Playing a college sport provided me with an outlet for my stresses and my bad days, gave me structure and guidance through my college years, and provided me with extra support from other parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and so many other great staff involved in our programs. My team provided a family atmosphere, no matter how dysfunctional and difficult it got sometimes, and my sport gave me the most toned legs I could ask for and what I would call "almost-abs." But after my seasons of college soccer came to an end, after I walked the stage of my university and received my diploma, my life changed immediately. For better and for worse, retiring from my college sport gave way to a lot of change. Here are 5 things that will probably happen, no matter how hard you try, when you walk off the field for the last time.

3. You will go on adventures outside the confines of your university or team.

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Because you won't have to devote half of the hours in your day to your sport, coaches and team meetings, getting treatment before and after training and in between classes, or the gym, you will get to actually leave campus and do things that are fun. I know, it sounds scary and out of your comfort zone, but trust me, you'll enjoy it. You will get to go on road trips with your friends, just because you feel like it. You'll get to visit your significant other's family on a long weekend, and you won't be punished with extra fitness when your coach finds out. You will take yourself on beach dates, movie dates, shopping dates and whatever-else dates, because you can finally take time for yourself. And it will be amazing.

5. You'll miss it.

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Yes, you will get to be the "old" you again. But you will miss every minute you used to devote to your sport. You will miss the uber uncomfortable bus rides (or shuttle if you were unlucky ), and you'll miss the ritual of getting your left ankle taped twice a day. You'll miss working on your penalty kicks or three throws when no one else was around. You'll miss the pre and post game rituals and cheers and the screaming at the top of your lungs when your teammates do amazing things on the field. You will always have those years on the field in your memories, and you'll carry your teammates and your love for the game in your heart. But once those years are gone, you will miss them.

While your sport was not the entirety of your being, it was a large portion of your life. Without it, you'll miss the routine and the familiarity with your surroundings and peers, but you will move on and take the skills you learned from your time as a college athlete with you into the "real" world. You will always know the dedication required to be really good at something, your work ethic unmatched. You will always understand time management, and how to do whatever it takes to get whatever you need to do, DONE. You will walk away from that field for the last time, thanking it for the unique view it has provided for you, and you'll move on to do great things.

Until next week friends!