Throughout my recovery process, I feared that I would never be as good as I was before. I feared that I would no longer be able to go to Stanford. I feared that the pain in my patellar tendon would never go away. It felt like my whole identity was wrapped up in being a soccer player and that was ripped away from me.
During my time as a youth referee, I faced verbal insults from sideline spectators and even from a coach who once called me “stupid.”
Just like youth officials, athletes face challenges and pressures they may not yet be equipped to handle.
Read More“WHEN I FIRST COMMITTED TO PLAY COLLEGIATE SOCCER AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, I KNEW THAT THE ACADEMIC PRESSURE WOULD BE INTENSE. IN FACT, IT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MY DECISION– I HAVE ALWAYS THRIVED IN
CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS, AND HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED A MICROCOSM OF WHAT THE STUDENT-ATHLETE
EXPERIENCE WOULD BE LIKE.”
Read More“The duality of the rise of Women’s Sports juxtaposed with the fall of women’s rights is a metaphor for what's going on in the female youth soccer space. And sadly, with the landscape of our sport we are seeing a decline in club loyalty, a lack of importance placed on team camaraderie and a rise of toxic teammates.The good news is, we can make positive changes through our response to these issues.”
Read More"I know that taking breaks is essential for my mental well-being, but between the demands of school, sports, and the college recruitment process, it feels like there's barely any time left for myself. The pressures of my junior year have made me realize that I need to be more intentional about prioritizing my mental health."
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