In life, just as in sports, there are those that make it, those that don't. It is my mission to ensure that all our young people are taught the skills, granted the tools and are provided an opportunity to make the grade in the game of life.

This column will not be just another sports column – a whole lot of talk about the game and David Bascome's achievements from week to week.

No, in this column I want to talk about issues that will help move my young people through their life experiences.

Of course, there will be updates as to my progress on the pro circuit, but there's a great deal more to life than running up and down kicking a ball.

That's what we hope to address – how to attain success in life, whether it be through sports, arts, business, whatever. I say just because we are all walking in different directions doesn't mean we cannot all help each other as we strive for success.

One of the biggest things for me is to lend my voice to a wide audience and expose the experiences and knowledge I have received during the course of my life, from the days growing up at Sunshine League to where I stand now.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in my pro career, I've been through peaks and valleys in life and I've added a lot of things to my whole bio as far as dealing with young people. I want to share that information.

There's nothing better than receiving knowledge and being able to throw it back out there to a lot of people for them to benefit as well.

However, it's most important that the correct information is being delivered.

Yes, I have had a chance to mix and mingle with celebrities and other sports legends, also rubbing shoulders with influential businessmen and world leaders, and have been honoured by the Queen, but what means the most to me is what I do with all these great moments, what I give back and the need for me to stay grounded.

The end result is that I'd love for a 10-year-old, a 16-year-old, a 21-year-old, a much older person to pick up the paper and say, 'This is good information'. That's my biggest thing, to broaden it out and encapsulate everybody.

As I said, this column is not going to be all about me playing/coaching the game, it's going to be about life's experiences, what got me to this point, what guides me through various day- to-day ventures. As the saying goes 'we'll be 'keepin' it real'.

My voice, any voice, can save somebody, but a voice not heard isn't going to save anybody. That's the importance of this whole column, to give them a detailed insight as to what's going on.

I want people to share my life with me, get to understand what goes on when scouting players, dealing with agents, dealing with companies like Fox Soccer Channel. I want to share all that I can, with the hope that it will help someone else in their mission as they move forward.

What is going to be real about this column is that you will get to know and understand who I am and what I do, what drives me and what my fears, are. I am not the greatest person and I have my fears but will make sacrifices to get what I want in life, I will be reaching out to my young people and talking about courage, discipline, character and integrity.

My mission is to allow a young person to read this column and having him or her get up and want to do something positive and be willing to make the required sacrifices to achieve his or her goals.

It's about self motivation and self drive, getting somebody to understand that you have to focus on your life and the things you need first and foremost, you must set goals and not wait on somebody else to give it to you.

Character is a thing obtained. Nobody gives you character, you have to work for that.

Character is built around attitude – the mental state of a young person going out and playing whatever sport, whether basketball, cricket or whatever. They have to build that attitude and make the sacrifices to gain the tools for success.

I'm not a sports psychologist but I've been through and dealt with a lot in my encounters with coaches, team management, negotiations and the like.

Everything is about life experiences because that's the best learning tool there is.

Hope you stay tuned for many columns to come.

Until next time!