06/04/2021
All you athletes out there- have you ever faced an identity crisis?
Tennis defined me or so I thought..I was “the tennis player” growing up. It was my life, but deep down I knew it wasn’t really “my life”. I became burnt out after playing hours and hours everyday at the end of high school. I then was on my collegiate tennis team and had a subpar experience with my coach who made me feel inadequate when I went through a major health incident. When I decided to take a few years off after college because I associated tennis with all negativity, I faced an identity crisis. Will I still be viewed in a positive light? What am I good at if I don’t have tennis?
Long story short- don’t let work, a sport, a passion, or anything DEFINE you. You are so much more than that. Sometimes it takes letting go of something to actually truly find yourself. Taking a few years off from tennis was the best thing I could do for myself personally. I found that tennis doesn’t define me… I am so much more. Tennis did give me the skill sets I needed in the workplace and I will always be thankful for tennis. I definitely am the person I am because of many of the experiences I had with tennis- the good and the bad…And NOW I can play tennis and view this sport in the most positive way.
This isn’t something people talk about…. But l*z talk about it.