"it's all they do."

[911 Rod]

What about the Pro Bass fishing you have going on in the USA?
High school tournaments. Wow the numbers of anglers!
Daddy is buying an expensive boat so little Jimmy can become a star.
The pros are making a s##t load of money and everyone wants to be Wheeler.

Me? Nah. I'm just happy playing with my toys and sitting on the dock having a frosty.

[Crowbob]

Way back when, in high school when the world was black and white, my boss pleaded with me not to go to college but rather to stay and continue teaching, playing and managing the drum department of his music store. I was gigging weddings, practicing hours per day, listening to everything musical and well on my way in the music world.

Nope. I went with the odds.

Same with football. Coach wanted me to stay on the team so I did. But I didn’t join the team the following year. Nope. No matter what, everybody else was getting bigger and bigger. Not moi.

And on and on.

No regrets, though. Instead of performing, I have cultivated a deep appreciation for those who do.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

What about the Pro Bass fishing....

Me? Nah. I'm just happy playing with my toys and sitting on the dock having a frosty.

You're occupying my fishing spot....

...and I don't care .

The elite (most endeavors) are naturally in the top 1% in raw talent, then dedicate themselves like no others with practice, etc. At the top, it's "between the ears", the mental aspect that separates the ones at the very top... jmo.

The top 1%... it's really not THAT special.... there are a bunch that do that with little to no effort on their part.... just on pure natural ability.

[Rodsrsr]

Most people will never reach the elite level which is why its called the elite level. I'd also say it depends on the sport. If Michael Jordan had the exact same work ethic and abilities but was trapped in a 5'5" body he would have ended up being a really good amateur playing at the local rec center on Wednesday nights.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Rodsrsr

Most people will never reach the elite level which is why its called the elite level. I'd also say it depends on the sport. If Michael Jordan had the exact same work ethic and abilities but was trapped in a 5'5" body he would have ended up being a really good amateur playing at the local rec center on Wednesday nights.

Naw....MJ would have been in the NBA... like Spud Webb or Mugsy Bogues were.... no schit

I was a b-ball nut...gym rat, and very average . Watching 5'3" Mugsy dominate an NBA game was a hoot

[MikeSid]

At just about everything I've done, I've tried to be the worst house in a good neighborhood.

It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that you are better at something than you actually are. Wisdom is recognizing that there is true genius and real elite people in this world and the odds of you being one of them is incredibly small.

So, I'd rather surround myself with people that are much better than me - at whatever - and in all aspects of life (which very often isn't hard for me to find).

As long as I can reasonably hang in the good neighborhood, I'm doing a lot better than the schlub dominating the rec league.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

THIS!

Lots of people have ruined a great hobby they enjoyed by trying to do it for a living. Photography is a classic example. In the long year I worked at a professional photolab I explained to many new employees the "we do for a living want thousands of people stuck in rush hour traffic are trying to get home to go play in their home darkroom" and often they replied, we need them in here to help us!

Natural ability it the primary thing for any pro. And the honest desire to be the best they can be at the task. And it does take a lot of practice, at any skilled profession like pool or golf where it is just you against the ball and the little hole you want it to go into.

You touched on it here...the difference between individual sports like golf, pool, and bowling, and team sports like baseball, football, basketball. Probably takes a different personality for each. Then, of course, genetics are kinder to some than others.

It's heartbreaking to see the talents of the best in pool degrade as they age. Some simply go off the rails mentally...others, like Efren Reyes, accept gracefully and return to playing for fun.

Touche' on ruining a fun hobby by getting too serious about it. If pool ever stops being fun for me, I'll look for something else to do.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by MikeSid

At just about everything I've done, I've tried to be the worst house in a good neighborhood.

It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that you are better at something than you actually are. Wisdom is recognizing that there is true genius and real elite people in this world and the odds of you being one of them is incredibly small.

So, I'd rather surround myself with people that are much better than me - at whatever - and in all aspects of life (which very often isn't hard for me to find).

As long as I can reasonably hang in the good neighborhood, I'm doing a lot better than the schlub dominating the rec league.

HOOT! I LIKE that...hey, all those elites NEED we who struggle along. Without us, they wouldn't be elites.

[ckelly78z]

Back in high school, I excelled at the high jump, and won a few events, but just lacked the dedication to work on my form. At 5'10, I could dunk a basketball with my 38" vertical jump, and learned how to approach a high jump pit with the right steps, but just didn't work at it enough.

My coach did a little math, and figured out if I arched my back properly, I could have been jumping at Ohio State record level(6'9"-6'10"), but I never achieved over 6'2" while jumping. I didn't even opt to go to regionals, or districts because I found a job.

[asphaltgambler]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Way back when, in high school when the world was black and white, my boss pleaded with me not to go to college but rather to stay and continue teaching, playing and managing the drum department of his music store. I was gigging weddings, practicing hours per day, listening to everything musical and well on my way in the music world.

Nope. I went with the odds.

Same with football. Coach wanted me to stay on the team so I did. But I didn’t join the team the following year. Nope. No matter what, everybody else was getting bigger and bigger. Not moi.

And on and on.

No regrets, though. Instead of performing, I have cultivated a deep appreciation for those who do.

Interesting reflection.........one thing I do know is that when people are trying to direct you, especially when you're young, they often dont have your best interest at heart....

[vash]

i can now work the TV remote without even looking at it.