But these days, because of the recession and high rates of unemployment, home values have declined, moving your family into a new home, and selling your current home has become that much more difficult.

The economic conditions affect athletes just like they affect anyone else when you have property that you are trying to sell. Because of the current conditions and the difficulty of selling a home, many professional athletes have changed their feelings when it comes to home buying.

Most players now days have changed from buying to renting a home or condo in the city in which they play. A lot of players have learned their lesson, as they bought a home, and then they were traded or signed with another team as a free agent and they could not sell their home without losing a lot of money in the process, or ended up paying two or more mortgages. So they still own the home even though they are not living there.

Many athletes who formally bought their homes and still own them, because they cannot sell them at a fair price, will pass along news of possible rentals to incoming players. It adds a sense of confidence to rent to someone who is also a professional athlete and is also a smart business move.

For those people with the talent, dedication, and a little luck to make that fantasy come true, the life of a professional athlete can be on line with that of a rock star or movie star.
However, even the biggest superstars of the game have to face the reality of retirement one day. And that day for an athlete comes much sooner then a  music or star of the screen.

After all, Mick Jagger is in his 60’s and still rocking, movie stars act their whole lives, while athletes usually only last into their 30’s until they have to retire.

Throw in the uncertainty of making the team every year with younger and faster players coming in, not to mention the chance of a serious injury, and your career could be cut short quicker then you ever imagined.

Of course, there are some professional athletes who were superstars and will make money for the rest of their live on just their name alone, such as Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky. However, the majority of retired athletes are just not that lucky.

There are many former athletes who have remained close to their professions, either as coaches, broadcasters, or even player agents. Some have used their names, locally, in the cities that they played in to set up business ventures such as a restaurant or car dealership.

For most current and former athletes though,navigating the potentially rugged road from the college and professional ranks to the real world can be extremely difficult.

Support is essential for an athlete who has retired. This support could come from family members, friends,or  the professional league they played in. Some of the respective leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL) have begun to offer assistance through their retired player associations such as counseling and career guidance, but a lot more work is needed in this field.

Athletes are used to having so much attention focused on them. Many do not know what to do once the limelight is off, they have been accustomed to receiving everything for free. It would be great if they were assigned a career coach once their playing days were over.

Because of this possibility, an athlete needs a home that will grow in value and sell quickly when the time arises.

Even though locations that are desirable, today, might not keep that status forever, it is still a good model to use when looking for a home.

So before the athlete starts on their journey of house hunting, there are some questions that need to be answered.

Why is a particular neighborhood in demand and how long has it been a top choice?

Is the home the athlete considering at the higher end of the price range in the neighborhood? It is not a good idea to buy at the highest price point.

Are there other neighborhoods in the area that are increasing in their appeal? You want the value kept up in the surrounding area.

Are there certain areas in town that seem to be growing rapidly? Traffic, school populations could become a problem.

Will there be plenty of services such as groceries, shopping, and schools in that area? You don’t want to be in an area that does not provide adequate services and amenities. Just because you can buy 10 acres doesn’t mean the home is in the best area.

Is the area changing and are residential areas are shifting over to a more commercial area? You never want to be in an area that is transitioning into a commercial area.

Who are the primary home buyers in that town? If it’s senior citizens, the best resale potential might be a ranch home, because seniors don’t like stairs. If the primary buyers in that area are young families with children, consider a home with a large yard that is not on a busy street.

It is important to look through the local real estate ads. A feature that is mentioned in many ads is probably one that is in demand.

Features that are outdated are usually a negative, but they can be turned into a positive if the home is under the market value and updates are made. However, know the update costs and exactly how much they would add to the home’s resale value.

Always choose a home that suits your needs, but find one with the features and in a location that are in demand and could sell quickly.

The businesses vary from restaurants and nightclubs to automobile dealerships and shopping malls.

Being a professional athlete only lasts so long, so once their careers are over, a lot of them move into the business world. There are advantages that athletes have over the general public. They already have a name in which they use to market their new business.

For example, a restaurant with their name on it would have instant credibility and bring customers through the door. An auto dealership with their name in it would have the same effect.

However, in order to succeed, they would still have to have a worthy product, with excellent customer service. Their name alone would not keep them in business if the food was subpar or the car was a lemon and  the service was poor.

Here are a few former professional athletes that have gone into business and have been successful.

Joe Theismann – Retired Quarterback Redskins is a Restaurateur.

Magic Johnson – Hall of Fame basketball player owns movie theaters, restaurants, athletic clubs, and shopping malls.

John Elway – Hall of Fame Quarterback owns several car dealerships

George Foreman – Owns the George Foreman grill and other products.

Hank Aaron – Hall of Fame baseball player owns a Car Dealership, Popeyes and Church’s Chicken franchises

Hershel Walker- Renaissance Man International

Julius Erving- Celebrity Golf Club International

The Players’ will always have the drive, desire, self-motivation and the heart to play the game and the dreams of making it to the major leagues is always there.

However, this is a brand new experience for the player. For a former college player, he is used to being at school, with his friends, girl friend, excellent facilities and a classy hotel when he is on the road. For those coming right out of high school, he is used to going home, having his mom cook him a good meal, the warmth and comfort of his own bed, as well as his friends.

Once he is in the minor leagues, everything changes. It’s tough working with the scouts, the organizations, the new coaches, and new teammates from all over the world.

Not too mention the constant threat of a career-ending injury, poor equipment, poor field conditions, the trainer who wasn’t qualified, long bus rides, and cheap hotels. It is tough missing the girl back home and Mom’s home cooking too, while eating at cheap greasy spoon joints or McDonalds all the time.

It is a constant challenge not to let all of that interfere with their concentration or distort their focus. It is difficult to live and work in a career of ups and downs that demands frequent adjustments.

Of course, there are the good times, the winning streaks, personal triumphs, the pranks, the lifelong friendships, and the skill to sleep on an 8 hour bus ride.

But for the players it is all worth it just to have their one shot that someday they might step to the plate in the World Series with the game on the line.

Life in the minor leagues compared to the major leagues is like night and day, two totally different entities. Oh sure, you’re still playing baseball the game you love and are at the ballpark for 6-8 hours everyday, but outside of that, everything is different.

There are numerous risks within the 21 hours spent from the final pitch of a particular game to the first pitch of the next. The three hours a day spent on the ball field will be the most comfortable times that a major league ballplayer will have.

Once they leave the ball field, the distractions that come before them will be enormous.
These are lessons are in adulthood. This may be a ballplayers only chance. Any mistake on and off the field and they will blow it.

Now that they are making major league money, there are a lot of people who will try to take advantage of them, friends and strangers alike.

They may feel invincible with their whole world ahead of them, but they are not.

Be it the array of pleasures available, drugs, HGH, alcohol, and beautiful women; or other distractions such as media arguments, or clubhouse fights, or gambling, it is all out there waiting for them.

The surroundings in baseball are changing, same as in the real world. Take drugs or steroids, get exposed. Go to the track, get photographed. Dance with someone other then their wife at a nightclub, picture posted on the internet. Disrespect reporters in any way, make headlines.

There are fewer secrets, particularly for those becoming rich and getting famous. Life now during a professional baseball season includes drug testing,camera phones, the internet and blogs.

It is a whole new world out there for a rookie in the big leagues.

However, there are many agents out there that will say anything to a young athlete and tell them what they want to hear and not what they need to know in order for them to sign on the dotted line. In addition, there are many young athletes who do not know what questions they should ask , the correct answers they need to hear, and what inquiries they need to make prior to signing with an agent.

Many agents will tell a young athlete that they are the best thing since sliced bread and that he can make him rich. They give the athlete inducements such as money, women, and other material gifts before the draft just to get them to sign with him.

This is a problem as approximately 80% of all NFL players will be broke, unemployed, and/or bankrupt within two years after their athletic careers are over. This is regardless of how high they went in the draft or how much their salary and signing bonuses were.

The agent’s job nowadays is a lot more then just negotiating a contract worth millions of dollars. An athlete needs an agent that will mentor him and advise him to make smart decisions and to manage his money.

So when choosing an agent, ask the right questions and listen to the answers carefully.

Look into his background; talk with other athletes he represents and get the inside scoop from them.

Review the team of people that the agents surrounds themselves with. Financial planner, lawyers, PR people, marketing team. Are the respected in their known fields?

Check to see if any former clients have filed lawsuits or claims against the agent.

Look and see how the agent himself lives, is he married, does he have a family?

Think about how the agent does business; if they went bent the rules in the way they tried to induce you, what makes you think they will be honest with you throughout your contract with them.

Listen to what your head coach has to say about certain agents. There are some agents that college coaches forbid from hanging around their campus due to problems in the past.

Let your parents get involved in the process. They should always have your best interests at heart.

Do your homework on the agent; do not just listen to what he has to say. Check him out thoroughly!  Remember this is your pro careeer that you have worked hard to achieve that they will help manage. Never forget that they work for you and not you for them.

Bobby Hull & Brett Hull

The “Golden Jet” and the “Golden Brett” are ahead of the pack when it comes to great father-son duos. Bobby and Brett both have over 600 goals, have won an MVP award, and have both won a Stanley Cup. Eventually, they will both be in the Hall of Fame too. When you combine Bobby’s statistics with son Brett’s statistics, you get the best father and son duo in sports.

Bobby Bonds & Barry Bonds

Bobby, played for the Giants from 1968 until 1974, set standards of performance for his eldest son Barry. In 1990, Barry joined his father in the 30 home runs-30 stolen bases club. Barry’s accomplishments took off from there. In addition to winning numerous Gold Glove Awards and MVP honors, Barry currently holds baseball’s home run single-season record.

Ralph Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The Earnhardts, Ralph, Dale and Dale Jr., are the first family of NASCAR. Ralph Earnhardt was a NASCAR pioneer and considered a master car builder by racing historians. His son, Dale Earnhardt (“The Intimidator”), was one the most beloved and successful drivers in NASCAR history. While Dale Jr. won the 2004 Daytona 500.

Archie Manning, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning

This is the family that proves that athletic ability can be passed from one generation to the next. All three were finalists for the Heisman Trophy, and were first round draft picks.  Archie was picked No. 2 overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1971. He played for 14 years in the NFL and was the NFC MVP in 1978. Peyton was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1998 draft. In 2004, he passed for an astounding 4,557 yards and a record 49 touchdowns. In 2007 he was named Super Bowl XLI MVP. Peyton’s younger brother Eli was drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers, who traded him to the New York Giants in a draft-day trade. In 2008 he was named Super Bowl XLII MVP.

It used to be, finish up your college season and hope you made a big enough impression on a team for them to draft you in April. This is not the case anymore, and in order to get ahead and make an impression, as soon as the college season is over you have to get to work preparing yourself to make an impression on an NFL team.

First of all comes the Senior Bowl, where seniors get a last chance to make an impression on the field. There is also a college all-star game which allows underclassmen that have opted for the NFL draft can make one last impression as well.

Then comes the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in late February and early March. Players that are invited to participate in the combine can make or break where they might be drafted. They are poked and prodded, interviewed to death by teams, and looked at from under a microscope.

They are timed in the 40 yard dash, passing and receiving drills, offensive and defensive lineman drills, and how much weight they can lift. They also take the Wonderlic test which measures their intelligence under pressure.

Bad times in the drills or a bad Wonderlic test could cost players and agents millions of dollars in salary and bonus money.

For some athletes, who do not participate in the scouting combine, their schools have “Pro days,” where their athletes get a chance to perform in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers in order to impress them before the draft.

Agents and athletes, looking to climb up team’s draft boards have created a mini-industry for athletic trainers. There are training centers all over the country and every agent has to send a player to one of these centers prior to the combine and the draft.

There is a lot at stake too, not just for the players, but their families and their agents too, who get a percentage of the player’s earnings.

It is big business and it is not cheap either as it can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 to train for two months prior to the combine and pro days. Athletes put in three to five hours a day, three to six days a week for up to two months. However, in the end it could be worth millions in their bank accounts.

If there’s one issue in regards to the latest incident with Arenas that bothers me most, it’s that it reinforces the idiotic stereotype that the NBA is a league of “thugs” who don’t value the game.

Still, what people need to realize is that the NBA is not a league made up of gangsters. Google “NBA Cares.” Going back to 2005, the foundation has raised close to $115 million for several causes. Players have logged one million hours of community work, and that number will only continue to increase.

Those numbers are undeniably extensive. For example, Shaquille O’Neal recently gave money for a North Carolina girl’s funeral. In 2007, Lebron James paid for Thanksgiving dinner for 800 people in Cleveland. Last year, Dwayne Wade helped buy a new house for a displaced family in South Florida. More NBA stars are just as active in the community.

The NBA is nearly the same as the rest of society. There are some bad apples. There is no doubt that Gilbert Arenas was wrong to bring weapons into a locker room. No one will ever forget about the image with Ron Artest charging into the stands. I am sure there are positive things about Arenas and Artest that the public does not hear about.
We can’t allow these types of isolated incidents to cloud the image of an amazing league.

The majority of these guys play hard each and every game. Many of them seem like fundamentally decent people, and that’s the reason it bothers me many people look down on the NBA as being a league of “thugs”.