Promotions and Relegations

Avoid that feeling!

What, another soccer blog? Yes! Talk about what you know, right?
In European sports, with a focus today on the English Premier League, they have a system of relegations and promotions. In the EPL, the bottom 3 teams will be relegated to the Football League Championship, and the top 2 teams of the Football League Championship automatically get promoted to the EPL, then the next 4 compete in a playoff, the winner promoting also. It's a good way of helping out those littler teams, offering them greater advancement, and giving them a spotlight that they wouldn't be able to get. They can increase their fan base, bring in more money, and stand a better chance of getting better players and continue to improve. However, it's also kind of a slap in the face to those EPL teams who are suddenly bumped into a lower league. It really keeps you focused. Obviously no one wants to finish bottom of the table, but when the threat is leaving the league you're in and bumping down to Football League Championship, it makes it that much more meaningful (I mean, seriously, how many of you have even heard of Football League Championship?). It's got to be pretty exciting for those teams to know that they were good enough to get a shot at Premier League glory! They worked hard, and got a promotion! The possibilities are endless now: FA Cup, Carling Cup, the League, Champions League! As long as they keep their drive, work really hard, and get enough money to get the good players, all these things are possible.
We all have that chance to be promoted or relegated. We can make the right decisions, and work hard, and get to the point where we're better than we were before. We can grow and become more successful. However, once we get there, we can't just stop. We have to continue to work hard. Often you see teams getting promoted to the EPL, then the very next season get relegated back down. You can't let that happen. Once you get promoted, work hard. Do everything you can. Don't fall back into that lower level. As we progress through life, and do what we should, we'll continue to grow and become stronger. We'll have the ability to overcome trials and temptations and continue to improve. We need to be wary not to fall into the trap of complacency, because we then run the risk and losing our footing and falling. Work hard, get promoted, keep working hard, stay in the Premier League, work harder, win the League. Notice a theme there?