HELP YOUNG FOOTBALLERS MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS

Many of our aspiring soccer stars seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place.  There are hundreds of young players in Tanzania who have to make a tough choice between concentrating on their studies and playing soccer on a full-time basis.
The choices have been made even tougher by the tens of millions of shillings that major clubs set aside each year to rope in the best players.  The result is that a significant number of players sign for major local clubs while they are still in school after failing to resist the lure of money.
There are instances of secondary school students being offered up to Sh5 million to join the big Dar es Salaam-based clubs.  For a 17-year-old who has never laid his hands on Sh50,000, let alone a million shillings, this is a lot of money, and it’s easy to see why talented players are dropping out of school in record numbers to devote their time and energy to soccer.
However, this does not always turn out to be a wise decision, and examples abound of players who have ended up in the gutter after their playing days are over, courtesy of their failure to make informed choices.
Young players who are dreaming of breaking into the big time before completing their studies should be made to understand that soccer players have an extremely short shelf-life.  Experts generally agree that ten years is the most that a player can feature at the highest level, especially in developing countries such as Tanzania.
Parents have a key role to play in guiding their children and help them make the right decisions that will benefit them in the future.  Parents and guardians must never allow money to cloud their thinking, and should help their children set long-term goals instead of making rash decisions they could live to regret.