Dream Big, Little One

Former Broncos grow mental strength on their journey towards professional sports

The road to becoming a professional athlete is the one less traveled. 

Thousands of young kids across the world imagine being a pro: stepping into the batter’s box and jacking a game winner into a roaring stadium, dropping a 3-pointer at the buzzer, diving into the end zone. It’s about playing the game they love. . .while also making millions. 

It’s a dream so many crave but so few realize. Only two percent of those who play at the collegiate level—themselves a tiny fraction of high school athletes—ever reach this promised land. And of that two percent, most never become “good enough” to stay in the Big Show for more than a couple years. Among those who do have a serious chance at becoming a professional athlete, all have developed their own unique formulas that include heaps of physical strength, loads of personal experience, and a whole handful (or two) of mental grit. 

Now, however, the coronavirus pandemic has stopped sports across the world. Suddenly, the recipes of success have changed for several former Santa Clara athletes now on the brink of the Big Time.

Two years ago, Joey Berriatua graduated from Santa Clara as one of the best runners the athletic program has ever seen. With four school records, zero offers from post-collegiate running groups and an infinite amount of potential, he moved to Boulder, Colo. and earned a spot on a professional running team called Tinman Elite. On the Tinman website, Berriatua published a memoir about chasing his dream.

“I knew that any opportunity to train and race post-collegiately would take me to another level,” he wrote. “If someone took a chance on me, they wouldn’t regret it.” His dream was unfolding before his eyes.

Joey Berriatua

By the beginning of this year, his dream was coming true. But he still has a ways to go. While Tinman Elite is a pro team sponsored by Adidas, Berriatua does not yet have a professional contract as an individual—meaning he is still at the amateur level and does not earn a salary for running. His goal for this season was to qualify for the Olympic Trials in June, which could have increased his chances of signing a pro contract. 

But with the Olympics postponed until 2021, and all major races being canceled or pushed back until August, Berriatua has had to adjust his daily routine into one that maintains quality fitness for the day when the racing season finally resumes. 

“I work full-time [at Boulder Running Company] because we aren’t racing or training as intensely,” Berriatua said in an email. “I essentially run, go to work, have weights or do mobility exercises, run again, eat dinner, and go to bed. There’s not much time for anything else.”

Our nation’s top professional athletes have completely shifted their training routines amid the pandemic. They, like everyone else, are confined to training in their own homes (or should I say mansions that include their own basketball courts, gyms, lap pools, etc.) to train. Lionel Messi lifts in his home gym that is twice the size of most college weight rooms, and Chris Paul shoots threes on a full size court in his backyard. While the pandemic has altered their lives, at least they remain comfortably afloat on top of the millions they have already raked in from their careers.

Those at the amateur level trying to make it to that elite stage are not so lucky. Consider former Bronco Andre Nnebe. Nnebe graduated from Santa Clara baseball in 2019 and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He was making his Spring Training debut in Arizona just three months ago, finally healthy after two seasons of injury. Then, the world shut down.

“I’ve been living at home since I returned and I know a lot of guys are in the same boat,” Nnebe says. “For players who have families to support on their own, I know this is an extra tough time, especially because most jobs won’t hire people who may have to go back to their sport eventually.”

Andre Nnebe

Nnebe is currently at the Class-A level in the minor leagues. Players in this classification make roughly $290 per week under normal circumstances. But now that the chances for a minor league season this year are slim to none, players are stuck with the grim reality of no future paychecks. Meanwhile, they need to stay in tip-top shape for next year’s season. 

“Having our season most likely cancelled is a big let down,” says Nnebe. “However, I have taken this as an opportunity to set myself apart, training 6 days a week with a small group of players – while maintaining proper distancing.” He adds, “I just want to use this time to outwork people who might be taking time off right now. I believe this can put me a step ahead for next year.”

That’s the irony of the current situation for budding professional athletes. The solitary training routines and financial hardships are just two of the many ways their lives have been disrupted. While much of the world is using this moment to reset their minds and adjust their perspectives, these athletes don’t have time for that. They simply cannot let up from the daily demands training brings. Every day they grow older; they know they have this tiny window of opportunity to make their dreams come true. They have to stick to their normal routines as much as possible—in a nearly impossible environment.

In Tacoma, Wash., Kelcie Hedge, a redshirt senior from Santa Clara women’s soccer this past fall season, is doubly dedicated. She has been drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League by the OL Reign. She is using this time to refine her skills—and is hell-bent on bettering herself for whenever the season kicks off.

Kelcie Hedge

“My mindset sees this as an opportunity to turn my weaknesses into my strengths,” Hedge says. “Every day is a day to get better. I’m living out a dream of mine, and that is what continues to motivate me.”

These amateur athletes have displayed in the pursuit of their dreams an almost superhuman consistency in the face of global chaos. As live sports temporarily became a thing of the past, their dedication has only grown stronger. When this virus robbed them of their immediate futures, their more distant dreams propelled them forward. They know there is no time to waste.

“All I know and think about at this moment is, when the time comes to start racing, I need to be ready,” said Berriatua. “The pandemic has not changed my approach to reaching my goals, but simply the timeline in which I will achieve them.”

The real magic lies within the mental resilience that sports have taught these Broncos. Their little-kid dreams are more vivid than ever, just a little further off, on this bumpy road much less traveled.