Will power helps athletes age like wine

As most of you know, Clemens inked a deal with the New York Yankees back at the first of the month with a contract worth $28 million. Clemens is scheduled to make his first minor league start on Friday in Class A ball as he prepares to work his arm back into shape before joining the Yankees rotation, which is expected to be sometime in June. It?s all about determination, and the competitive spirit that keeps people like Clemens going.

Now, I know he has to throw a few pitches to get back in shape, but I can?t imagine it?s going to take him too long if the Yankees are willing to shell out that kind of money.

Some, including myself, wonder how effective the 44 year-old will be. Last season wasn?t too shabby with 113 innings pitched, an era of 2.30 and a 7-6 record.

When athletes hit the age of 40, people seem to write them off the list. But there have been several athletes to achieve continued success in their golden years.

Usually by the time an athlete reaches 30 to 35 years old they have enough money to retire, or injuries have forced them to the sidelines. It?s all a matter of staying in shape and staying healthy.

Just off the top of my head there have been several athletes who continued to be productive in their 40s. One of my heroes, Nolan Ryan, pitched until the age of 46. George Blanda played in the NFL until he was 48, and Robert Parish held his own in the paint until the age of 43. Martina Navratilova was still playing competitive tennis in 2002, when at the age of 47 she won her first-round match at Wimbledon.

When an athlete reaches the age of 40 and is still trying to compete at the professional level, it?s more about heart and determination than anything else. The skill level still has to be there and the desire to compete needs to be as strong as ever.

It?s amazing where, and how far, determination can take a person. Over the weekend a 95-year-old grandmother earned her degree in history and graduated from Fort Hays State University in Kansas alongside her 21-year-old granddaughter.

Nola Ochs started working on her degree in the 1970s, taking community college courses every now and then. Last year she enrolled as a full-time student, needing just 30 hours to earn her degree. She even moved onto the campus and left her farm home to pursue her lifelong dream.

Nothing in life is easy, and folks like Ochs who sets goals for themselves and complete the task, no matter how long it takes, have a spirit it them a lot of us lack.

Just remember it?s not your age that keeps you from achieving certain goals, it?s your will power. It?s like the old saying goes you?re only as old and your mind lets you think you are.

A person?s will power and determination ? not their age ? will determine their success in life.