I mentor some kids at CedarBridge Academy. Earlier this week I asked one of them what he wanted to do with his life.He said: “I wanna be a professional soccer player.”I said: “Cool but what are you gonna do after that? What happens after you tear your ACL?”I showed him my scars from operations to repair my torn anterior cruciate ligament. He seemed unfazed.The fame and the fortune that go with turning professional can be very attractive to an athlete in high school or college who is trying to figure out what to do with their life. What's better than taking something that you're really good at and making lots of money with it? What a young athlete needs to be aware of is the facts. The number of high school athletes that actually go on to play college and pro sports is extremely competitive, and that's putting it mildly. More on this after the top 20.International Love by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown, improves to #1. Tumbling to #2 is Someone Like You by Adele. Firmly at #3 is Turn Me On by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj.Improving to #4 is The Motto by Drake featuring L'il Wayne. Improving to #5 is the hot dance track by Chris Brown and Rihanna — Turn Up The Music. Advancing to #6 is Take Care by Rihanna and Drake. Slipping to #7 is Rack City by Tyga, one of the hottest rap tracks around.Improving to #8 it's Give Me All Your Luvin' by Madonna featuring Nikki Minaj and MIA. Falling to #9 it's Hangover by Taio Cruz featuring Florida. Tumbling to #10 is Dance (A$$) by Big Sean featuring Nicki Minaj.Up to #11 is Glad You Came, by The Wanted. Improving to #12 is Starships by Nikki Minaj, last week's essential new tune. Down to #13 is a former essential new tune, Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson. Falling to #14 is Good Feeling by Florida.Tumbling to #15 is Ni**as in Paris by Jay Z featuring Kanye West — dude must like divas and drama; he's dating Kim Kardashian! I know she has a nice butt but who wants all that drama? Clearly Kanye West does. But wait a minute, hasn't he had diva moments too? OK, now it makes sense.Slipping to #16 is We Found Love by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris. Slipping to #17 is The One That Got Away by Katy Perry.Now this week's essential new tune. In at #18 it's Boyfriend by Justin Bieber. Gotta like this track. The young dude has little girls going crazy.New at #19 is Dance Again by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull. Tumbling to #20 is Rain Over Me, by Marc Anthony and Pitbull.Now back to this week's topic — pursuing our dreams whilst getting a college education. Many young people, and even us older fogeys, play sports or engage in some form of athletic competition. When we are young, I don't think we realise the opportunities that sport offer.Sports teach teamwork, perseverance, overcoming difficulties, the benefits of hard work and sacrifice, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.We have to get our young people to see competitive sports as a way to fund a college education.Sports can also provide a profession for a short period for the few, lucky, gifted high achiever athletes among us. But understand that every good little footballer from North Village is not going to be a professional soccer player with Arsenal or any other professional team!So I have to send a message to all young athletes who dream of being a professional athlete — only one in 16,000 high school athletes attains a professional career in sports.No one wants to squash your dreams. If you think you've got what it takes, then, by all means, you should pursue it. It is important, however, to be realistic. Have a backup plan. If you are one of those skilled enough or lucky enough to make the cut, keep in mind that sports injuries DO happen.Academics is actually more important than sports. As a person who blew out his knee playing soccer, I know how this works first hand. Thankfully, I had a college education but I was never a professional athlete; just a Bermudian kid who loved soccer and cricket.Even if you make it to the pros, you need to earn a living after your playing career is over. The average length of a professional athlete's career is very short three to five years. Between 60 percent and 78 percent of pro athletes are either bankrupt or in financial trouble within two to five years of retirement.In May 2008, average yearly wages for professional athletes were $79,460. Adjusted for inflation, today that number is now $90,000. This is not a whole lot of money and you would be far better off getting a bachelor's and master's degree and applying your brain at a profession like accounting, law, medicine, business, etc if money is your motivation for turning pro. Heck you would be better off long-term being a plumber! Have you seen what plumbers charge? Basically, the average professional athlete doesn't get rich.So go ahead and play, but you better have a backup plan. Peace…………………….DJLT.