“What If It All Works Out?”: Perseverance in Sports Beyond the Spotlight

Emily Arnold McCully: Climbing Ladder

What if it all works out?

It’s a quiet question that we should ask ourselves more often. Between the long nights, the overlooked emails, the moderately paying roles that somehow come with high expectations, self-owned business that require our attention around the clock. This question is not asked with arrogance, but with curiosity. What if the sacrifices actually lead somewhere? What if all the missed birthdays, the underpaid hours, the invisible work—actually mean something? What if I get the job? What if I grow my company?

For so many in sports, especially those behind the scenes, this tension is constant. Ambition pushes us forward, but doubt lurks in every corner. The dream feels real, but the reality often feels heavier: interns fighting to prove their value, ops assistants juggling everything from team travel to last-minute scouting changes, DEI professionals advocating in rooms they’re not always welcomed in, and analytics managers whose work might never be seen on a broadcast—but could shape the future of a franchise. The work is put in behind the scenes, the pavement is pounded relentlessly, life is still “life-ing” in the forefront. It easy to question if it all is really going to work out.

Sometimes the ones who ask that question the most… are the ones who eventually answer it with a yes.

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