BALL IS LIFE, we all know this…. No question asked…
BUT… IS LIFE BALL?
Loads of things that life throws at us get in the way of doing the thing we all love – hooping.
When we are young, many of us have aspirations to make our living from our hoop dreams. We literally eat, breathe and sleep the sport. But as we get on with age, that priorities now come into play, particularly for those who don’t make their main earnings from basketball,
This may even mean ‘ball NOT being life’ as we know it in terms of priorities. I will go over some of the things that this could include and try to suggest ways of working around them to get a healthy balance of both.
MONEY
If it doesn’t make money it doesn’t make sense. When pro basketball doesn’t work out, pursuing an occupation that makes ends meet if often looming. Heck, with us ballers having high aspirations, it’s safe to say that simply ‘making ends meet’ isn’t enough.
If that job was say, retail, it’ll require you to work weekends – exactly when your games are scheduled to happen *screams* and everyone who has ever worked in retail knows how it goes when you tell the interviewer that they cannot work weekends…
On the other hand, if you have a Mon-Fri 9-5 you’ll have more availability to play for a team, as no men’s practice I know starts any earlier than 6. Also as you aren’t working on the weekend, making games shouldn’t be an issue. However, exhaustion may come knocking, after probably having to wake up at 6.30am and getting home can be as late as 11pm – only to wait for the 6.30 alarm to sound *screams again*.
FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS
With Age Comes Responsibility…
Time spent with loved ones needs to be factored into your schedule. Needless to say, if you are a 9-5er, this can be tough – you’ll be out 7am-11pm on training days and with fixtures, you might just touch the four corners of the country.
I particularly remember one weekend going from London to Worthing on a Saturday (200mile roundtrip) and then London-Middlesbrough (500mile) roundtrip the following day.
For days like this you can kiss date night goodbye…
HOW TO MANAGE
Although life isn’t easy, balance is the key to making it easier. With factors such as money and relationships existing, many decide to actually stop playing all together. Such is life.
Here are a couple things to keep in mind when deciding how you will balance ‘real life’ and basketball.
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PLAN YOUR TIME
As humans, we are naturally lazy. Remember the first time you attempted a left hand lay-up? This is a perfect example of having the ability and not using it.
The same thing can be said for us on and off the court. Many times, people fail due to fact that they not planned effectively…
FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL!
Little adjustments to everyday plans can go a long way in choosing your plan. Something as small as meal prep, for when you get home at 11pm, can help save money when compared to hitting up Tesco or McDonald’s on the way home from practice… or at that crazy-expensive service station on the motorway on a road trip.
Those small, consistent savings could actually allow you to have spending power, maybe now you can spend it on something more urgent/worthwhile!
A POUND SAVED IS 2 POUNDS EARNED!
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LOOK FOR YOUR BEST FIT
As every baller is different, so are their situations! This concept brings unique answers to each of the following questions.
WHAT JOB IS THE BEST FOR ME? WHICH TEAM IS BEST FOR MY SITUATION?
Just as role would play a part in the decision an NBA player would make for a team he wanted to play for, so should it be for those who make choices in balancing their basketball lives.
A team that requires playing weekend games may be no good for someone who works weekends. Equally, a team that travels between Plymouth and Newcastle isn’t ideal for those needing to have their weekends relatively free due to other commitments. In thinking like this, there’s a way for each baller to know what’s best for them. They can then make the necessary decisions which will best fit basketball into their everyday life, rather than the other way round.
Upon evaluation, you might find that playing for the season isn’t in your best interest. If it isn’t, at least you can still actively follow the sport whilst being able to be more productive in terms of the more urgent priorities.
How will you prepare to best fit basketball with your everyday life?
2 Comments
Tarela · February 10, 2017 at 2:26 pm
what is really poor is that there is no system in place for ballers to focus on basketball as a career. the wages don’t have to be astronomical we need to wake up!!
The Baller's Voice · February 10, 2017 at 4:07 pm
I definitely agree with you on this one Tarela. The basketball system in the UK at the very least needs to have meaningful progression prospects available to British players. In fact, what you have said about wages is a very interesting point and coincidentally, I have a blog post coming up in regards your point about wages. Be sure to subscribe for updates in order to know when it is hot off the press!
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