Athlete Shares Experience Retiring, Mental Health

…..Some athletes go on to make their name known on the professional stage, but some do not get as lucky and have to let go of the sport that defined who they were for so much of their life. 

For the athletes who have to give up athletics, the road to finding their new lives can be loaded with obstacles: finding a new sense of self, learning new skills from a beginner level or finding friends outside of sports.

…..After working herself to a regular starter in her first two seasons at Auburn, Dedels lost her starting spot in her junior year and started to see less time. The loss of a starting position forced her to analyze who she was outside of the sport for the first time.

“At that moment, my whole view of myself had changed because I didn’t know how I was contributing to the team anymore.” Dedels said. “That was a really strange thing to go through, because for the first time ever, I had to think about who I was outside of soccer.”

Dedels came to the realization that there would eventually be a time where Auburn soccer would not be her identity anymore….. 

 

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Bethany`s Notes: Retirement from sports is real no matter at what level (HS, College, Elite). It is good to discuss this with all athletes to help them find their place outside of soccer.