Child Prodigy Sports Stars Don't Always Pan Out

Posted by Zora Stowers on Wednesday, June 5, 2024

There is an underlying curse that includes being categorized a "child prodigy." Undoubtedly, there's a degree of attractiveness that exists in witnessing uncorrupted, precocious children excel in an adult area. But all the way through that procedure, future expectancies are generated, i.e., a burden that can either glorify or pose a danger to the phenom's delivery identify and legacy.

While child prodigies are assumed to able ready to sustain their success and prosperity later on in grownup existence, the reality of the topic is, for every Mozart and Bobby Fisher there could also be an Ervin Nyiregyhazie. We have sadly noticed this occur far too continuously.

Unlike our predecessors, in today's day and age, generation and mainstream media have unquestionably performed an element, in addition to destiny itself. Examining the prodigies that experience emerged within the sports field, roughly within the previous centuries, listed below are 10 child prodigy sports stars who did not pan out and 5 that did.

15 Never Panned Out - Evan Berry

According to Bleacher Report, back in 2009, 13-year-old Evan Berry told Yahoo about his verbal commitment to attend the University of Tennessee and play football. Determined to follow in his family's footsteps, Berry would pass on to be true to his word. Though coach Lane Kiffin left for USC the following yr, Berry played defensive back for the Volunteers from 2014-2017. Going undrafted, he signed with the Browns and was waived simply Three months later.

14 Did - Tara Lipinski

Tara Lipinski received nationwide reputation when she competed within the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival and changed into the youngest athlete to win the gold medal. The words "distinctive" and "precocious" can seem to very best describe Lipinski as just the following 12 months, at 13, Lipinski turned into the first female skater to land a triple loop/triple loop jump combination, and in her later years, won a lot of Professional Figure Skating championships.

13 Never Panned Out - Toe Nash

Playing in the Dixie adolescence match, a tender Toe Nash straight away caught the eye of Tampa Bay Devil Ray scout Benny Latino. Years after shedding track of him, Latino took Nash to meet the rest of the Rays scouting department. The staff could not assist looking at in awe after he hit towering house runs with both arms. Ultimately, arrests, fights, and a failed drug check ended in his downfall as Nash was launched by way of both the Reds and the Rays.

12 Did - Megan Kang

Megan Kang left the public with rather the affect when Enterprise News wrote a piece on the young phenom. Resonating with folks and children thru her Hmong tradition and strong circle of relatives bond, nearly 11 years have passed since the issue used to be published. Currently, Kang is 22 and because incomes her LPGA Tour card in 2016, she has only improved. Last yr, Kang recorded a T8 at the Evian Championship and has a Rolex golfing score of 41.

11 Never Panned Out - Jashaun Agosto

Jashaun Agosto can be remembered because the 11-year-old who made news headlines for his incredible muscle memory at this kind of younger age, as well as appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. As a teen, he went to Garfield High Scool and became a 3-star recruit. Despite having above-average basketball abilities, unlike maximum athletes, his enlargement spurt was once restricted. Standing at 5'11," he became a 4-year starter at LIU but never received an opportunity to play professionally.

10 Did - Wayne Gretzky

Displaying a skill level far beyond his age, a 6-year-old Wayne Gretzky played against 10 year-olds on his Pee Wee hockey team in Brantford. By his final year, the media began to take notice when he scored an impressive 378 goals. As it is well-known, the child prodigy grew up to be considered the greatest NHL player of all-time.

Related: 10 NHL Players Wayne Gretzky Disliked (And 7 He Mentored)

9  Never Panned Out - Cody Paul

Cody Paul's internet sensation all started when his brother posted highlights of him playing football for Los Alamitos Pop Warner Pee Wee Griffinson on Youtube. In a move that was intended for relatives in Utah, the video went viral and placed the 12-year-old running back into early fame. By his 3rd year of high school, reality struck hard. Never growing past 5'5," Paul did not receive any offers from main faculties and ended his football profession with Chadron State.

8 Did - Tiger Woods

Interviewed by sports anchor Jim Hill, Tiger Woods gained his first media exposure at the early age of 2. Given Wood's love for the sport and the robust reinforce device he had round him, akin to his father and John Anselmo who helped him together with his swing at age 10, Woods' accolades only accrued over time. He won the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship twice, and afterward in adulthood, various PGA and Masters Tournament championships.

Related: 8 People Tiger Woods Remains Close With (And 7 That Faded Away)

7 Never Panned Out - Maria Shishkina

Referring to her as "the next Maria Sharapova," in 2013, Trans World Sport performed a profile interview on a then 12-year-old Maria Shishkina. Leaving Kazakhstan to attend the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida, Sharapova started coaching with Bollettieri in hopes of achieving her tennis objectives. Sadly, two wrist surgeries derailed her development at 15, and shortly after being ranked at 1102 in 2016, Sharapova disappeared from the public eye.

6 Did - Nadia Comaneci

In the aftermath of her record-breaking performance at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games, Nadia Comaneci's international recognition skyrocketed. The Romanian gymnast was once simply 14-years-old and had impressively earned 7 perfect scores — a record that no grownup had ever broken in Olympic historical past — on the asymmetric bars and to nowadays, is the youngest Olympic all-around champion. Continuing her dominance in the 1980 Moscow games, she proceeded to seize two more gold medals.

5  Never Panned Out - Dakota Simms

The compliments poured in by CBS Atlanta Sports anchors. How may just Dakota Simmons have this sort of prime level of willpower at his age? And as though debuting on reside television as a tween wasn't sufficient, being praised by an actual NBA Hall of Famer, in Dominique Wilkins, almost assured that Simmons had an NBA future. Unfortunately, that scenario did not come true. Graduating from New Faith Christian Academy in 2019, Simmons received a national ranking of 1,784

4 Never Panned Out - Felipe Lopez

There can surely be disadvantages to receiving exposure in a large marketplace like New York. After all, the state is ceaselessly referred to as the "Mecca of basketball" for a explanation why. Leaving the Dominican Republic at 14, Felipe Lopez learned that the exhausting approach. Dominating media headlines, the amount of expectations Lopez persisted right through high school and St. John's turned into unrealistic. Struggling to adjust at the NBA level, Lopez was once out of the league after 5 years.

3 Never Panned Out - Michael Johnson

From an early age, Michael Johnson mastered the sport of football. Garnering nationwide consideration over his accomplishments in the Manchester City's Academy program — an English developmental league for underage footballers — the midfielder used to be soon signed by way of the Elite Squad. However, Johnson by no means lived up to the possible he had prior to now shown. Battling accidents and mental health issues, he used to be last heard discussing his plans to open up a restaurant.

2 Never Panned Out - Danny Almonte

Age remained prominent all the way through Danny Almonte's baseball occupation. At one level being the famous person pitcher that led the Bronx Baby Bombers to the 2001 Little league World Series, Almonte's workforce forfeited their wins when an investigation printed Almonte's father had falsified his beginning certificates. Later attending James Monroe High School and spending time in the unbiased league, after going undrafted, Almonte opted to pursue a coaching career.

Related: 20 Athletes Who Were Infamously Caught Cheating

1 Never Panned Out - Sebastian Telfair

When The Dallas Morning News wrote a work on a seventh grader named Sebastian Telfair, the hype most effective grew from there. Telfair seemed on the quilt of Slam Magazine alongside LeBron James, and after considering attending school to play for legendary coach Rick Pitino, Telfair instead went immediately to the professionals. Due to lacking a bounce shot and not essentially growing, Telfair bounced round Eight groups and used to be out of the NBA after 10 seasons.

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