For 11 years, my life lived and breathed Allstar cheerleading. I planned work around cheer. I planned friend time around cheer. I missed many basketball and football games because of competitions. I missed many friend hangouts because of practice or competitions. For those 11 years, I only focused on cheer and school.

I am just like many other former competitive athletes who have since retired form their sport due to injury or just aging out. Nothing can prepare you for having to give it all up one day, whether it's your choice to stop or not.

Life without a competitive sport is odd, especially for someone like myself who spent over half their life so far competing. I miss that adrenaline rush. I miss the intense practices where I prayed I would make it out alive. I miss having a team behind me to back me up no matter what.

Being retired at 19 is a challenge. I do not plan my life around competing anymore. I do not look forward to winter as much because I will not be stepping out onto that competition floor anymore. Without a sport, now I only have school and work to get 100% of my focus. It makes me feel almost empty without the sport there to buffer and mix up my time.

Retirement at 19 brings some muscle mass loss of course because my current physical activity is no where close to what it was during those 11 years, and I am sure I am not the only one in that boat. For cheer, it's not like I can go stunt and tumble for fun at the Rec or in Eagle field. I need equipment for it which may be the most frustrating part of having done the sport I did for so long. For those of you who can just play a game of volleyball, soccer, or football where ever you are, you are so lucky.

I wish my competitive cheer career would have lasted longer but I had to stop at some point. Everyone does. It is now about what we do after retirement with our time and effort. You do not have to leave your sport for good. You can work at your old gym or coach kids at a local recreation department program too. There is always an outlet around to bring you back to the sport that you love.

Many people who have since retired from their sport feel very strongly that their sport shaped who they are today, and I cannot agree more. I constantly find myself thinking back to what opportunities and friends I was exposed to just because I walked into an Allstar cheerleading gym at 8 years old. Now, it is time to branch out and find something new I love and am good at, just like every other retired competitive athlete. We are not defined by our competitive years. Instead, we are defined by how we have learned from them and continue to grow in the future from those experiences.