Commitment and Sacrifices of Young Athletes

This is a sponsored post about Commitment and Sacrifices of Young Athletes is for SheSpeaks/POWERADE. #JustAKidFrom 

Almost every son or daughter think they will grow up and be a professional sports player at some point in their young sporting career. At some point almost every parents might have a vision of their young athlete  getting a college scholarship for sports. The big questions lies, when does a parent really know that an athlete has potential and they need to take the sacrifices necessary to allow them to reach their dreams. We have some friends that helped their young athlete reach her dreams. I am not talking about the pros, at least not yet, and the athlete I am speaking of is only a junior in High School. Karoline, was recruited to USNA, aka NAVY, Women’s Lacrosse Team,  as a sophomore in High School. But the sacrifices to get here are not only on the athlete but on the parents as well.

powerade promotion

Getting recognized in college sports these days, often goes beyond playing on a High School Team. Many athletes have to be on multiple travel teams. If you have ever had an athlete on a travel team, you know the financial sacrifices of travel, not to mention the time commitment for the rest of the family. Karoline, has been an athlete her whole life but her passion is lacrosse. 

I would often pass her house and see her throwing a lacrosse ball against the wall before school. This is commitment. She has missed social events in High School due to tournament schedules but as a committed athlete,  her sports always came first.

IMG_0097

To get recruited for college, you have to be a great player, but to be admitted to the USNA, grades are a big part of it too. As close family friends we are so thrilled for her success and I know her parents are beyond excited to have their daughter attend such a prestigious school and continue her love of the game.

The sacrifice has not ended, Karoline is a Rising Junior in High School and even though she has a verbal commitment letter, she still participates in all the travel teams and high school team. In some tournaments, Karoline will wear a band, like the one in the picture at the top, to signify to recruiters she is already committed.

The folks at POWERADE are so excited about all the young athletes and parents supporting them they have started the #JustAKidFrom campaign. POWERADE believes that with the right motivation these everyday athletes can realize their potential and one day be the athletes that they look up to. Sports have a major impact on our communities. Whether it is t-ball or the pros, every athlete in every league has a story waiting to be told.

Powerade has created a line of custom “Just a Kid” apparel that features where you’re from here. All net proceeds from the sale of “Just a Kid” apparel goes to the Boys & Girls Club of America.

8pack

Be sure to pick up your POWERADE for your next sporting event at Walmart and take advantage of this  Walmart/POWERADE Offer – Free “Just a Kid” Sports Bottle: When shoppers purchase two 8-packs of 20 oz POWERADE at Walmart, they’ll be able to go online, submit their receipt, and order a free custom “Just a Kid” reusable sports bottle. Go to http://www.us.powerade.com/walmart/#pov2 to learn more. The offer is good until April 4, 2016 or while supplies last.

 

Bottle

 

What sports do your young athletes play and how do you support their dreams? 

Find Us On Social Media

10 Comments

  1. It’s so true how hard these high school and then college athletes work. My sister play college basketball and it is non-stop while still trying to juggle her academics and some kind of life outside of the gym and school work. It’s truly impressive what they do. – Katy

  2. My daughter was a cheerleader and a pom, so basically she loved to dance. My son took Tae Kwon Do!

  3. I had no clue what that band meant! Very cool

  4. My kids love poweraid when they play sports. We are a sports just for fun family, but I admire those who make the big sacrifices to be really great!

  5. Being good at anything definitely requires commitment and sacrifice – usually from the whole family! I remember all our weekends being filled with sports when the kids were younger.

  6. My kids haven’t started anything yet, but I sincerely hope they do. And I’ll be there cheering them on! And I’ll bring Powerade, of course.

  7. Yes it is a sacrifice on both parts. Our daughters used to do competitive dance…it was hard on everyone.

  8. I don’t have any children but I loved Karoline’s story. Thank you for sharing.

  9. My boys play lacrosse and basketball. Just for fun though! Great news about Karoline!

  10. For three years my oldest worked his butt off towards his black belt and it paid off last September.