Head down, thinking of what you could have done better, sometimes tears, disappointment. If only. What if this would have happened? What if that would have happened? I wish sometimes we could just change the end result. Our love for the game is what keeps us going, it’s what keeps us pushing ourselves as far as we can go. It’s what we strive for, what we work for, and what we live for. College athletes. We shed blood, sweat, and tears every day. We decide we want it more than we are afraid of it. We want to succeed as bad as we want to breathe. Strive for progress, not perfection. Make yourselves 1% better every day. Life is full of competition. You get pushed, you push even harder back. That pain you feel when you lose, that pain you feel when you think you disappointed your team, that pain you feel when you’re disappointed in yourself. You can’t have a million dollar dream with a minimum wage work ethic.

I’ve been through it. I was a previous college athlete. I played softball at the University of South Carolina Upstate. I got to live in fame. And now I’m just a spectator. I sit back and watch; I watch the joy you feel, the heartache you feel, the disappointment you feel, the anger you feel. I know what it’s like. I made ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 twice in the same season within the same two weeks of each other. The feeling I felt is indescribable. I also remember the errors I made that could have prevented us from winning a game. The feelings I felt there were also indescribable. Just like that things can turn. It’s just like that you can blame yourself, or it’s just like that you are disappointed. It’s a part of who we are as athletes, because we know we can do better. Because we know as a team we can do better. But no need to be sad or mad. Look at how much you have accomplished. Look how far you’ve come. We all make mistakes. We can’t always have perfect games even though we all want to. I look at you all and you don’t even have to say anything. I can see it. I can feel it with your presence. Losing sucks. No one likes it. You lose by a walk off home run, a goal with 20 seconds left on the clock, that last minute three pointer, that touchdown from the interception you threw, that 2 tenths of a second in the pool behind the leader, that birdie you always make but you missed, that last set you end up losing when you’ve been winning the whole match, every sport out there, losing is no fun. That moment you analyze every previous situation that happened, in the game, thinking if you could have done something different if the results would have been different. It’s what you do after you lose that matters. It’s how you react. If someone tells you can’t do something are you going to quit? Your coach tells you you’re playing the number 1 team in the nation, are you going to be scared? Are you going to back down? In this game of sports, athletes never back down. We were born with that competitiveness. You play against the best team in the nation, you play even harder. You take no days off. It should be like that every single game no matter who you are playing. You lose one game; you come back and win the next two. Make them know your name. Make them know what team you play for. When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.

We are the ones who never surrender, we are the ones who give it their all, we are the ones who don’t aim easy, and we are the ones who always stand out. I am, you are, we all are. We are college athletes. Once an athlete always an athlete. I miss playing the game so much and all I want to see is other sports and athletes succeed. Talent goes a long way. I admire all those who give effort. No matter the end result in anything, effort is what matters. How hard you try and how much you put in. I have been there. When you succeed I feel it. When you lose, I feel it. After your career is over, you just can’t ever give up watching. Watching all the sports and all the different talent levels, because you know, I know. I love watching people play the sport they love. I see how it affects them and how much it means to them, because it meant the same to me. Have confidence in yourself. Don’t be afraid to show out. Let them see what you got. It’s just you and the game. Your family and your teammates. What do you play for? Who do you play for? Why do you play?

We do it because we love it. Success is the only option, failure is not. You play your four years and you’re done, or you can work your butt off and aim higher. Go pro. Go play on a different team, in a higher league or division. Make something of yourself. Make something of your team. Make yourselves goals and never give up on your dreams. You are the athlete you want to be, not one everyone else wants you to be. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t. Be thankful for your teammates who fought with you, who fight with you. The ones by your side every practice, every game, the ones who too know what it’s like, who too, know the feeling of defeat. This is to all you athletes still in the game. Take it from someone and other people who have been there. You can do anything you put your mind to. Go after it and never stop. Don’t let defeat get the best of you. I punch you, you punch me back. Don’t show them they’ve won. Keep that mind and body strong. Live your career to the fullest and know you’re good. Know you have teammates to help you and get your back. You all are in it together. Regroup and let them know you’re in it to win it. Kick ass and take names. You’re a college athlete. You’ve been playing your game your whole life. Don’t stop now.