Odds of Hanging On
Being a professional soccer player isn't that different from being in Hollywood. You could be the biggest superstar the soccer world has ever seen, but there's always an up-and-coming super-superstar on the rise right behind you. You're allotted a brief moment in which to make your mark on the soccer world—and to sign as many endorsements you can. And then, once you've aged out or permanently injured some critical part of your body, it's over. Done. Finished. No more.
So if you make it to the professional level, give yourself a really quick pat on the back. Make that really, really quick, because you need to make as many endorsements and as many contacts as you can, preferably in sports management and broadcasting. When that pesky shin splint finally takes you out, you're going to need a Plan B.