J's WORLD: Absolutely amazed at the success athletes have at such a young age

A former Valley coach, who I have known for a very long time and have tremendous respect for, would say to me, most people don’t understand how much courage it takes for a high school aged athlete to compete in front of hundreds, or maybe even thousands.

It’s something that’s always stuck with me and is part of my point of view covering high school sports. Imagine the 16-year-old kid at the free-throw line, game tied, in an all-Valley rivalry during the final seconds. Standing-room-only crowd. Deafening noise.

And now imagine yourself, at any age, in the same spot.

I’m thinking, at least a few of us would have to change our shorts.

Or the goalie facing shot after shot with a one-goal lead in the region tournament. Or anybody on the field during Palmer’s overtime victory over Wasilla in the 2017 Potato Bowl.

That’s pressure for anyone, especially for a kid.

I was thinking about that while watching the second half of the college football’s Division I national championship game earlier this week. Both Alabama and Georgia featured two true freshmen at quarterback. Alabama’s Tua Tagovalloa and Georgia’s Jake Fromm.

Two quarterbacks, a year removed from high school football, were battling for a national title.

Mind blown.

I can’t comprehend.

Tagovalloa and Fromm are both 19 years old.

Nineteen.

Think about that. Each, at 19, led their team in a national title game in a sold-out stadium seen by millions on national television. And both gave their team an opportunity to win, without puking all over themselves.

The talent and athletic ability of each is tremendous. But the composure required to perform and compete at that age, on that stage is much more impressive.

What were you doing at 19?

Midway through my freshman year of college, I considered it a success when I actually made my 10 a.m. class, despite staying up for too late to watch “Reservoir Dogs” or “Clerks” for the 37th time the night before. Victory was managing to B.S. my way through a paper, even though I obviously hardly glanced at the required reading, not a tossing 41-yard dart down the left sideline to win a national championship like Tagovalloa did Monday night.

Tagavolloa and Fromm are just two examples of teenagers making a tremendous impact at the college and professional level in sports. There are the greats of a generation. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are obviously the best who went directly from high school to the pros, and are both futre hall of famers. James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant each averaged more than 20 points per game in the NBA as a 19-year-old. Tiger Woods won his first major at 20.

At 18, Connor McDavid was selected by Edmonton with the first pick in the NHL draft. At 19, he was named team captain.

Now, there are more examples than I can count.

I’ve written about my neurotic view of life as an aging sports fan before. The Chicago Bears just hired a head coach who is a year younger than me. I’m the same age as Tom Brady. At 40, the reality is, when I sit down to watch a game, regardless of sport, it’s pretty much a guarantee I am older than everybody. It’s a strange transition for someone like me, who spent so much time as a kid sifting through baseball and football cards while wearing the jersey of my favorite player.

But as strange as it is, sometimes, to see a 19-year-old leading his team to a national title, it’s a new reality. Athletes are progressing at a rapid rate. Underclassmen dominate college basketball. Teenagers in so many sports are climbing the ladder so fast these days.

As impressive as the talent and overall athletic ability is, I’m more impressed with the composure. A person has to be so mentally tough, confident and poised to even step onto that big stage, let alone have success.

And the same goes for the high school level.

It’s incredible how many underclassmen are standing out in high school sports. There are kids, who have yet to reach their 16th birthday, who are winning region or state titles.

We’re talking 14-year-olds at the top of the wrestling podium at the state tournament or a 15-year-old helping their team win a region title.

Absolutely amazing.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.