It's just like a Country Western Song, and it happens every day all across the country:

A kid I know -- with all the talent in the world -- just got his girlfriend pregnant.

He is a religious person, and intends to marry her and do the right thing as a father.

While I commend him for his honor, his life just took a dramatic turn. His vision for himself as a student and an athlete probably never included caring for a baby and getting married before college.

Now he has an entirely different set of challenges. His level of difficulty in life went up exponentially.

If you are a student athlete, you have to make smart choices. You have to be disciplined, and keep you eye on your goal as an athlete.

- Don't have sexual relations or, if you absolutely can't resist, be sure to use protection. If you aren't mature enough to have a conversation about using protection with your partner, you aren't mature enough to be having relations.

- While you are at it, don't succumb to the pressures to do what everyone else seems to be doing. You don't have to get involved with risky behaviors like sex, alcohol, drugs, petty crimes, dangerous pranks, fights, and late night parties. One dumb decision, one tiny nod to temptation, and your whole life can change.

Know who you are. Know who you want to be. Control your destiny. Hope is not a strategy!