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Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Her potential exceeds future realities
They've got this regular sports columnist over at Agape. I never under stand what he's getting at, but this week he confounds me far more than usual:
Michelle Wie is a golfer, a 15-year-old living in a world more obsessed with sporting youths than it's ever been (and certainly as golf-conscious as ever). Francis Ouimet would have the world knocking on his door these days; Wie just signed fat endorsement deals with Nike and Sony, and she's quite the media darling. Her potential exceeds future realities, but hey, she's the "It Girl" right now.
Her potential exceeds future realities? What does that mean. She has the potential to be so good to make reality itself crumble under the weight of her awesomeness?
This all raises serious questions, though. Wie still has two years of high school ahead of her, which means she still has a lot of growing up (physically, emotionally and otherwise) left to do. Having been 16 once myself, I know that most kids that age shouldn't be making decisions that involve millions of dollars and a globe-trotting lifestyle (Wie will play a handful of men's and women's events both in the States and overseas until she can join the LPGA at age 18)....
The big question, though, is whether she should be doing this so soon. I don't just mean because she might not be emotionally or mentally, or most importantly, spiritually ready for what lies ahead. Impatience is a trait that marks our culture, especially when it comes to achieving success.
This current generation has been called the "Entitlement Generation," and for good reason. Too many parents have acquiesced to their kids' demands for the good things in life, not stopping to consider that too much good can lead to much greater evil.
I know there's supposed to be some kind of object lesson in this column, but I just don't get it. Is Wie impatient because she's turning pro at 15? How is that different from Nadia Comenici wowing the judges at age 14? Janet Evans was breaking world records in the pool at 16. Her career was more or less over by the time she was 21.
Some athletes peak early, especially women. For all we know, Wie is playing the best golf of her life right now. I'm sure there's some measure of prudence in delaying her professional career, but there's a far larger measure of blind reliance on potential.
