Yes, and for every one of them, there are at least ten that are just as dedicated, equally professional and work just as hard as these guys but don't have the ability and skills to ever get there.
Let's not tell a youngster that "if you're sufficiently talented and dedicated, fully professional in your approach, and you work your tail off, you will get near the top of the game." On the contrary, the odds are they will not, and unless they understand this, they may take the wrong path.
That said, if a top pro who is qualified has watched them and identified them as likely to be a future great, that is different, but even a 16-year old carrying a Fargo 750 is a longshot to ever be one of the best 50 players in the world, the ones who can make a living at the game.
As for whether they should go to college, that's irrelevant. There are careers for which they could plan, some of which require a college degree and some of which do not, and if they put all their eggs in the pool basket, they will be foregoing chances to develop skills in other areas that might one day earn them a good living. So many of those who put all their eggs in the pool basket find themselves in a very bad situation if it turns out that pool won't pay the bills.
In a chat he and I had in the 1990s, Allen Hopkins offered that if a player doesn't show signs of world class speed by the age of 18, the odds are they will never do so. Yes, there are exceptions but, for the most part, Allen is right.
In my opinion, we need to tell our youngsters to figure out, with all available assistance, by age 18 whether their prospects are good enough to pursue a career in pro pool. We can encourage them to give it everything they have up to that point, but watching the many "not quite skilled enough" players trying to eke out a living from pool must offer a red flag for all but the worthiest as they set their course.
