CHALLENGES OF LEAVING A SPORT BEHIND

Student-athletes question the future of their athletic careers

BY SOFIA WILLIAMS Editor

Kenneth Paoli is currently in his ninth year of coaching varsity wrestling at Kaneland. Spending this much time as a coach, he was bound to come across athletes finding themselves in the predicament of determining whether or not to end their wrestling careers.

“The stigmatism of quitting a sport is real. It is worse if it happens during a season. It can put a barrier between you and your teammates. I am a firm believer that you should honor your commitment and your word, and for athletes, this means finishing the season you start,” Paoli said. “The only exception would be an emergency in the life of an athlete. If you decide after finishing a season that the sport is not for you, talk to your parents about it and communicate with the coach concerning your decision. I believe handling it the right way will lessen any negative feelings others would have towards you for quitting.”

Sometimes there are other circumstances that can influence an athlete’s decision-making process. It is never easy, for example, for women to compete in a male-dominated sport. Sophomore Carly Duffing is currently in her second season as a wrestler. Before this, she played football.

“I had been playing football for a while. It was fun in middle school, but high school football was a lot different. The drills were harder and my teammates were a lot bigger and stronger,” Duffing said.

Making the switch from football to wrestling has been a positive change for Duffing. Girls wrestling has been increasing in popularity throughout the state and much of the country. Duffing enjoys her teammates and feels empowered by those involved in the program.

In an athlete’s career, there may come a time when they have to question their future within a sport. There are many reasons why an athletic career could end, but no matter the situation, it is always a hard decision to make. There is a fear of judgment that surrounds the idea of quitting, and whether that means leaving a sport or a job, nobody wants to be perceived as a quitter.

“This is my second season wrestling. I definitely think the wrestling camaraderie is a lot better than football. We treat each other like a family, and we support each other,” Duffing said.

The relationships between athletes on a team can be key factors to overall success, and although some sports may be more independent than others, the concerns over being judged are still very much there.

Sometimes the desire to stop playing a sport does not always come from a lack of passion or interest. In some cases, it is because of a challenging obstacle that life has thrown at you.

Senior Leo Perez played basketball from eighth grade through his junior year. But during the summer before his senior year, he arrived at a crossroads where he had to determine his priority. His primary concern was working full time in order to pay for a car. It was not the easiest decision to make, though.

“The biggest thing for me was my mom wanting me to [continue playing through this year]. I do still wish I played sometimes, but at least [I’ve been staying busy],” Perez said.

It can be hard to make these tough decisions when others try to influence you. There is a sense of pressure to follow through with a sport until the end, and the decision can be even harder to make when a parent’s influence is involved.

It is common to have moments of regret after quitting a sport, but being able to look at the situation in a positive light can be beneficial when reflecting on a past experience.

When contemplating the end of an athletic career, athletes tend to seek guidance from people they trust. It can be hard to navigate a discussion like this from a coach’s point of view because they might be losing valuable talent, but with the honest input from a mentor such as a coach, this decision can be made easier.

“It is hard to see young people have to choose between playing a sport and working, specializing in another sport or focusing on another activity. It is hard as a coach because you see all the potential that athletes had that will never be realized,” Paoli said. “I let students know that this is the one time in their life that work does not have to be a priority, and they should take advantage of extracurricular opportunities. I encourage students to work less or not at all during the season to focus on their extracurricular activity.”

Whatever the circumstances may be, ending an athletic career is rarely an easy decision. There is much time and thought that goes into it. The fear of judgment and of not being able to finish what one started can make athletes nervous to quit a sport they have been putting a lot of effort into.