Lifetime Rules I Learned from My Seat on the Bench: A Game Plan for Life for the Student-Athlete

You go from playing with friends in the backyard to playing under your school's Friday night lights. Life has a way of just flying by.

Your life is all about choices. Hopefully, you will always have enough information in front of you to make good choices. Hopefully, you know yourself. Along the way, you will make good choices and bad choices. No matter what, they will be your choices.

Your scholastic athletic career is quickly ending. You believe that you have what it takes to play at the next level and are determined to do so. College coaches started talking to you and recruiting you several years ago. The recruiting process has been both overwhelming and exhilarating. It is now decision time.

Whether you go to a big school, a small school, a school in the country or a school in a major city, may be relatively simple and perhaps superficial choices.

After reading this book and internalizing some rules outlined on these pages, you will be able to dig deep inside of yourself to figure out your best possible next step.

Your game plan for life is unfolding. You need to think about the following questions:

- Are you ready to compete on the next level with the best attitude and effort?

- Can you keep your ego in check?

- Can you accept feedback like a champion?

- How tied are you to home?

- How tied are you to a hometown boyfriend or girlfriend?

- Are you prepared to spend some time on the bench?

- Are you mentally up to the challenge?

- Do you understand that your scholarship is a job?

Most student athletes never give these items much thought. Will you?