The Pro Athletes 

Ever since I was a little kid, I always dreamed about playing professional basketball. I wanted to be in the spotlight, adored by hundreds if not thousands of fans and be hunted for interviews by the media. I laugh when I reflect back on my unrealistic childhood dream as my life now revolves around some of the least popular and appreciated sports in America. 

 

I started running cross country and track in high school to get in shape for basketball. After still not making the cut despite my improved stamina, I committed to running as my main sport. However, I broke my foot during my junior year and couldn't run for 10 weeks. I was devastated by the injury as I was unable to pursue my new passion. After some soul-searching, I decided I wouldn't let the injury stop me from pursuing my passions. I started to swim and bike to maintain my fitness level and continued to do so even after my foot healed. Looking back, my foot injury was a blessing in disguise because it introduced me to the world of triathlon. I started training for triathlons specifically in my senior year of high school and went on to join the UCSD Triathlon Team in college. I enjoyed some good results in my third year on the team on the regional and national level and it made me think about possibly turning professional. However, after doing some research into the logistics of being a professional triathlete, I was shocked at the lack of support that the sport receives from the public. 

 

Upon further research, I discovered that many niche sports don't get the national attention (at least in America) as sports such as football or basketball. The salaries of these sports' professional athletes are often barely above the poverty line and guranteed support and benefits are available. The athletes of these niche sports athletes work just as hard if not harder than professional athletes in the three major sports for a micro-fraction of the pay and benefits. I admitmost if not all of these sports won't be able to come close to raking in as much television or advertisement revenue as a sport such as basketball will. With that said, I believe that they deserve more significantly more credit and recognition than they currently get. It's ridiclous that a professional triathlete or cyclist will train upwards of 50 hours a week just to make the poverty line in salary. This site is not to discredit the hard working professional football, basketball, baseball, or other major sport athletes, it is here to give the deserved recognition to the athletes who have more than earned it. Through different types of media such as interviews, news articles, photo stories and videos, I want to provide exposure to the professional athletes and events you might never have known existed.