Athletics are much more than being an athlete or a jock. Athletics are the freezing rain practices, the sweat dripping on the floor from countless ab exercises, and the tears shed from failing when the only goal is to succeed. Athletics are making the constant sacrifices no one else has to make, from staying in when everyone goes out to choosing the healthy snack while everyone else is eating pizza. As years pass in your sport, these sacrifices become more and more difficult to make and you might find yourself questioning what the other side might feel like, to no longer be an athlete.
My advice to the athlete ready to give up – please don’t.
Recommended for you
When you find yourself questioning where your passion went for your sport and whether or not it is truly a good fit for you anymore, take a moment to remember why you fell in love with it in the first place. Was it the feeling you had when you made the amazing play that made the younger plays turn and stare, hoping one day they will be like you? Was it the moment you succeeded in your goal despite the countless setbacks you had experienced? Was it the feeling you had while practicing that all your problems no longer existed, and it was just you in a special moment with the sport you loved infinitely? Those are the moments you will never get back if you decide to give up.
Trust me, I have experienced the hard and painful practices, where I genuinely thought I could not push my body another minute. There were moments I told myself the pain was not worth it and it would be so much easier to give up. I have experienced the coaches who do not believe in my abilities. I have experienced the teams where I felt completely alone. Despite these hardships, that undoubtedly every athlete has experienced, I persevered because the terrible times produced glory moments. The moments you tell yourself to give up, those are the moments great athletes are developed. When you tell yourself you are better than the pain and sacrifices, that is when you become a better person and athlete.
Throughout your lifetime as an athlete, you will have hardships and roadblocks that seem impossible to overcome. They may seem so daunting you tell yourself its time to give up, but please remember what made you love the sport in the first place. The moment you say “I’m finished” is the moment those great feelings go away. When the last play, race, game is over, you will not get those moments back. So, athlete ready to give up, please do not forget why you decided to be an athlete in the first place. I know it is overwhelming and tests your physical and mental strength, but it is all for a sport you love; never lose sight of why you started and where you want to end up. Please do not give up, I promise it is worth it.
