The Rookie Playbook: Part 2

Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a U SPORTS Athlete <3

Growing up in sport, everything felt passionate, light, fun and easy. Coaches were volunteers. Parents were always around. Development mattered more than results. Effort was praised, mistakes were part of learning, and you genuinely felt cared for as a person.

U SPORTS is different, and I wish I had understood that sooner. At this level, sport is a business. Coaches are hired to win games and keep their jobs. This is not something they do out of passion on the side. It is their livelihood. When you are performing, things feel good. When you are injured, struggling, or not producing, the tone can change quickly. That shift can be shocking if you come in expecting the same care and patience you experienced when you were younger.

That does not mean coaches are bad people. It means the system prioritizes performance. If you are not prepared for that reality, it is easy to take things personally that were never actually about you. Another thing no one really prepares you for is the workload. Being away from home. Managing full time school. Practices, lifts, film, and recovery. Constant travel. Trying to maintain friendships and some kind of social life. It is a lot. There are moments where it feels like your entire existence revolves around your sport while everyone else’s life keeps moving forward.

You can still have balance, but it takes intention. Sometimes balance looks like saying no. Sometimes it looks like missing out. And sometimes it just means accepting that you are doing the best you can with what you have. I also wish I had adopted an “it’s not that deep” mindset much earlier. I cared so much, and while that drive is part of what got me there, it also made everything heavier than it needed to be. At the end of the day, it is a ball going through a circle. Your worth does not change based on minutes played, shots made, or whether a coach is happy with you that week. Letting sport define your entire identity is a fast track to burnout.

Body image is another huge piece that deserves more honesty. As an athlete, your body is constantly evaluated, compared, and talked about. You are expected to be strong, disciplined, and resilient at all times. That pressure can mess with your head if you are not actively prioritizing your mental health. Fueling yourself properly, resting when you need to, and speaking kindly to yourself are not signs of weakness.

They are necessities. The most important lesson I have learned is this. Lean on your teammates. Coaches and staff may try to support you, and sometimes they truly do. But your teammates are the ones living it with you. They understand the grind, the exhaustion, the self doubt, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with competing at this level. Those relationships are what get you through the hard seasons, not just the successful ones.Find your people. Find a safe person you can lean on, whether that is a teammate, someone back home, a partner, or a therapist. Be as open as you are comfortable being. You are not meant to carry everything alone just because you are an athlete.

U SPORTS can give you incredible experiences, lifelong friendships, and personal growth. But I wish I had known sooner that it is okay to zoom out. It is okay to protect your peace. And it is okay to remember that being an athlete is something you do, not who you are.

- anonymous