Sports Dreams That Came True

Every young sports fan has a dream.

Maybe that dream is to grow up and play for your favorite team. Maybe it’s to become a broadcaster or general manager or even a cheerleader. Maybe it’s simply to meet your sports idol.

These stories go beyond just achieving your sports dream. It’s probable that most professional athletes, to a certain degree, achieved their sports dreams just by virtue of becoming professional athletes.

These stories are more specific—dreams of playing shortstop for the New York Yankees, becoming an NFL GM or playing professional baseball after a lifetime of basketball.

These stories will make you believe that some dreams, no matter how outlandish they sound, really do come true.

Honorable Mention: Steve Nash Gets His Kicks

Steve Nash is a big soccer fan, in case you didn’t know.

He is a part-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps, sponsors a charity match annually and even had a tryout (but not really a tryout) with Inter Milan in 2013.

It’s pretty cool that Nash is able to enjoy his passion for soccer—you know, when he’s not playing professional basketball.

Radamel Falcao and the Premier League

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Colombian footballer Radamel Falcao recently moved to Manchester United on loan from Monaco.

Falcao told MUTV (via Yahoo Sports), “For me, it was a dream to play in the Premier League. I always wanted to be here because this league is very good, it has very good teams, and Manchester United is the best team in England. Everything is perfect for me.”

Falcao will join Wayne Rooney to try and help bolster Manchester United’s offensive attack.

Since 2009, according to Craig Hope of Mail Online, Falcao has scored 155 goals in 200 games.

Brian Hoyer and the Browns

Don Wright/Associated Press

In 2013, the Associated Press (via Fox Sports) reported that Brian Hoyer, who is from the Cleveland area, grew up dreaming about playing for the Cleveland Browns.

As a kid, he went to games with his father and even cried when the Browns moved to Baltimore.

Hoyer might be in the middle of a quarterback battle with Johnny Manziel right now, but he’s still living his dream.

Basketball Champion

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Montrezl Harrell, a sophomore on the University of Louisville’s basketball team, once dreamed of winning an NCAA basketball championship—with the University of North Carolina.

According to a report by C.L. Brown of ESPN.com, Harrell was 11 years old when UNC won the 2005 national championship. As he sat watching the celebration, he told his dad, “Dad, I'm going to win a national championship at Carolina one day.”

Well, his sports dream almost came true. He won a championship with Louisville instead. I bet he’s OK with that.

Ocho Soccer

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

In 2011, Chad Johnson (Chad Ochocinco back then), got a tryout with MLS franchise Sporting Kansas City.

At the time, Ochocinco told reporters, “Due to the NFL lockout, I'm excited to be able to follow my childhood dream of playing for a Major League Soccer team.”

Ocho didn’t make the team—something that maybe had to do with the fact that he hadn’t played competitively since high school.

However, Sporting KC did make him an honorary member.

Michael Sam in Dallas

LM Otero/Associated Press

After being released by the team that drafted him—the St. Louis Rams—Michael Sam was signed to the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.

Sam, who grew up in Texas, tweeted that the opportunity to play in Dallas is “a dream come true” for him (via USA Today).

T-Mac Plays Baseball

Pat Sullivan/Associated Press

Remember when Tracy McGrady retired from basketball and then played baseball for a hot second?

T-Mac called it a “Childhood Dream coming true” on Twitter.

McGrady made four pitching appearances for the Sugar Land Skeeters, an independent team in Texas. McGrady recorded a 6.75 ERA in those appearances with one strikeout, according to ESPN.com.

Apparently that strikeout was the real dream, because he retired immediately after recording it.

Cheerleader Mom

Rogelio Solis/Associated Press

Sports dreams don’t just come true on the playing field.

In July 2014, Kriste Lewis became a member of the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad.

Lewis, a 40-year-old mother of two, told Fox News that her recent health issues along with a milestone birthday inspired her to try out.

She made the team, and a lifelong dream has come true.

Young Michael Phelps

When Michael Phelps was 15, he wanted to win an Olympic gold medal.

Some people don’t just achieve their dreams—they exceed them, greatly.

Working His Way Up

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Howie Roseman was just a college kid with a dream—something a lot of us can relate to.

According to Zach Berman of the The Philadelphia Inquirer, Roseman knew he wanted to be a general manager as a young student at the University of Florida.

He reportedly used to set up draft boards for each NFL team and identify roster needs.

After college, Roseman started at the bottom of the food chain with the Philadelphia Eagles and has worked his way up to his dream job: general manager.

Mo’ne Davis Meets Clayton Kershaw

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

You may remember when Little League World Series superstar Mo’ne Davis challenged Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw to a “pitch-off” a while back.

Well, they didn’t have a pitch-off (yet), but the young hurler did get to meet one of her major league counterparts.

Davis threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on September 2, 2014, and following the game (a Kershaw victory), she was able to meet and chat with him for a few minutes.

A Penske Dream Come True

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In a 2013 special piece for ESPN.com, Sam Hornish Jr. wrote that he dreamed of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 while he raced go-karts as a kid.

Not only did he qualify, but he won in 2006.

Hornish also wrote, “One of the stories I tell when people ask about my IndyCar success is that when I was 12 years old, I had a dream one night that I met Roger Penske and he asked me to drive for him. I remember waking up thinking, ‘Yeah, right, like that'll happen.’”

Guess what? That happened too. Hornish raced for Penske for 10 years before being released in 2013.

Shortstop for the New York Yankees

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Derek Jeter is retiring from baseball following the 2014 season after two decades of living his dream.

Jeter grew up in southwest Michigan but spent his summers visiting his grandmother in New Jersey.

A Yankee fan since childhood, Jeter always dreamed of becoming the shortstop for his favorite team.

In fact, Jim Baumbach of Newsday reported that a nine-year-old Jeter once told his fourth-grade classroom, “When I grow up, I'm going to be a shortstop for the New York Yankees.”

I’d say he pretty much nailed it.