Dallas Burke
One misconception young athletes have is thinking one player can win or lose a game, but if someone is not setting the picks, making the blocks, setting the ball or passing the rock there is no glory moment.

A great play takes teamwork. Who is to say the person that made the pass, block, set or pick should not be more glorified than the person who actually scored the points? There is nothing wrong with being the person who makes someone else look good.

Professional teams pay for this kind of player. In baseball if you make the opening day roster for a major league baseball team, your salary starts at $500,000, but you could sit the bench most of the season. Since winning is all about teamwork, the real hero does not care how he or she does as long as the team gets the victory.

One does not have to be in the spotlight all the time to be noticed. Being the superstar can come from many different angles. It depends on the viewer’s perspective. The great set and spike may not have ever happened if there was not a great dig made by another player, or a touchdown run may have only been a first down without the offensive linemen and wide receivers on the other side of the field holding on to their block long enough so the person in front of them could not make the tackle. These events are real hero moments.

Think from the athlete’s frame of mind. The athlete could easily say the play is not coming my way, or the play is not set for me-- so why do I have to do my job? I will not get any credit for this anyway. If that was the case there would be no big plays.

The under the radar athlete understands they may not get any credit for helping finish off the great play or just being apart of it, but they continue to make the superstars look great and have a sense of self accomplishment, that probably should be glorified more then it is… But, this is the real world, not always a fair world.

So the next time you see a great play happen, think about the unsung heroes trailing down the field or court, because they are what made the play happen. These young athletes deserve the spotlight too.