The LA Dodgers had a clutch win in Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays this past Saturday. 11th inning, bases loaded, only 1 out and the Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the mound. At this point, it seemed that the Blue Jays were going to take home the gold, but in an incredible last minute move, the Dodgers performed a textbook double play to close out the game. They were officially the BEST baseball team of 2025.
The Dodgers win made me think about what it might feel like to be the BEST at something huge. I know there are people out there who dream of making their mark in history, but I guess the thought never truly felt possible to me. If I wanted to be the BEST at something NOW, would it already be too late? The 10,000 hour rule suggests that to be an expert at anything, one must have 10,000 hours of focused, repetitive practice under their belt before the results truly produce greatness. Tiger Woods started playing golf when he was 3 years old, and had been handling a golf club even earlier. Right now, I am in my early 20s. If I wanted to be an expert at something like volleyball, would that even be possible? When you’re 3, you have a lot of time to dedicate yourself to practice. When you’re in your 20s, it feels like you have so much less time and energy to do what you may want to do, even something simple like finding a new hobby. My guess at what someone would say to the question of whether young adults still have a shot at making something great for themselves is that “it’s never too late” and “if you’re really passionate about something, then you’ll make time to do it.” I wonder–is that realistic? If I changed my mind right now and decided that I want to be the greatest volleyball player ever–would it be right to say that’s impossible?