To The High School Sport I Left Behind,

I miss you. I miss you immensely. You were always there for me when I needed a release. You pushed me past my limits, but it was so worth it. You were there for me every day after school. I laced up my sneakers and prepared to warm up for practice. As I stretched, I felt all of my thoughts from the day disappear so I could focus on you. I cleared my head. It was time to practice.

My team was my family. We bled, sweat and cried together. They made practicing fun. They challenged me and made me a better player. Some of us had been together since middle school. We were serious about you. We bonded over you. You were no joke at our school. We thrived playing. Every day, we got to practice playing the sport we love. Some went on to play in college, while others put away their gear and headed a different way. It was not easy to leave you behind, something that played such an important role in my life.

You were one of my favorite things about high school. You brought my team together on game days. Boy, we sure were excited to get out on the field. The lights turned on, and we started to warm up. Step by step we followed our warm up routine to prepare for the game. We did not even bother to look at our opponent because we know we could beat them. All of our hard work has led us here, game time. An hour later we were celebrating. We had just won! It felt great.

You helped me gain confidence. I was never the best player, but it did not matter. I had the heart to keep going and doing what I love. You allowed me to open up to people and feel comfortable around them. You introduced me to people I may not have met if I had not played. You broke me down and showed me who I was, then picked me back up again. You allowed me to be comfortable with diversity. Various groups of people surrounded me because of you. I was able to make a lot of friends. You gave me memories I can never forget. Some of the best times of my life were on the field. All the dedication to you was worth it when my team was winning championships. I could relive those moments over and over again.

I will never forget all the summers I spent on the track. Or the drill we did on the field. Or even the time we did the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Those days impacted who I am today. They will forever hold a special place in my heart. You helped me grow as an individual. You gave me something to look forward to every day. It has been hard being without you. I miss you. I hope in the future we can meet again.

Sincerely,

A Former High School Athlete