If you could talk to your 15-year-old self, what advice would you offer?

Rob O’Neill, the Butte native who is world famous for shooting a certain bad guy during a Navy SEALS operation, knows what he would say.

“Ask her out,” Rob says, without hesitation.

That is really good advice. Don’t be afraid to ask her out. Or him.

The worst thing that can happen is you get an answer of “no,” which puts you right where you were in the first place.

She might even say yes.

Yeah, you might get embarrassed because of the rejection, and that is understandable. But really, if you are worried about what other people think about you, you’ve already lost.

So, go for it.

“Ask her out” is actually great advice if you are 15, 30 or 60.

My old buddy Lefty Rundle always said, “Never be afraid to ask out the hottest girl in the bar.” There is a second part to his life philosophy that you will have to ask him yourself. That is the part that usually comes into play.

Of course, a good counterpoint would be to tell yourself not to ask anyone out until you are 25. Nothing can mess up high school or college like having a girlfriend. Or boyfriend.

If I could go back and talk to 15-year-old me, I would tell myself what I would tell every 15-year-old boy or girl on the planet. Just play.

You have the rest of your life to work, but you only have four years in which you can play high school sports.

I have written many times about the fact that I quit playing football after my freshman year at Butte Central. When I was a senior, I listened to the radio as my former teammates played in the Class A State championship game.

Hearing Pat Kearney call that game that day made me cry, and not because the Maroons lost the game. The memory of that regret still kicks me in the butt sometimes, and that will be 31 years ago this fall.

I would give anything to be able to tell my kids that I played in a state championship football game, even in a losing effort.

During the fall of my sophomore year, I went out for the cross country team late in the season so the Maroons had enough runners to score at state.

On the bus ride home from the State meet in Helena, my coach, Pat Kearney, talked me into playing football again the next season, and I was going to do it.

Other circumstances, though, led to me to transfer to Butte High, and I chickened out when it came time to go out for the football team at the new school

Even though Bulldog head coach Jon McElroy, who was my first period teacher during my junior year, encouraged me to play all the time, I did not.

Coach Mac would look at me, guess my exact height and weight, and tell me I should play. I wish I would have listened to him.

I wouldn’t have been eligible to play varsity that season, but it would have been cool to be part of the program. The Josh Vincent-led Bulldogs went undefeated and won the state championship that year, and I watched every home game from the student section instead of the sideline.

On second thought, it might have been Josh Paffhausen who led the Bulldogs that year. I always get those two confused.

This is the time of year that you start hearing about the student-athletes who are not going out for the team this year.

I recently heard a couple of names of some football players from each school — and players with serious potential — who have decided to not go out for the team.

Sure, I can certainly sympathize with that decision. Playing football is not easy and it isn’t always fun. It’s a much easier life to just go home after school each day.

Those players probably have a really good reason not to play. Maybe they want to spend more time focusing on another sport.

That is certainly understandable, even though specialization never seems to work out.

Colt Anderson says he never would have played in the NFL if he didn’t also play basketball and baseball. The lessons and skills learned in those sports helped round out a solid football player.

Likewise, former MLB catcher Rob Johnson said his pro career was boosted by competing in football, basketball and track.

Plus, when you are early in your high school career, you don’t know which sport you will be your best. I can’t tell you how many stories I wrote about players earning college football scholarships when they never even considered college football until their senior season.

No matter the sport, the advice is the same. Try to stick it out.

At the very least, take your time and make sure you are making the decision you really want to make. You will be 50 sooner than you think, and you will only regret the chances that you didn’t take.

That goes for more than sports, too. Go out for the speech and debate teams or try out for that part in the play. Try to learn a musical instrument.

Who knows? You just might be good at it. You might find your calling. You might have a whole lot of fun.

This advice, after all, is coming from one of the only guys in the history of the Mining City to get cut from the basketball programs at Butte Central and Butte High.

I’ll tell you what, though. I don’t regret going out for either team at all. I have never felt the slightest bit of embarrassment telling that story, either. Not even when people are teasing me about it.

At least I know that I gave it my best shot.

Unfortunately, I cannot say that about the football programs at those two schools. I regret that every single day.

Whether it is football, volleyball, soccer, golf or cross country, if you are thinking about quitting the team this fall, I encourage you to think it over just a little bit longer. Don’t make up your mind to quit until teams can officially start practicing.

If you don’t want to go back to play your super senior season in Legion Baseball, don’t throw away your cleats until after the next season starts.

What could it hurt to drag out such a major decision a little bit longer? It just might save you from a lifetime of remorse.

When you go to your 30th class reunion, I promise that you will never hear one person talk about how much he or she regrets playing any sport. But you will hear it the other way around.

Oh, and you just might see that girl you really wish the 15-year-old you would have asked out.

If you’re lucky enough to still have the chance, for the love of God, ask her.

She might even say yes.

— Bill Foley, who stretches out every decision, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 before that billionaire weirdo ruins it. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.