What It’s Really Like To Date A Professional Athlete
Celebs always seem to date other celebs. Justin Bieber dates Selena Gomez and Instagram-famous babes. Leo dates Victoria’s Secret models. Kylie Jenner dates past-their-prime rappers. With the way celebrity love-lives go, it’s very unlikely that you’re ever going to have the chance to date someone like Harry Styles or Calvin Harris unless you have more than 50k Instagram followers. Sorry bout it, but that’s life.
On the plus side, there is a chance that you can date the celebs of the sporting world, otherwise known as professional athletes. Sure, you may not be as personally invested in their talents or even know what position they play, but they’re nearly as famous, rich, and hot as your favorite celebs (if not hotter). Unfortunately, dating an athlete can come with its downsides, so we spoke with a college girl, let’s call her Danielle, who’s been dating a professional football player about the Do’s and Don’ts of dating an athlete.
Understand That They Have a Busy Schedule
Dating your average college dude who skips 50% of his classes is much different than dating a dude with a job, particularly a dude with a high profile job that doesn’t enable him to ever work from home.
“I used to take it so personally [when I couldn’t see him for weeks at a time],” Danielle said, “but last time I hung out with him he said, ‘Literally look at my phone, I have 125 unread messages, everybody wants my time and attention.'”
Danielle also mentioned that her walks of shame ended up being way earlier, since her boo had to bounce at 6 or 7 in the morning.
“You need to accept the fact that you need to be on their schedule. At first it made me feel used because he’d never be there when I wanted to hang out, but he expected me to be free when he wanted to hang out, but it’s really not personal. I bitched him out a couple of times, so now he answers every time I text him. I was just like, ‘I don’t care who you are, I’m not going to take anyone’s shit.'”
Chill On The Snapchat Story
If you’ve ever partied with celebs before, you’ll notice that you’re suddenly expected to surrender your phone. It may not be as strict with athletes, but they feel the same way about selfies and Snapchat.
“[Athletes are] really skeptical people,” Danielle said. “One time my man was in my room and he heard my roommates come home and he wouldn’t leave my room. He was so concerned about what people were going to say and think. When I brought my girlfriends over to drink with his friends [who are also pro-athletes], he said, ‘Sorry guys, but please don’t bring out your phones.’ They don’t want their business out there.”
You also have to watch out for your one friend who likes to black out and pass out.
“It’s different bringing your friends around them, they can’t get too fucked up,” Danielle said. “Once my friend passed out and my guy freaked out. He was like, ‘You need to take her home, I have a lot to lose I can’t have a drunk girl passed out in my house. What if she wakes up and says she got raped or something?'”
Learn To Deal With Shitty Stereotypes
Unlike that rando you met on Tinder, when dating a professional athlete you have to prepare to know his romantic history just like you know Leo DiCaprio’s dating history.
“You can’t believe everything you hear,” Danielle said. “If they’re famous, people are going to talk about them. If anyone has hooked up with him I would hear about it because people brag about that stuff.”
In addition, athletes are known fuckboys (with good reason), and instead of congratulating you on bagging a dude with a real job, your friends might not be as supportive as you’d prefer.
“People’s reactions aren’t ‘oh that’s cool you’re dating a football player,’ it’s, ‘oh you’re probably just another side hoe, he probably has a million other girls,'” Danielle said. “Just like celebrities, they’re human, he’s a good guy. He literally doesn’t care about sex, we didn’t always have sex, he took his time. It’s annoying how people assume things. He doesn’t go around fucking everybody, so that stereotype is annoying.”
Be Your High-Maintenance and Betchy Self
When you’re dating a dude that’s a big deal, you may be tempted to treat him way nicer than you’d treat other guys. Don’t. If anything, he’ll like that you’re sassy and don’t act different just because he’s a “big deal.” Why do you think celebs only date other celebs? Because they don’t fan-girl on them.
“I made sure not to treat him the way every other girl treats him,” Danielle said. “I wasn’t on his dick, I didn’t do everything he wanted. I stood up for myself if I felt disrespected and I said something. I’m not scared to lose him. I’ve never acted like a fan, you can’t act that way.”
Prepare To Work It
While you’d think sex with an athlete is amazing, don’t forget that most athletes are tired af in season, not to mention sore.
“The way that’s different [about sex with an athlete] is that I have to do most of the work because he’s always fucking tired and sore, so I’m kind of doing most of the work [in bed],” Danielle said.
Don’t Expect A Lifestyle of Partying And Fancy Dinners
Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they live life like the Kardashians.
“We never go out and we only hang at night,” Danielle said. “He literally has practice all day. We’re always at his house, we just chill and watch movies. When we first met we did [go out], but now we don’t.”
It Goes Down In The DMs
It’s one thing to get ticked off when your boo likes an Instagram model’s pic, it’s another when Instagram models are DMing him.
“It’s def unsettling seeing his Instagram where hundreds of girls DM him nudes and sex talk and girls always are tryna fuck him,” Danielle said, “so it takes a lot of confidence and trust to be with an athlete. For the longest time I didn’t send him nudes because I wanted to be different than those girls.”
Realize That He’s With You For You
“Shows like WAGS scare the shit out of me,” Danielle said. “It’s intimidating knowing a lot of athletes date famous people or models and these girls have professionals do their hair and makeup and stylists and I’m here like a normal little 21-year-old.”
From the Instagram DM’s and constant rumors, it’s clear that the biggest thing to know about dating an athlete is that you have to be confident and stand your ground. Never let a semi-famous (or really famous) dude make you forget that you’re the boss… and a sexy boss at that.
