There is an old proverb used by athletes that really hit home for me. It says that every athlete dies twice, once when they take their last breath, and once when they have to hang it up. If you have ever had a true passion for a game and experienced your last game, then you know very well that this quote isn't too far off.
Everyone's last game is different. Every athlete has a different view on what the end of playing means, but I believe you can put them all into two different categories- the first being acceptance. These are the players who know exactly when their last game is. They know when the senior night is, they know when the playoffs start, and they know exactly when it is win or go home. They truly face every game as if it's their last. I believe that this is the group of players who see the last game coming, and while they usually break down and let it sink in, it goes by a bit faster for them and they can accept that they gave it their all. To these players, the end of the game they love is just the beginning.
Then there is the second category, denial. The players in this category never see the end coming. Yes, they know when the senior night is and they know that the playoffs mean every game could be their last, but they don't care. They don't care or they don't notice that it is almost over because they are so caught up in winning and the big goal of winning the championship that they don't allow the thought to cross their mind. Somehow they find a way to push it out of their mind and focus on the game.
To me, this category isn't really chosen. Some players just get into the game and the fun of it, and then, when the game is finally over, it hits them, hard. They have that instant moment that takes your breath away. They just can't comprehend that it's over. After all those years of practice and hard work and games, you will never suit up again. These players have the hardest time trying to move on because they mentally never saw it coming.
Sports have a way of consuming an athlete's life. I mean, honestly, if you really want to be successful you will allow it to consume your life. The game that you play is not a game, it is a lifestyle, a commitment. These sports find their way into your life at a young age and you simply just fall in love. You find yourself dreaming of playing professionally, or making the game-winning play in the championship game. It consumes your life and you love every second of it. You can't imagine your life without it, but then it's over.
The day will come, and for some, it may have already come. The end of the days playing that game is something you need to treasure. When it comes to an end there is nothing you can do to avoid the sick feeling in your stomach or the tears that may come for hours and hours after. The sport that you fell in love with as a kid will never leave your heart, but one day it will leave your everyday life and you have to be ready to die. You have to be ready to let the athlete inside of you die and continue to look towards the future. So, yes, you may die twice, but that means you get to live twice.
