The current trend is to give youth a lot of importance and ignore the sages of old .

Once upon a time there was a young man Timothy who was an ace footballer .

He showed great promise from his school days . He had a mentor called Max.

Now Max nurtured Tim’s progress over a long period . His advice was

‘Practise , Tim and keep fit . Lead a balanced life .’

This was accepted as a rule by the young man .

He grew in stature with his football skills .

As soon as he finished his school he joined a junior academy of a famous club .

When interviewed by sports channels he was asked what his mantra was

“ I follow my mentor’s principle of practise and a balance in life.”

He began to be noticed and soon got selected to play in the senior team .

As time went by , Tim became one of the sharpest and prolific goal scorers .

Accolades poured in.

Soon Tim got recognised by the media and was sought after wherever he went .

His team became victorious .

Celebrations followed.

Very soon he devoted less time to the ‘discipline of a balanced life due to the attractions of the world .

He became slack and overconfident.

One day , Max met him and enquired ,

“Hello Tim , how are you ? Let me know if you need my help anytime .”

“Oh , I’m doing well . I don’t think I need any help or advice from you now.” replied Tim .

This saddened Max .

Tim continued his career in football and also celebrations continued . This was a time for ‘wine , woman and song’ as the saying goes .

Tim earned big money . This he squandered on betting and alcohol.

Gradually his performance on the football field was not as before .

He was dropped from the first team and was shocked by this .

He was so disturbed that he decided to meet Max .

“ Max can you help me find my focus again? I’m unable to perform as before.”

Max asked him a simple question ,”Do you remember the mantra I taught you ?

Are you observing it ?”

Tim hung his head in despair “No , I have ignored those principles”

“Then start over again, and you will see the change happening. To keep your balance you can also pray daily “

Right enough, Tim improved and was back into his first team .

Now he remembered his mentor’s advice of ‘Practise and a balanced life’

The future beckons to youth . Can one ignore the advice of elders . Then fame in football can be handled in a much better way.