Every decision counts
Decisions, decisions, decisions...
We operate in a world where we are constantly making decisions. Some are the right decisions, others are wrong ones, and some are neither right nor wrong. Decisions can also be small, or they can be big. Decisions can be made quickly, and they can be made over a long period of time. Regardless of the decision, we know that they are inevitable.
So how does one make a decision? I believe it’s a matter of weighing pro’s and con’s. For instance, when someone is deciding whether or not to move to a different city, they must consider the positives and negatives. It can be an instance where moving to another city could allow for career advancement, but it could also not be right for someone’s family. The individual would need to weigh the options and determine what is the best move. This is a tough decision in case anyone was wondering.
An athlete’s life is full of decisions. There are decisions during games and practices, decisions about which team or school to play for, decisions about whether or not to play with an injury, et cetera. These decisions all have pro’s and con’s associated with them.
I remember one decision in particular during my football career. I was offered a scholarship to play football at Laval University. This is a purely French speaking school in Quebec City.
I went to play football in Quebec fresh out of high school at an English speaking school called Champlain College in Lennoxville. Upon finishing my first year, Laval reached out to me and told me that they would give me a scholarship to play for them, but I would need to learn French during my first year at the school.
I chose not to go as I thought it would be cumbersome to learn French and then complete the rest of my degree in the French language. It seemed like the right decision not to go at the time, but in retrospect, it most definitely was not. I would have become fluent in French and would have won three Vanier Cups (national championship). Instead, I went to the University of Calgary and had four consecutive losing seasons where we did not even make national playoffs.
One of our athletes at the Alberta Sport Development Centre – Southeast, Alli Pahl, has had to make a tough decision lately. She chose to go to the Banff Hockey Academy this coming year and play elite female midget hockey. She is 15 years old and has a desire to reach the highest level possible in her sport.
Medicine Hat does not have high level female hockey, so athletes like Alli have to decide whether to play with the boys here in the Hat or go elsewhere to pursue their goals. This decision has to have been a hard one for her family being that she is 15 and about to leave home, but ultimately, I think it will pay off for Alli, and she will reach her goals.
Cory Coehoorn is the coordinator of the Alberta Sport Development Centre – Southeast and would love to chat with you about emerging athlete development. Applications for their Athlete Enhancement Program are due on Aug. 5, 2017 and can be found on their website at mhc.ab.ca/ASDCSE. Cory can be reached via email at ccoehoorn@mhc.ab.ca or via phone at 403-504-3547.