To My Athlete — Before This Season Begins
As kids around the country gear up for another season, the routines are already starting to settle in. Group chats are heating up. Tryouts are done. Calendars are filling with tournaments, practices, and the kind of logistics only a sports parent can fully appreciate.
In the middle of it, a quiet shift can be happening — maybe barely noticeable unless you’re really paying attention.
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Kids getting quieter on the drive home. Talking less about fun and more about playing time. They’re counting reps, comparing roles, wondering where they fit.
The season hasn’t even officially started, and some of them already feel behind.
This is the moment — before the rankings, the rotations, and the results start to take over — where we have a chance to say the things that matter. The things they may not even know they need to hear.
Here’s what should still be true, no matter how the season unfolds.
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You are not your stats. Not your position, your minutes, or how many goals you score. You’re not the tournament bracket or the coach’s praise. You’re you. And that’s more than enough. Many young athletes tie their self-worth to output, and it’s easy to see why. But their value has to come from something deeper, something that doesn’t rise and fall with each game.
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This season will bring highs. And lows. Some games will leave you flying. Some will leave you in tears. Both are normal. Neither defines you. The extremes of sport are part of what make it powerful — and challenging. Resilience comes from learning to move through both.
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You don’t owe anyone perfection. You’re allowed to make mistakes. You’re allowed to grow slowly. What matters is that you keep showing up with heart. The best athletes aren’t flawless — they’re the ones who can recover, adapt, and keep competing with purpose.
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Remember why you started. The fun. The friendships. The joy of the game. Don’t let pressure drown out the play. Protecting joy isn’t about shielding kids from hard work — it’s about making sure the love for the game stays intact.
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I’m already proud. Because I see the effort, the courage, the love you carry into every game. And that’s what matters most — not how you play, but who you’re becoming. Stats fade, trophies collect dust, but the person they become will stay with them forever.
