Lots of kids love football, but that may not be a good choice. The average player’s career in the National Football League (NFL) is a little more than three years. For some players, such as running backs, it’s shorter. Chances are you will get hurt. I would pass on football.

It’s the same with hockey. I love the speed of the game, but hockey is rough. With playoffs, the National Hockey League (NHL) season can stretch to more than 100 games. I don’t know how anyone makes it through an entire season.

Benny and I played on a baseball team called the Pirates, so we thought being a major leaguer would be the best. You can get hurt playing baseball, but it’s not as rough as football or hockey. Now the average player in Major League Baseball (MLB) makes more than $4 million a season.

The average player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) makes about twice as much as the average MLB player. Maybe being a player in the NBA is the way to go. I mean who wouldn’t want to be Stephen Curry?

Let’s also discuss women’s professional sports. Unlike years ago, there are now professional leagues for women’s ice hockey, fast-pitch softball and even women’s tackle football. Unfortunately, these leagues are small and don’t pay anywhere near as much as the men’s sports.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has competed since 1997. With 12 teams, the competition for players to keep a roster spot is fierce. Anyone who makes it the WNBA has to be very good.

Men and women compete in golf and tennis. Some golfers travel around the world playing on the professional tour for more than 20 years. That sounds great, but if the golfer does not play well, they don’t make any money. There are no guaranteed contracts in golf as there are in other sports.

Tennis pros are also world travelers. The truth is, however, that while stars such as Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka make big money, most pro tennis players do not.

Most sports are tough, and we haven’t even mentioned soccer yet. Although the most popular sport has professional leagues — men’s and women’s — around the world, just about every kid gives the game a try. That means the competition to be a pro is intense.

So which sport will you pick? Basketball? Baseball? Golf? Or something else?

Give it some thought. But remember to enjoy the summer, and be sure to always play the sports you love.