To the athletes who lost their passion for the game, to those who couldn't continue to play, and to those who needed to move on.

Dear fellow former athlete,

Looking back on the first time you were on the court or field, I'm sure you can easily recall the initial happiness and love for the game that would soon become your whole life. We grew up spending more time at practice than at home, more time with coaches and teammates than our families, and more time traveling on the weekends for games than hanging out with friends.

We dedicated our time to the sport because we loved it. We enjoyed going to practice, and working on the fundamentals. We wanted to be the best at our sports as possible, just to satisfy ourselves.

We worked so hard to play at the next level, and we achieved our goals. We were the small percentage of athletes that were fortunate enough to see all of the hard work pay off. We made it.

Here, however, is where our stories differ. Yes, we made it to the next level... but we didn't stay there long. Whatever the reason may be for leaving the sport behind, we both know it was the hardest decision we've ever had to make. I know it isn't easy saying goodbye to something that has been a major part of your life for many years... and it hurts to leave it all in the past.

It hurts seeing your teammates continue to play. It hurts to hang up the jersey that cost you many years of blood sweat and tears. It hurts knowing that you will never step back on the court or the field which filled all of your favorite memories.

I know it hurt to leave it all behind and move on with your life. I share this pain... Yet, deep down inside you know it was the right decision for yourself.

Maybe you didn't mesh well with your team, and you're happier now spending time with your friends. Maybe your grades were suffering while you were a varsity athlete, and now you can focus on your school work. Maybe you were injured, and you knew that if you kept playing it wouldn't be your best and you'd just risk hurting yourself more. Maybe, you just lost the passion for the game.

Whatever your reason, I know you didn't make the choice easily. I know you didn't just give up. I know you tried your hardest to make it work out. I know you fought with yourself about it for a long time. I too had fear in my voice when I told my parents, and my friends. My stomach dropped the second I walked in to my coaches office, and tears rolled down my face as I tried to explain how much it pained me to make this decision.

I want you to know that it takes an incredible amount of strength to be able to recognize when something is no longer helping you grow. I know you probably think about what you left behind every day, because I do the same. I know you wonder "what if..." and contemplate how your life would be different if you just stuck it out for one more day. However, we both know that "one more day" would turn into one more week, one more month, one more season... and you would have been stuck in the same spot you were from the very first time you questioned why you were still playing the sport.

I want you to know that just because you choose to not be a varsity athlete, that doesn't mean you are done with your sport forever.

I choose to avoid saying that I "quit" my sport, because it simply isn't true. Quitting is the result of no effort. It's when you give up and leave it all behind without any attempt to change your situation. We didn't quit. We didn't get bored and change our minds. We simply closed that chapter of our lives. Please remember, there's many more to come. We are not really "former" athletes, we're just athletes who decided to move on with our lives.

We let go, we didn't give up.

Sincerely,

A fellow "former" athlete