To The Athletes Who Had To Give Up Their Sport, But Didn't Want To
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To The Athletes Who Had To Give Up Their Sport, But Didn't Want To

It gets better.

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To The Athletes Who Had To Give Up Their Sport, But Didn't Want To
Anna D'Orazio

When you first start playing the game, you never think about the moment where it will have to end, and you certainly never expect it to be soon.

It may be hard for people to understand the loss of a sport. It seems silly because it is just a game, but to have something that you adore torn away from you is an experience that is universal.

I would give up almost anything at this point in my life to put my cleats back on, to play another game under the stadium lights, and to be a part of a team again. I miss it more than I care to admit, and the day that I had to stop, is a day that will live in infamy for me.

I played soccer my entire life, and had loved it for every second that I was able to. I remember I was at a soccer camp when I was 12-years-old with my teammates, where coaches from universities were there to train us. During a scrimmage game, one of the coaches pulled me aside and said, “You played great out there, and I’ll tell you what, you can play on any team that I coach.”

At that moment, I knew that playing college soccer was going to be a part of my future.

As clichéd as it sounds, life doesn’t always work out the way you think. Two years later as a freshman in high school, I tore my right ACL and meniscus during a game. I was out for almost a year and a half, but I was determined to come back and as stronger than ever. My junior year of high school came along, and I was ready to take on school soccer before I made my way back to my club team, but two months after I made my comeback, I tore my left ACL.

Of course I was upset. Who wouldn’t be? You spend almost two years in physical therapy getting ready to play the sport you love, but 60 days later it’s ripped away from you once again. I was broken, and I remember crying on the way to hospital-not just because my knee hurt, but I also knew that it was over.

I made a speedy recovery and played for my school team my senior year, but it wasn’t the same. I was not the same player I used to be. The girl who used to get in reckless tackles would skid to a halt when the opportunity came by. The girl who could run down a football field in 10 seconds now couldn’t run that fast without her knees giving out. I was scared, and my surgeon’s words constantly rung through my ears that I shouldn’t play anymore because I was bound to just tear one of my ACL’s again.

I had to quit. I didn’t want to, but I had to.

I’m sure many athletes out there have gone through an experience similar to mine. It’s devastating, and it tears you a part in the worst way. Your sport and being an athlete is part of your identity and having to give up makes you feel like a failure. You see athletes at your school and think, “What if that could have been me?”

Having spent the past two years not playing, I can say that to any athlete out there who feels this way now; it gets better. You learn to move on and you find out things about yourself that you may have never been able to if you were still playing. You find new hobbies that you may have never been able to pursue. You grow and you prosper in some of the best ways possible. You can still have moments, like me, where you miss your sport but it won’t be as bad as it used to be.

To all the college athletes out there, or to any youth athlete now who is dreading going to practice, please, relish these moments. There are people out there who would love to be in your position right now. You never know how things might turn out, so appreciate every moment while you still can.

To every athlete who had to give up but wasn’t ready to—it will be OK. Use this opportunity to explore new possibilities and to live life proactively. Life is a mystery, and we may never understand why certain things happen, but everything happens for a reason. Don’t spend your time wondering what could’ve been because that never does any good for anybody.

Life is weird. Things happen and you’re not always sure why, but you need to keep on moving forward. Giving up a sport may close a door, but it opens countless others.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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