BOWAworld

AGE vs. LIFE

by LJ Polin

I was watching the 2013 NBA finals, the Spurs versus the Heat, and the announcers began to start a conversation about the ages of the players that have made the largest plays in the Finals series. They were talking about if professional basketball was a young man’s sport or an old man’s sport. They said most people agreed it was a young man’s sport. Stat wise, they shared that two of the top players that made game changing plays, Tim Duncan of the Spurs and Ray Allen of the Heat, are both 37 years old. Impressive right?

The fact is that basketball is not a young man’s sport, however it is not an old man’s sport either. It is a determined players sport. Who is determined to train when others play? Who is determined to learn when others sleep? Who is determined to push when others stop?

That same truth applies to life. So many people restrict themselves to their age. “I can’t do that yet, I’m too young” or “I wish I could have done that, however I’m too old.” Why?

If you can die at any age why on earth would you choose not to live at any moment?

Life is a sport like any other. You don’t win the championship by getting tickets to the game. Sounds funny right?

People do it. Many people do it.

They sit and watch things happen in their life and restrict themselves from improvement, age not being the only reason. I don’t care if its front row, don’t buy tickets to your own game. Play your game. And only when you perfect your game will you get that championship ring. As my mentor Bert Oliva says, “Live life, don’t let life live you.”

No matter what your age.