As I listened to my coach’s end-of-game speech, his words became more and more faint. The dizziness was taking over, and I soon realized that I surprisingly did not have the same capabilities and physical attributes as a professional athlete.

I begged my parents to buy me Gatorade Chews for my tournament that weekend. Even though I had no idea what their purpose was, all the big-time athletes were using them, so I wanted them too.

Little did I know that after devouring a whole pack, I would be throwing up on the side of the Bay Bridge two hours after consuming them.

I was obsessed with LeBron James at the ripe age of 9, and as I saw his promotions for Gatorade and Muscle Milk, I rushed my mom to the store in search of them.

Many amateur athletes believe their bodies can take the rigor of a pro’s workout as well as ingest their supplements.

We want to be as good as famous athletes but do not always understand that hard work and not some chews or a protein shake are going to get us there.

Players similarly want the best shoes and apparel because that is what they see in the media and that is what all of their friends are wearing. But, the new Jordans will not be the deciding factor in their careers.

Sports should be an outlet for players rather than a place where their identity can be trumped by what is popular or what others are doing.

Similar to shoes and nutrition items, athletes do not always live up to their full potential because they are aware of their skills but do not want to be different or stand out.

Being an athlete is a choice. It’s a choice that we should make on our own as we continue down a path that is not the same as LeBron James or our best friend.

Our experiences as athletes are different and unique to our skill levels and what we want to accomplish so comparisons to others are unfair and can change and ruin sports — especially for a child.

I have always believed in having role models to look up to and follow, but being your own athlete and trusting in what you can do and what you want to do is important as one progresses.