Why I Quit College Sports: Leaving the Game - The MissunderstoodThe Missunderstood

Leaving the Game: Why I Quit College Sports

Where It All Began

As a little girl, she was timid, unsure if this sport was even meant for her. But then came Novi. A childhood friend. A hero. A mirror of everything she wanted to become. Novi was fearless. Fierce. A visionary on the field. She pushed her, challenged her, made her bold. The girl who once hesitated became the one chasing every tackle, speaking up, showing up, rising to the moment.

The Fire of Freshman Year

There will never be another season like her freshman year of college. She was a starter. The pressure felt like fire—and she loved it. The players around her were elite: sharp, demanding, relentless. They expected more from her every day. And she rose. She thrived.

When the Game Changed

But over time, something shifted. The drama crept in. The locker room changed. Slowly, the field stopped feeling like home.

The friendships that once made the game magic in high school and club didn’t translate to college. Instead of unity, there was jealousy. Instead of sisterhood, distance. What once felt like family turned into eleven individuals—and one girl trying to prove she belonged.

With each season, the pressure to represent a school and carry a name on her back grew heavier. That weight built walls instead of bridges.

Eventually, everyone—herself included—grew critical. Harsh. Isolated.

The Quiet Exit

By senior year, she left. Quietly. Right before conference play.

She didn’t feel safe anymore.

Now, nearly two years since she last laced up her cleats, she’s ready to say the goodbye she never got.

She wants that girl—the one who loved the game and left it hurting—to know: you didn’t fail.

You just changed. And that is not a loss. That is growth.

Your Goodbye Matters Too

Maybe you’ve had to walk away from something, too—a dream, a team, or a version of yourself you worked so hard to become.

Maybe you never got your own goodbye. Or maybe you’re still waiting to understand what it meant.

If that’s you—this space is open.

What’s your story?
What closure have you been carrying quietly?

Feel free to share it here. Sometimes, just saying it out loud is the first step toward letting it go.

If this story resonated with you, you might also like The Search for Authenticity—a reflection on identity, truth, and what it means to come home to yourself.