It's your freshman year, and someone comes up to you and asks, "Do you play a sport here? "You respond "no" just like the majority of the students would. You then find out that the person who asked is a collegiate athlete, who continues with, "So you're a NARP, right?"

NARP, an acronym that stands for "non-athletic regular person" implies a stigma associated with not being a college athlete. This definition is problematic: just because you aren't a collegiate athlete does not mean in any way shape or form you are not athletic or just a "regular" person.

There is no such thing as a regular person. Everyone is special in his/her own way, and that the fact that if you aren’t on a collegiate sports team makes you “regular” is baffling. Just because you didn’t stick with soccer or basketball or field hockey or football since you were five, does that mean you're not athletic? Some people simply aren't naturally good at sports, which is OK, because others aren't naturally good at science or art or English literature. We are all equipped with particular strengths andweaknesses. There's no word for somebody who isn't naturally gifted at science, so why is there for people who don't wear a jersey for their university?

We live in a bubble in which playing a sport grants you elite status over your peers, and if you don't play a sport, you are considered to be a plain Jane or an average Joe. This assertion makes no sense; regular is a figment in our imaginations. Everyone is unique, excelling at some things and lacking at others. The most important thing is staying true to these strengths and weaknesses and not trying to be something you are not. You don't have to play a sport to "fit in" and no, you aren't "regular" if you don't either—I promise you that.

Now for the collegiate athletes. I am not one of them. Regardless of my lacking "status," I would certainly consider myself to be athletic. I run, bike, and lift without being a part of a collegiate sports team. If I had stuck with soccer since I was five, would I be? Maybe, but if I didn't love the sport enough to commit to it, is it really worth it? Probably not. If you don't love what you're doing, it is not worth your time

Everyone is unique, and being athletic doesn't have to be being member of a sports team. Nobody is a NARP; there is simply no such thing. Next time you hear the word or think of using it, I challenge you to stop. Maybe, together, we can abolish the stereotype of not being a college athlete.