Most of us begin playing sports in elementary and continue competing throughout high school. After high school, only a fraction of us move on to play collegiate sports and then an even smaller fraction move on to be professional athletes.
I never really thought about a time where I would not be able to play my absolute favorite sport. I'm a college student and I know there are club sports and intramural teams I can play with, but it's not the same. These categories don't always have the sport you desire.
Many of us would still love to compete in our favorite sport, but we are also tasked with focusing on school and building careers. (Props to the students that can do both!) But, this doesn't mean I don't miss being on the field. Playing is not about winning or losing anymore. I miss the bond you create with teammates. Celebrating wins together, hanging our heads over losses together, pushing ourselves at practices, matching on game day, and teams dinners. Whatever a team does, it's together. I miss the anticipation of game day, wearing school colors and representing our school on the field. Looking forward to practice after school got us through some of the dreaded school days. Team dinners where we all ate more than we needed to. Teammates would almost always end up dancing before dinner came to an end. Many memories and stories to tell came from those team dinners.
No one really tells you how it will feel when you have to let go of something that's been a part of your life for the majority of it. I would love to be on a team again. I would go as far to say I even miss the dreaded conditioning days. Back then, we hated sprinting, team runs, and 110s, but now I'd wish to do it all over again. I'd wish for another home game, another homecoming game, another senior game. I'd look forward to another team dinner even if I didn't consider everyone a best friend, it didn't matter we were teammates. When you love a sport this much you even miss double sessions. I never thought I would ever miss double sessions, but I do. Being so sore you can hardly walk doesn't sound dreadful anymore. Blisters the size of quarters don't sound like a big deal. Rain and mud just sound like they would add to the fun. I miss trying my best for the team. I miss doing headers until my head would ache. There are so many things I miss about playing the sport I loved most, but it's not even just about playing soccer. It's about all the things that come along with being a part of a team. You'll miss the countless bus rides; blasting music until the coach tells you to turn it down. Singing your favorite songs all together. Taking goofy and silly Snapchats. You'll miss the supportive fans cheering you on even when you're not playing your best. Going to concessions before the Junior Varsity game starts won't occur anymore. No more new cleats and the number you most likely wore for four years in high school won't be "yours" anymore. Someone else will wear the jersey you sweat and cried in. You'll miss much more than just not being able to play the game.
When you can't play anymore you will miss all the little things. All the things you once hated, you'd wish you could do again. If you're lucky enough to be playing the sport you love, cherish everything about it, from practices to winning state titles, cherish it all.
