I believe organized sports have the potential for developing character and maturity in teens. They are by no means the only channel through which that can happen, but they are a legitimate channel. And it’s fine for teen athletes to have dreams of getting to the pros.
But it’d be unwise for them to put all their eggs in that basket. Here’s a great table from the NCAA showing that the probability of a HS athlete getting to the pros is less than 0.1% in every sport except baseball (0.5%). Funny, a teen is about five times more likely to go pro in baseball than in football. (A better minor league system? Fewer injuries?)
HT: Kit Joos