Inside the Frattohouse   by  Bernie Fratto

Life is short, play hard
May 12, 2008

In the shopping Mall of life, sports are the toy department
  -Ed ‘Superfan’ Bieler

For 99% of all people, the life of an athlete is short. Usually 9-10 years, or if you’re blessed, 13-14 years. Typically your career between youth/travel, high school and college is fully completed by age 22, and that’s it. So why do so many people spend so much time complaining?… about everything?

Have you ever been to Disneyland/Disneyworld? It’s billed as the happiest place on earth. But most people complain about that too. Instead of enjoying the rides, the entertainment and the great atmosphere, they focus on the long lines, the high prices and the humidity.

Soon, the park closes and its time to go home. The next day they are back at their humdrum routine and in a lighter moment they are privately wishing they were back at Disneyland, the place they were just complaining about.

Participating in a sport, or for parents that truly wish everyone would just simply realize how wonderful their child is, does not offer any guarantee of unmitigated joy. Some days are better than others and everything doesn’t always go perfectly.

But, the good far outweighs the bad and for those blessed with enough athletic ability to be on a team, not enjoying the ride even though it is fraught with ups and downs, are doing themselves a great disservice.

Soon all the seasons will be over, another year will be in the books and for most they will have played their last game.

Shortly thereafter, they’ll be in bumper to bumper traffic, working hard to pay the bills, remembering fondly their days spent in uniform, possibly wishing they could suit up one more time.

In the shopping mall of life, the world of sports is like a trip to the toy department and its supposed to be fun.

Only a fool would waste their time in an elective activity that wasn’t fun or productive. The field of sport can be the happiest place on earth for a short time, or a reason to complain.

Which do you think it should be?

Looking for more from Bernie? Don't miss the new Frattohouse Blog. Starting this week on BernieFratto.com, Bernie brings you the story behind the news on a national-level as only he can. It's must-read commentary from Novi's #1 voice in behind-the-scenes sports information.

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04/21/08 True courage falls extinct
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03/31/08 Spring Break musings
03/17/08 Winning respect
03/10/08 This is the big deal about steroids
03/01/08 A battle between church and state
02/24/08 More district musings
02/18/08 District Déjà vu all over again

Previous Columns

Bernie Fratto's column appears right here each week. Bernie is a member of the Minor League Baseball Alumni Association and in his former life, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds Farm System. He is an accomplished Freelance writer, and sought after keynote speaker, appearing often at Award Ceremonies, Athletic Banquets, and Company functions. He is passionate about sports and the life-lessons they teach. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings," Fratto said..."And these athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm. You can also catch Bernie co-hosting the Detroit Lions postgame shows following Lion games on 97.1Free FM, the official flagship station of the Detroit Lion Football