Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

[Po Pimp]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

I hate answering "woulda, coulda" questions, but I'll say that I had the athletic ability and skill set to exceed in basketball and football, and would have gotten D1 offers easily. The one thing I needed was parents who encouraged me to play sports. Its not that I needed their motivation, but I needed someone who would pay for my equipment, pick me up from practice, etc. By not playing organized sports, it means I lacked basic fundamentals. I also was a bit on the short side to play basketball (I'm 5'9").

[Acid]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I had started playing soccer at a young age, I no doubt could have played in college and gotten a scholarship.

[Maxattax3]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I would have trained hard and didnt have a relationship with this girl, first name Mary, I couldve either got a scholarship to play soccer or played semi-pro or something.

[Chaos81]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

Money.

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If i would have made it to the physicals, i'd be playing a sport right now. Either Baseball or Football.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

Well, If I had been caught that baseball instead of letting it knock my tooth out, I'd probably have made it

Spoiler

to Full-Season Single-A rotting on the bench

.

I still think I could've played baseball. Make it? I'm not so sure, you don't see too many 5'5", 130 lb baseball players out there (although according to someone I know that worked for a team who's about 5'11", he said a lot of baseball players were shorter than their listed heights). Of course I can keep ERA's down the bad way, probably have as much power as the Nevada commissioner, and I wouldn't be able to hit water if I fell off the side of a boat.

Anyways, I had a buddy in high school who ended up trying out for the freshmen baseball team and didn't make the cut because he was trying out for an infield position, but the coaches recommended he probably fits more as an outfielder. I think I should've worked on that instead of focusing on third... or show up... or not get hit in the face by a baseball during practice. Oh the wonders.

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I would have been half a foot taller...

If I would have happily changed my position from a post player (which I played all throughout little league/freshman basketball) I would have made it on the high school team. If I was more aggressive. I never realized my talent/potential until I got to college and just playing pickup games learning that I have a pretty sick midrange J, decent handles, good court vision, good strength and power and hops. Kinda aggravates me to this day knowing that if I would have stepped out of my bubble I could have been a factor.

[Brankles]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

I blew my back out before my senior year of high school, where I was starting PF at a school with 2,500 students where we were ranked in the state. Really had no control over that as what I had (spondylolisthesis) was a genetic condition and was eventually going to happen anyway. Maybe could have played small-college basketball, but wouldn't have. I always thought it was a waste to play non-D1 basketball at schools with below-average academics unless you were really that focused on hopping around from one minor league/overseas team to another. It would have been fun to play in college, it just wasn't very practical.

One thing I really should have worked on though was my athleticism. I would spend hours shooting ball and playing, but hardly ever hit the weights. I didn't have natural run/jump ability, so it would have made me a much better player if I put on 10-15 pounds of muscle (I was 6'4" 190 my senior year). The injury would have most likely happened regardless, but even if it didn't, I should have focused on this a little more.

Another thing that would have helped was if I went to another school (with a worse basketball team) where I could have run the 1, 2 or 3 and had more freedom. Our team was too good and had too many guards for me to stand out. It would have been fun to play on a bad team and have the green light to play however you want.


It's always kinda frustrating looking back and thinking what coulda been (the older you get, the better you think you were) but I'm not unhappy where I'm at right now. I was never good enough to make a career out of playing in either basketball or soccer (which I gave up to play basketball)

[stewaat]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I had not did something to my shoulder, I would be in AA or AAA baseball right now on the cusp of the bigs.

I threw 89-90 and hit 93. I have a nasty 2-seam fastball, average slider, and a plus changeup/splitter pitch.

Now I throw 86-87 and hit 90. I still know I could go out there and get people out, because I'm a competitor.

Oh well I still played 4-years at a top D-1 baseball school and got a great education while making lifelong friends and having great experiences. I got a lot farther than most. Oh and I had the opportunity to try out in front of the GM of the Phillies at Veteran Stadium, and I was able to try out for the US under 18 national team.

[mmorg]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

I could have had a Walk-On spot as a SS at USC if I didn't get 3 concussions my Senior year. The Left Tackle on my football team was all-state and a USC coach was there to scout him. In that game I had 12 tackles and broke up a few pass plays and was all over the field. The coach told my coach that he would love to see me walk-on and that he would help get me up there. But I couldn't even finish the season out due to concussions.

I could have probably played some minor league ball, if I had not quit after my first year of College Baseball. I was playing on a Semi-Pro team and it started feeling more like a job than a sport to have fun with. 12 hour days in the San Diego sun playing baseball is only fun for the first few days.

I could have probably been a State Champ in Wrestling my Senior year but I had the unfortunate luck of being in the same weight class as Jake Varner. One of the only four opponents he hadn't pinned in his Junior and Senior year.

I suck at every other sport. Baseball, Wrestling, and Football is about it.

[Gibbz]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I would have been 7 inches taller.

Basically if you're a 7-footer and you can put one foot in front of the other, you've got it made.

[Brankles]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I would have been 7 inches taller.

Basically if you're a 7-footer and you can put one foot in front of the other, you've got it made.

I couldn't imagine being 7 feet tall and being uncoordinated to the point where you can't play sports. That has to be way worse than being a midget.

[MC Fatigue]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If my dad had allowed me to start playing goalie younger, I probably could have made it to the semi-pro or possibly pro level (not the NHL, but maybe the AHL).

When he finally let me play - I went to a hockey training school. After just two months I was seriously good enough to play Junior B or C; but just played for a regular team in my city. Went undefeated and won a championship.

Went back the next summer for more training; and then went there for the entire year. By the time I was done, I was pretty much at Junior A/Canadian University level; I tried out out for some Junior A teams just to practice for a University try out and got invited to 2 teams (but had to turn them down), and then barely got cut from my University tryout because they had two goalies who had already been playing there for 2 years, and the coaches were giant ******* and didn't have the balls to cut one of them; so I didn't make it.

After that I pretty much stopped playing and just did some pick up hockey here and there.

If I had started when I was much younger, instead of 16, I probably could have gone a lot further; but I think making it to the level I did in pretty much 2-3 years of playing was pretty good.

[Fiddy]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If i would have just went to YSU like the coach wanted me to, walk on (bc my ACT score was brutal lol. i choked during big tests) and played 1B/3B i would have got drafted and been a career minor leaguer. Maybe an occasional call up bc of my defensive skills.

But, we won a state title in 98, won a state title in 99. didn't finish the season until 4 days before school started at YSU. i was in love, tired, and just exhausted i chose to just go to a community college for a year. that sucked, got dumped, went to a small d-3 school the next year and tore my ACL. blah.

bottom line, i was a F***ing IDIOT with a capital "I"..

[MassNole]

Re: Self Reflection Time: "If I Would Have ____; I would Have Made It." (Sports Wise)

If I would have focused on baseball I would have played in college.

Back when I was a kid I was one of those freaks they drool over during the LLWS. I was 5'10, 175 lbs and hit multiple 300 ft plus homeruns. Unfortunately I played in an unsanctioned LL and my coach hated my father. That disillusioned me with baseball and I stopped playing for 2 years. When I went back and played Babe Ruth I hit over .400 and had the rival HS coach tell me I'd be on varsity as a freshman.