Dear High School Athlete,

I don’t know you and the odds are you don’t know me either, but we do have something in common, something in which I feel uniquely qualified

to give you a bit of advice as we depart 2008 and embark into 2009.

You see, we both love playing sports. We both love the feeling you get when you strap on the cleats/skates/shoes/spikes and set foot on the field/court/rink/pitch/diamond. We both love that feeling you get when

you’re out there and it’s just you, you and the sports, and there’s nothing else in the world that you would rather be doing, and really, there’s nothing else on your mind at that time, because the weight of

the world’s been lifted off your shoulders.

I’m here to tell you to enjoy it. Embrace it. Hold on to it. Don’t let it pass you by. Because that magic, that feeling that you have now? It’s tough to hold on to.

College comes your way quickly. If you’re one of those lucky enough/talented enough/determined enough you can still play at the next level, and you might hold on to that feeling a bit longer. If you’re like the rest of us, it’s your time to become a fan.

Regardless, it’s not the same. You have more responsibilities, you have jobs, heck, you might even have kids. Many describe college athletics as a full time job for the athletes.

The last thing you thought about sports was it being a job when you were growing up.

So hold on to that feeling a bit longer. Go outside and shoot baskets with your dad until you can’t see the hoop any longer. Play street hockey until dinner time, then go out and play again until bedtime.

Play park football with your buddies, toss a baseball with your brother. Take advantage of the time you have left to enjoy that unburdened feeling, that feeling of unbridled joy.

Here’s a bit more advice: thank your parents. They’re doing more for you now than you can ever realize until its your turn to do it for your children. They drive you to practices, buy your gear and, best of

all, they cheer for you, loudly or silently, at every one of your games. Once you grow up, people don’t cheer for you at work.

So as we head into that new year, take a minute to enjoy your time as a kid. Enjoy being with your teammates, enjoy the bus rides to away

games, enjoy the team pizza parties, enjoy the camaraderie.

Because trust me, you’ll miss it when it’s gone.