“Dream Big! Keep it Real. Get it Done!” – Joe Battista, From The Power of Pragmatic Passion
It’s graduation season, and you know what that means? It’s time for my periodic “Pragmatic Passion” message to those of you who have kids, relatives or friends still undecided about what to do after high school or college graduation.
In fact, right up front I am providing links to two of my previous articles right now.
Now That You’ve Graduated, What’s Next?
Job Gone? Internship Rescinded? School on Hold? What To Do Next
The bottom line is that I am passionate about students (and their parents) making more realistic and sensible decisions about life and career path options and choices. I have even written a book, “The Power of Pragmatic Passion” that endeavors to help students to map out paths for personal and professional success.
My fellow Christians will sometimes remind me that when we tell God our plans, he laughs. I do believe that God has good plans for us, but I also believe he gave us free will to make good choices based on his commandments. We should seek God’s guidance and wisdom first, rather than relying solely on our own abilities. While the saying, “God helps those who help themselves” is nowhere to be found in the Bible, we are instructed to be responsible, obedient and diligent in our work for his glory.
I am also a huge champion of the role of guidance and career counselors in schools. I believe they are a drastically undervalued part of any school system and have neither the staffing nor the resources to really perform their jobs. They got into their profession exactly because they are passionate about helping young people figure out options for their futures. Unfortunately, we have too often turned them into administrative bureaucrats who are checking boxes, dealing with standardized testing and trying not to get sued by some off-the-wall parents.
While it’s not fatal to get your post-high school plans wrong early on, I have witnessed so many false starts that waste a lot of time, money and energy. Why? Because people are not “keeping it real” by understanding their skill set, their aptitude, their attitude and their abilities. I know all too well that career planning and decision making is an ongoing process. I changed majors five times in two years! That’s exactly why I’m so passionate about this topic.
I’m sorry if some people feel I am bursting their bubbles, but I have seen this film too many times to know that better preparations on the front end will narrow down realistic options and allow students to make more informed decisions.
Let me harp on one of my big pet peeves and that is the unrealistic pursuit of what I call the “Celebrity Vocations.” So many are chasing after a highly unlikely career as a professional athlete, musician, artist or actor/actress. The numbers are so clear that only the world-class members of these very elite clubs ever really make a living from these pursuits. Don’t believe me? Check out The Academic Athlete’s website for the cold hard numbers.
Yet parents are investing more money than ever in private lessons for their kids’ athletic futures. As I’ve noted many times in previous columns, you may as well be buying lottery tickets, because the odds are stacked against you trying to make professional sports your vocation. It’s even harder to make a living in some of the other “celebrity vocations.”
I am all for playing sports, being in the school band or theater arts, and I will defend the benefits of participating because of the character traits that CAN be developed through these activities. But, only to a point.
I was recently in Myrtle Beach for a Senior Softball tournament. We shared a high school sports complex with hundreds of kids who were participating in the “Grid Iron Classic Weekend” ages 7U-14U. While standing in line at the concession stand, I overheard this conversation: “You better put my boy at his position and play him more next game. I didn’t pay all this money and travel all this way to watch other kids play over my son.” This dad was talking about his 10-year-old son!
The amount of money parents shell out for this “opportunity” just makes me shake my head when you consider the actual return on investment. But with NIL money flowing freely from institutions of higher education (don’t even get me started on this subject), kids and parents are buying into the sports fantasy more than ever.
According to Team Genius, youth sports is a $40 billion a year industry and is expected to grow to over $100 billion annually in the next 10 years. My fear is that we will create an entire generation of kids who have had the joy of sports sucked right out of their lives because of the intense expectations and pressure being placed on them, in some cases by rather unscrupulous people selling unrealistic outcomes.
It’s why playing or participating in an organization where the coaches and leaders use the activity as a means to an end to teach life skills is so important .I have met great coaches who have their act together and genuinely care about these kids, but they’re also realistic about where these kids are going to end up. Unfortunately, when some parents hear the truth, they rail against the coach and/or get them fired, or they leave to go to an organization where they will hear what they want.
What I do know is that you will rarely, if ever, see someone posting on social media about their failures and disappointments, about their anger and even bitterness towards the time and energy spent chasing after such a low-percentage goal of actually reaching celebrity vocation status. I’ve witnessed the shock of families that split up over the excessive spending to chase after the all-too-often elusive dream of celebrity vocations.
Parents (and grandparents and guardians): I’m pleading with you. For every dollar you invest in your kids’ avocations, put 2-3 times as much into their education and career development plans. If you are willing to spend thousands of dollars on private lessons for a sport or music or dance, why not spend at least that amount on tutors, guidance counselors or a career coach.
I’ve banged on the drum about the lack of guidance counselors at public schools and the resources for them to effectively do their jobs. Far too many high school seniors have little or no idea what to do next. How do we let that happen? Unfortunately, they then magnify the mistake by going to college with no idea what major they want or how they will pay for their education.
If the student isn’t ready, consider a gap year (while they work part-time and more seriously explore options), start at a community college or junior college, or join the military. I have an entire section of my book dedicated to “College isn’t for everyone, at least not at 18.” Why aren’t we getting more kids interested in the trades or going to the military and then going to college debt free on a GI Bill?
We seem to be more worried about not hurting someone’s feelings because we might tell them a truth that they need to hear. I’m all for going hard after your dreams but only if you keep it real, meaning you understand whether or not you have the skill set, work ethic, and resources to achieve your goals.
There are so many resources available to students and their parents if you make the effort (see a few links below). I want to help kids and their families to develop better options and make more informed choices.
https://mappingyourfuture.org/prepare-for-college/guide-to-life-after-high-school/
