Sports have always been in my life ever since I was six years old. Whether it was soccer, cheerleading, or softball I’ve always been on a sports team. Growing up I found a passion for softball, not only was I semi-decent at it but I knew it was something that could pay for college. So at the age of 12 I decided that was my end goal, to use my softball talents to get a scholarship and for the next six years that is what I worked tirelessly for. I missed friend’s birthdays, school dances, and parties because I was committed to this goal nothing would get in my way. Whenever someone would ask me what I do for fun I would say “I’m play travel softball” because that’s all I did. I never went out of my way to find other things I enjoyed, it was school, work out, practice, homework, and then bed for six years of my life. After I received my offers from different universities and finally chose a school, I thought I wouldn’t have to work as hard. Instead things picked up speed, I had to physically and mentally prepare myself to be even better.
Once I got to college it was a breeze, I had properly prepared myself and that made the whole student athlete thing a lot easier. Going into the spring of my freshman year I had a pretty bad injury that took me out for the first part of season. It was terrible, not only was I 20 hours away from home, but everything I worked for was taken away from me. I couldn’t do the one thing that I had done my entire life and that broke me. I completely broke. I had no idea who I was, what I wanted, and what I would do if I never got to play softball anymore. While I was venting to a professor about my situation she asked me some of the things that I enjoy besides softball… I was forced to make a list. First I wrote stupid things down like eating and sleeping. Then I became more committed to the task and started writing down; laughing, hiking, exploring new areas, different cultures, listening to slam poetry (still one of my secret obsessions) and so on…
Growing up I got so lost in the idea of being a softball player and getting a scholarship that I never was able to find my value outside of that. My travel ball coach always said that he wasn’t only preparing us to be great softball players, but also great people, employees, friends, and coworkers. So much of the time we athletes equate our worth to our performance and ability to play a sport, but we are so much more than that. Our value or worth as humans is the same whether we have a good game, a bad game, or just hang up our cleats. We so often get lost in the hype of being an athlete we forget that it will end one day. Whether it’s after high school, after college, or after the pros we all have to hang up our cleats sooner or later and then what are you left with? Are you left with this hole in your life or do you find interest and life in other activities. Being an athlete is a blessing, but always remember you are so much more than that.
