Greetings, I appreciate you taking the time to embark on this journey through reading this book to uncover some of the wonderful aspects of education, business, athletics, and life. During my youth, I aspired to be a student-athlete determined to reach the highest of heights on the basketball court, in addition to, striving to achieve the same type of success in the board rooms of business. So, I persistently sought after grasping both of these goals. Many of you have had the same thoughts I had growing up. The innermost desires of your childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood can be the fuel to your passion and the drive necessary to propel you toward making your fantasies your realities.
Statistics are vital to understanding the conditions that many of the nation's student-athletes are facing: Did you know that over 99% of high school student-athletes will not make it to the professional level in their sport? Well, the stark reality is that 99.4% of the 7.8 million current high school student-athletes will not make it to the pros: only 0.6% of high school student-athletes will make it to the pros, and fewer than 2% of collegiate athletes will make it to the pros. Therefore, it is essential that student-athletes are made aware of the abundant number of career opportunities which are present in the workplace for them, especially, in the professional world of sports outside of the "playing field". However, the aforementioned statistics don't even account for injuries that may threaten the continuance of a playing career within an athlete's experience. So, even if a student-athlete does not reach the professional level as an athlete, he or she can still pursue a career in the world of sports. Professional career opportunities in education, business, sports-related jobs "off the field or outside of the court", and finding work in the arts is a reality available for our future workforce.
Therefore, it brings me great joy that you have opened this book to read of the experiences of successful professionals in education, business, sports, and the arts. They speak to the essentials of life, and what it takes to obtain career success for the purpose of fulfilling and sustaining their lives. My hope is predicated upon introducing and/or reinforcing to you of the bountiful career choices in the world of sports. Whether you're seeking to become a professional athlete, a sports enthusiast who wants to be a sports professional "off the field", or even if you are a person who doesn't enjoy sports at all, it's important for you to know that there are job opportunities which can lead you to satisfy the career of your dreams in sports for anyone.
Students and student-athletes, you, are our next generation, and informing, educating and equipping you with knowledge, understanding, experiential insight and resources are what is vital to assist you in acquiring the lofty personal ideals that you all envision on or off the field or in or out of the classroom. This book is designed to provide elements of the aforementioned to motivate and inspire students and student-athletes to your full potential toward your career passions and career aspirations.
The focus of this book is purposed to provide you with specific career options as a Plan B. So, you can survey, study, self-assess and apply your interest toward a career path presented in this Plan B Book while you're pursuing your loftiest goals in sports. In the event your athletic aspirations do not manifest into your reality, you have a career path that has already been presented to you, investigated and researched by your exploration through this book for your specific Plan B. This will enable you to make a smoother transition into the field of your choice, therefore producing a Plan "A" future.
Our nation's future will, soon, be in the hands of our country's most cherished assets, you, our current students. My hope centers on believing that as you continue to read this book that you will be enriched and encouraged. So, develop a plan to acquire the "field of dreams" not only on the court but, also, in the field of business or whatever career path that you choose for yourself to obtain a prosperous future!!
