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You're overlooking the kind of life-long medical expenses that can come from even a short career in pro sports, though. As soon as that teenage springiness and

You're overlooking the kind of life-long medical expenses that can come from even a short career in pro sports, though. As soon as that teenage springiness and resilience is gone even minor injuries can add up fast.

notyourwork 3y ago
It's a choice, right? No one is forcing anyone to go into pro sports and I don't think anyone overlooks that. However, a lot of youth that end up in the pros come from distraught backgrounds where the prospect of a better life trumps physical wellbeing some time in the distant future.
loloquwowndueo 3y ago
This is why you retire before the springiness is gone. Or move to a country with sane health care.
itishappy 3y ago
You don't even have to go pro. My younger sis has had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical procedures from a few years of high-school running. Turns out even teenagers can have more motivation than springiness.
- pxeboot 3y ago
  What happened? That does not seem typical for running, but serious injuries from higher impact sports is not unusual at all.
  - itishappy 3y ago
    They won. They won a lot. She graduated, then her hamstrings tore a couple of good sized chunks out of her pelvis. Doctors agree, it was one weird-ass injury (weird ass-injury). Surgery was only somewhat successful, and in retrospect doctors probably didn't fully understand the nature of her problem. It's now been about 6 years and as many surgeries and she's still dealing with complications. She's simultaneously surprisingly capable and surprisingly crippled. She can hike and bike, but cannot run or sit. Her goal at this point is simply to be able to sit through a lecture without pain. You're right, this is pretty atypical for runners in general, but unfortunately not for my high school team. Last I'd heard about 50% had been through at least one round of surgery in college, though my sister's definitely one of the worst for wear.
l33tbro 3y ago
Aren't you kind of presuming these people would not have injuries if they had chosen the non-academic vocation they're most likely qualified for? Any sustained outdoor work like landscaping, roofing, and plumbing is brutal on the body in the long-term. Even the salty old kitchen workers I've met eventually start falling to bits. Star athletes are also inculcated with a conscientiousness around health and fitness that desk jockeys and eggheads don't have the benefits of.

notyourwork 3y ago

It's a choice, right? No one is forcing anyone to go into pro sports and I don't think anyone overlooks that. However, a lot of youth that end up in the pros come from distraught backgrounds where the prospect of a better life trumps physical wellbeing some time in the distant future.

loloquwowndueo 3y ago

This is why you retire before the springiness is gone. Or move to a country with sane health care.

itishappy 3y ago

You don't even have to go pro. My younger sis has had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical procedures from a few years of high-school running. Turns out even teenagers can have more motivation than springiness.

pxeboot 3y ago
What happened? That does not seem typical for running, but serious injuries from higher impact sports is not unusual at all.
- itishappy 3y ago
  They won. They won a lot. She graduated, then her hamstrings tore a couple of good sized chunks out of her pelvis. Doctors agree, it was one weird-ass injury (weird ass-injury). Surgery was only somewhat successful, and in retrospect doctors probably didn't fully understand the nature of her problem. It's now been about 6 years and as many surgeries and she's still dealing with complications. She's simultaneously surprisingly capable and surprisingly crippled. She can hike and bike, but cannot run or sit. Her goal at this point is simply to be able to sit through a lecture without pain. You're right, this is pretty atypical for runners in general, but unfortunately not for my high school team. Last I'd heard about 50% had been through at least one round of surgery in college, though my sister's definitely one of the worst for wear.

l33tbro 3y ago

Aren't you kind of presuming these people would not have injuries if they had chosen the non-academic vocation they're most likely qualified for? Any sustained outdoor work like landscaping, roofing, and plumbing is brutal on the body in the long-term. Even the salty old kitchen workers I've met eventually start falling to bits. Star athletes are also inculcated with a conscientiousness around health and fitness that desk jockeys and eggheads don't have the benefits of.