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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

I have been playing sports for my whole life. I started tee ball when I was 5 and from that moment on, sports were a large part of my identity. I never really thought there would be a time that something I considered such a large and important part of my life, I would be forced to give up. Unfortunately, that time has come.  

I feel like almost every athlete has that “injury they had to overcome” story. Mine consisted of tearing my ACL during my sophomore year of high school softball season. I had the surgery, went through therapy, and sat out of high school sports for six months. Although I was cleared and able to come back for my junior year basketball season, my knee was nowhere near the same as it was before. I faced injuries to my knee multiple times in every sport I played but simply suffered through to make the most of my high school experience.

Soon, my sports career was over, and I began college. This was the first time I had to come to the realization I was more than just an athlete. 

All I did through middle and high school was play sports. I tried every one my school had to offer at one time or another. The majority of the time I wasn’t in school, I was playing sports, talking about sports, or watching sports. I even thought I wanted to major in sports media when I first entered college. 

Starting college and meeting new people was the first time I had to ask myself “Who am I?”. Many of my college friends didn’t have the same connection to sports that I did, and this really helped me solve what once seemed an impossible-to-answer question. Although, I was still able to keep this relationship with sports by being a member of the club basketball team and playing sports casually with my friends and family.

Recently, I have again been having issues with my knee to the point that it is getting in the way of everyday life. I learned from my doctor I may have to go through another surgery to repair my meniscus. This has made me realize it may be time to give up sports entirely. Forcing me again to decide who I am without this lifelong hobby. Luckily this time though, I have found other things really enjoy. 

Even though sports are quickly taking a backseat in my life, they will always be an important part of my past and what made me the person I am today. 

Delaney Chase is the co-campus correspondent for the St. Bonaventure University Her Campus chapter. She works with the other campus correspondent and various board members to communicate with the rest of the Her Campus community as well as edit articles and lead weekly meetings. Delaney is a junior and is currently studying journalism and political science. She also is a writer for TAP into Greater Olean, an online news platform in the St. Bonaventure area, as well as a captain of the St. Bonaventure Women's Club Basketball team and Vice President of SBU for Equality. She enjoys hearing and sharing experiences with those of similar interests and enjoys being involved in different activities across the SBU campus. She finds this a great way to gain connections with those at her university and in nearby areas. She is enjoys the ability to gain experience and further her knowledge of the communications field. Outside of her time in school, Delaney loves listening to Taylor Swift and will take absolutely any opportunity to bring her up in conversation. She can often be found at the campus Starbucks with her friends ordering a pumpkin spice latte or brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso. She enjoys reading classic novels but also loves watching the trashiest reality TV shows.