Waiting a couple of years before hitting the NBA or NFL can do wonders for college athletes.

Maintaining patience and allowing one’s talents to season and develop in a certain time frame is absolutely the mindset college athletes need to take in order to understand why they should wait a few years before going professional.

College athletes are quick to grab a hold of the brass ring that is the professional field.

The fact is, college athletes go to school for a reason, not only to learn, but to earn experience and mature into what they were meant to become.

When the NBA implemented its one-year rule on drafting players and how one has to wait an entire calendar year after graduating from high school in order to play professionally, there was a lot of skepticism surrounding such a decision.

Life as a professional athlete is demanding. It takes a toll on the mind and the body.

An 18 year old coming out of high school is not wired to go out and confront the challenges that the world throws at him.

The controversy behind a one or two year rule for student athletes goes beyond just professional sports or draft stock.

One can easily point out the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady, who were all drafted into the NBA out of high school, and argue that such a wait for college athletes is unnecessary as success can still be at arm’s reach.

Not everybody has the mental will of Bryant or the sheer dominance of James.

Staying in college provides a sanctuary for a student, and understanding the opportunity that is accompanied with waiting a few years before being drafted is a part of the journey.

Maturation and a risen stock of success and draft stock are what is best for a college athlete’s future.