Miles. I ran so many miles.

Fans. fans cheering my name when I was up to play.

The feel. The feel of the field beneath my feet surrounded by the smell of freshly cut grass. A jersey with your last name and number written proudly on the back. Or the sound of shoes screeching against the wooden court. The excitement that came from the words of softball and volleyball. It has been five years since I’ve played any sport at all and I miss it; I miss it all.

It has been strange to consider myself a non-athletic person after going through many sports in my life. I always had my foot on the ground ready to take on the games ahead of me. And now, I have nothing, I have no purpose in sports except to watch them. But when I watch them, all I can do is reminisce on the good ol’ days and wish I was out there playing too.

To be honest, I really couldn’t tell you what the real reason was for me quitting sports. It could have been that my ankle injury from volleyball scared me from pursing another wound. It could have been that I never felt good enough to ever make it to varsity. It could have been that I had a hard time balancing sports with my schoolwork. I really don’t know, but my decision to not continue my nourishing my competitive spirit was one of the most regretful decisions I have ever made.

Once you reach an age where you want to get back into the swing of things (no pun intended) and play a sport that you haven’t practiced in years, it becomes very discouraging. There aren’t many leagues out there that will take an out-of-practiced player because the older you get, the more competitive it is to play and be on a team.

There is a great deal of friendship that comes from playing sports. Not only do you get to play, but you also get a family out of it too. When you get to college and you have to start over making new friends, playing a sport gives you that guarantee for your teammates to be your actual mates. It also seems as though people are more interested in your life when they hear that you play sports. It gives them a spark to get to know you as a player.

But here I am, a girl with a large amount of sport spirit, sitting on the bleachers. Instead of participating in team chants, I’m clapping my hands along with the prompted applauds. All I can say is, continue sports as long as you can. There may come a time when playing a sport may seem difficult. But if it makes you happy, there is nothing more rewarding than looking forward to a game and being a part of a team. From a sideliner to a player, I wish I never quit playing sports.