would be nice, but is it worth missing high school and college? At 14, boys should be worried about passing pre-algebra, asking girls to their first dance, or accidently forgetting to leave their sugar baby on the bus. But the NBA?
Granted, not all of my high school memories are great, but I wouldn't want to give them up, either.
If drafted at 18, similar to eight of the 2004 first-round picks, not only would Demetrius cease to have a high school experience, but he would miss college life. He would miss being the big man on campus, dorms, all-nighters, high-lighter parties, and the student fans.
When I read that middle school is now the new recruiting ground, I was shocked. But when I read how many now consider a full scholarship to a Division I school a failure, I was sick to my stomach. Has education really been benched? Money and fame can only provide so much, and it's not a lot.
Why is everyone in such a hurry? Instead of always focusing on the future, why not live in the present. It's great to have goals, but they shouldn't take away from experiencing the moments at hand. If you made the game winning three pointer with :00.3 seconds on the clock, you would celebrate, wouldn't you? You wouldn't just race off the court and head home to strategize for the next game.
I for one wouldn't want to be the NBA player who reached retirement and had to continually ask myself why I had fast forwarded myself through part of my life. After all, life is not an instant replay and there is no rewind button.
High school and college might not make you famous, but they will help make you an adult. So let's not jump the gun. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want to see Nike swooshes on multicolored diapers. Try to live in the moment. Because once it's gone, it's gone.
* Contact Erin Hussey at (408) 551-1918 or ehussey@scu.edu.