Being an athlete is tough: the pressure to win, pressure to outwork your opponent, and the risk of a careerending injury at any point.

So even if you love it as much as I do, it’s important to remember that your longterm mental health is most important, and it’s okay to take a step back and realize that there’s much more to life than being an athlete.

Up to that point, I hadn’t considered that I would do anything after sports. It was jarring, since I never realized how much of my identity was wrapped up in my relationship with sports. I sat on the sidelines for an entire season of high school football, watching my friends play out their Friday Night Lights dreams while I hobbled along trying to cheer them on.

Luckily, I had a strong support system in my family and coaches that helped me return and get back to 100% for the next season. I was proud of myself for overcoming the physical and mental struggles, but the whole ordeal changed my outlook on how to approach exercise with a healthy outlook.

It took many more years of mental work and therapy to process, but I am grateful for the experience. Like the loss of a family member or a bad breakup – both of which I would also face later in life –the injury shook up my world view, but it also helped me pivot. Even if I couldn’t compete at the highest level anymore, I could still be a part of the sports world in other capacities. And, I learned, I could still play for fun without the pressures