Read Stories Stories Real experiences from real athletes — shared anonymously, reviewed for safety, and published to help you feel less alone.
Advice
Untitled
I played an L4 tournament and made it to the finals, after having saved match points in the QF. In the final, I played a great match and leveled It to...
Read full story → Tough Loss · Tennis · 15–17
Tanked
I had a very tough first set which I lost 7-6. I couldn't recover mentally and literally stopped trying. I have done this multiple times and need to c...
Read full story → Tough Loss · Tennis · 15–17
Choked under pressure
I had championship point. I choked and I lost the point and the match. I don’t have anywhere to vent.
Read full story → Parent Pressure · Tennis · 15–17
My Parents' Dream vs. Mine
My parents invested so much in my tennis — coaching, travel, equipment. I felt like I couldn't have a bad day without letting them down. I started hid...
Read full story → Tough Loss · Tennis · 15–17
The Match I Couldn't Win
I lost in the third round of a regional tournament after being up a set and 5-2. I double-faulted three times in a row and my opponent came back. It w...
Read full story → Burnout · Soccer · 12–14
When Practice Stopped Feeling Like Play
I played year-round for three years straight. Club, school team, camps. By age 13 I dreaded going to the field. I used to love it more than anything.
Read full story → Recruiting · Basketball · 18–20
The Recruiting Process Nearly Broke Me
Junior year was supposed to be exciting. Instead I was obsessing over rankings, emailing coaches, and comparing myself to every player in my class. I ...
Read full story → Comeback · Tennis · 15–17
Coming Back After Injury
I tore a ligament in my shoulder and was out for eight months. I watched my teammates improve while I sat on the sideline. I genuinely thought about q...
Read full story → Advice · Swimming · College
Advice I Wish Someone Had Given Me
I'm now in college and can look back at my junior career with some distance. I made everything about results for too long. I missed so much.
Read full story → · Basketball
DOUBT
I used to be the best on my team. Then everyone grew six inches over the summer and I stayed the same...
Read full story → · Tennis
WALLS
My mom means well. After every game she gives me a 'performance review' — what I did right, what I could improve...
Read full story → · Swimming
GHOSTS
I quit swimming six months ago but I still dream about the pool. In my dreams I'm always behind...
Read full story → · Wrestling
WEIGHT
I started wrestling when I was eight. By twelve, I was cutting weight. Spitting into bottles, wearing trash bags...
Read full story → · Volleyball
PRESSURE
Every game felt like a final. My coach would tell me I was the anchor, the one everyone counted on. I was fourteen...
Read full story → · Soccer
SILENCE
After we lost the semifinals, nobody talked in the car. My dad drove for forty minutes without saying a word...
Read full story →