It is always attractive to do something interesting..........strict regime of self-discipline and moderation in food and drink.

It is always attractive to do something interesting and to do it as well as possible, but serious injury or an unaccountable loss of form quickly halts the progress of many a young sportsman. A handful of top professionals can afford a house in London, another in the country, and a third on the French Riviera, as well as a Rolls-Royce and a yacht in the Bahamas, but most professional players just manage to gain a bare living from their sport. Outdoor life can be delightful except when the prevalent weather conditions are rain, wind, snow, fog or ice. It is flattering to hear one's name chanted with acclaim by thousands on the terraces but crowds are fickle and soon forget, once time takes its toll of muscle and mind. Tommy Lawton, the football hero of the forties, spent his later years in poverty, forgotten by all but a small band of his closest friends.

Sportsmen at the height of their profession travel the world and visit exotic places. The English cricket team may spend its winters in Australian summers and the Wimbledon women champions may spend the year bathed in sunshine, but their own social lives are disrupted and leisure hours have to be sacrificed to hard, exhausting practice. All professional sportsmen must adhere to strict training schedules to maintain their physical fitness; their lives are devoted to keeping the body in peak condition by exhausting exercise combined with a strict regime of self-discipline and moderation in food and drink.

Summary: The career progress of sportsmen is halted by serious injury or loss of form, and the majority earn only a meagre living. They have to face bad weather conditions, and are forgotten once their decline sets in. Their social lives are affected and leisure is to be devoted to practice. To keep themselves fit they have to train. Self-discipline, exhausting exercise and dieting are necessary.