Sport, Social Life and Image…..

A journalist once asked a young footballer about his ambitions and what he thinks he can achieve in the future. He asked him to describe “what the ball is in” and he replied: Money, fame, publicity, nice girls, expensive cars …….

Probably for many athletes, of all sports, all these elements are their desires, for some of them it is quite possible to get them. The “trap” in which athletes often “fall” is that they are convinced that all this will come automatically as they themselves enter the field of sports.

Behind all the elements that are visible, whether it is social life or high contracts or the spotlight and the growing popularity on social media, there is an element that is both indistinguishable for spectators and very painful for athletes: Many hours work and individual effort …… .. Hours of training with a lot of effort, a lot of fatigue, countless moments of frustration and emotional charge but also satisfaction of achievement and investment for the future.

The “order” of the three elements that the athletes negotiate varies and is different for each one. Work, Social Life, Personal Image. Whichever you put first, this will evolve… ..Doesn’t the same happen in all human activities? What you place as a priority (whether you realize it or not is your priority!) In this you become “better”. You lose something, you gain something. If you focus mainly on personal image and social life, you will lose something of your athletic development.

A partner of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United stated that he needed 20 minutes before each match to fix his hair. But for two years he remained alone for an hour and a half after training and committed a foul και ..and he learned!

A Beckham teammate in the Los Angeles Galaxy reported that Beckham was going to training by helicopter! ¨Only we went at 4.30 while he went at 2.30, to do two hours of individual training ……… ………

The promotion that LeBron James enjoys from the NBA is huge, this year he worked so hard that he did not show a serious injury even after 80 games. And let him be 33 years old….

Federer in tennis remains at the highest level at the age of 37, having countless hours of training to be able to support his effort. Although he could just enjoy the publicity and recognition he has gained….

There are many examples of athletes from all sports. It is a given that in sports there is both social life and the development and promotion of the personal image. But first the work!

The series is Sport, Social Life, Image.

If you spoil it?

The Scots have a proverb that says “Life is like a sewer, whatever you throw in it brings out ……”!