I went to school with the number one melee player in my state. I played him a ton over the years and never beat him once. The skill disparity between “serious tournament competitor” and “best in the neighborhood” is boggling.
This is the sobering reality for many a hometown hero of physical sports too. Being the best in your city, 1 in a million even, puts you in tight competition in college sports and then worse as a pro.
I went to school with the number one melee player in my state. I played him a ton over the years and never beat him once. The skill disparity between “serious tournament competitor” and “best in the neighborhood” is boggling.
This is the sobering reality for many a hometown hero of physical sports too. Being the best in your city, 1 in a million even, puts you in tight competition in college sports and then worse as a pro.