Big Choices For Many Today

National letter of intent day is so exciting for so many people.  It is the culmination of a long recruiting year for coaches and schools, and it provides closure for those who have to make the difficult choice of where to spend the most important 4-5 years of their lives.

Years that will never be forgotten.

It seems the hype gets bigger every year as schools wrangle kids away from other schools, and it sometimes becomes a huge marketing blitz for their respective schools.  Players and parents are torn because the options can be so varied, depending on their focus and goals for the upcoming years.  Still, it is a very exciting time.

What a lot of these young kids don't know is how much the next four years will really impact their lives.  Will they achieve what they set out to achieve scholastically?  Will they meet that special friend or teammate that will be a friend for life?  How will they want to be remembered in their college days, a time that can be so stressful at times?

I remember when I was in college I stressed about my grades constantly.  We used to joke about "figuring out our grades" as we were studying in the library only halfway through the semester.  It was in college where I really learned to study and earn good grades.

To my surprise, in my professional life nobody has ever asked me about my grades in college.

So as players, athletes, and students make their big choice today they will keep a lot of things in mind as they look ahead to the next few years.  Will they win a championship at their respective schools?  Will they get drafted?  Will they make the Dean's list?  Will they look back and know they made the right choice?

These are all huge questions and thoughts that probably accounted for many sleepless nights the past few weeks, months, and in some cases, years.  And it all comes down to this one day.  National letter of intent day.

Don't let the sports hype fool you.  It's just a side show of what is really important.