Most aspiring athletes dream of Division I but don't grasp what it actually takes: extra practice, additional workouts, disciplined nutrition, early-morning training, bouncing back from defeats, sacrificing social time. The difference between elite and everyone else is willingness to endure these hardships every single day.
I don't think that athletes fully understand what it means to be elite. Most kids like the idea of playing at the Division I level, but they don't understand the work that it takes to get there. It's practice before practice. It's getting in the extra workouts. It's fueling your body even when you don't want to. It's taking responsibility for your own nutrition and not leaving it up to your mom. It's early mornings week after week, month after month. It's losing the championship game and getting right back into the gym the next week. It's sacrificing time with friends and family. It's relentless. And most people aren't willing to do it. That is what sets you apart from the rest. You are willing to put in the work required to be elite.
