So, you think if someone doesn't enroll in college or university at 18, that's it, they'll never get an education?
Did I say that?
What I said was that someone who postpones their education by a substantial amount of time — you originally suggested going back in their 40s — is very very likely to pay a massive economic price for that choice. And that is absolutely true.
It’s one thing to take a gap year so that you can make an informed, unrushed, measured decision about your future. But postponing by 5-10-20 years and going back as an adult student has serious consequences. Unless an athlete is at the absolute peak of the sport for his age range, it is almost certain to be a losing bet in the long run.
Wannabe pro athletes who "wash out" aren't in their 40's, they're in their early 20's, or even late teens, but according to you, any attempts at a diploma at that point would be in vain?
See above.
And I'm not sure why you've been so focused on medical school (I only used that as an example because you said something about becoming a surgeon). There's law school, or they could become an astrophysicist, or maybe just get a degree in business, or become a teacher, or go to a trades school, etc. etc. etc.
This all started with your assertion that there is only one window of time to become a successful athlete, whereas one can always go back to school and embark on a successful career later in life. You used a medical degree as an example.
I’m here to tell you, there actually IS a window of time when you can realistically prepare to become a top level surgeon or lawyer or astrophysicist. That window starts effectively in elementary school but certainly in middle school, and requires serious academic investment with a strong work ethic throughout high school, college, graduate school, and residency/postdoc/etc. The idea that a person can blow off that developmental period and just “pick up” later
and go on to be successful in those fields is straight nonsense. It’s like saying they can blow off athletics till they’re 30 and then just decide to become a professional — that was my original comment on the topic.
Millions of people have stumbled out of the gate after high school, and needed several years before figuring out their life's direction
Of course, but there’s a difference between “stumbling” and then figuring it out, versus deliberately choosing to end up in that situation. That choice most definitely does carry a steep cost for all but the upper 0.01% of athletic hopefuls.
But I do agree with Neutrinos in that there is an awful lot of room between "never going to university" and "becoming a surgeon". Not everyone can do the latter. There is no shame in getting an arts degree or a commerce degree or whatever and heading off to the working world.
Also, assuming a kid is reasonably diligent with their studies and learning habits there is no reason they couldn't postpone their tertiary education for a few years while pursuing high level hockey. I completed a professional degree and there was one guy in my program who did exactly that... he spent years playing pro hockey including a handful of games in the NHL before going to university and establishing himself in a successful professional career. I realize that not everyone can pull that off, but then, not everyone can pull off going to university at 18 and finish a degree program either.
Sure, but you’re talking about people working ordinary middle class professional jobs. That’s not the analog to making it as an NHL player.
NHL players are the 0.01% hockey, some of them getting paid millions a year. Surgeons are the 0.01% of medicine, some of them getting paid millions a year. That’s the functional analogy.
What is the hockey analog to a physician? If we say physicians sit in something like the 90th percentile of medical workers — who is in the 90th percentile of adult hockey players? Pretty sure it’s A-level beer leaguers, no? There’s an
extremely stark economic difference between being a physician and a good beer league hockey player…
Basically, it’s fine to shoot for being a surgeon and end up being a physician. It’s not so fine to stake your future on being an NHL’er, and end up being a beer league MVP.