Changing Hobbies
Hi Everyone! Happy Sunday and Welcome back to the Blog! Today I want to get into how I adapted to a life outside of soccer this past year so settle in and let's get into it :)
Soccer was my life. From the time I was a little kid, I breathed it. I lived it. When I joined the Virginia Tech soccer team, it felt like I had made it! But somewhere along the way, the game that had been my passion started to feel more like a job. It wasn’t until I started running that I rediscovered what it meant to love something again, without the pressure, the deadlines, or the expectations.
My First Love and My Greatest Struggle
For as long as I can remember, soccer was everything to me. It wasn’t just a sport; it was my identity. I played year-round, I practiced every day, and I had dreams of going professional. When I joined the Virginia Tech soccer team, it felt like I had made it. But in a way, that was the start of my shift...
What once had been a game, a source of joy, started to feel like a pressure cooker little by little. College athletics brought intense competition, constant scrutiny, and a level of performance that made the game feel less like a passion and more like a responsibility. The locker room, the practices, the travel—it all became about results. Every mistake felt like a personal failure, and I began to lose sight of why I’d fallen in love with soccer in the first place.
Discovering Running
During my time at Virginia Tech, I found myself playing less during my sophomore year. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I started to look for other ways to channel my energy, to fill that gap. That’s when I started running.
At first, I wasn’t sure about it. Running seemed so... simple. I was used to the teamwork, the strategy, and the intensity of soccer. Running? It was just me, my shoes, and the pavement. But something about it gave me the space I didn’t know I needed. I could go out for a run when I needed to clear my head, when I was stressed or overwhelmed by practice or school. Running became a quiet, personal escape from the pressure of life.
The Peace I Found in the Simplicity of Running
As I kept running, I began to appreciate the stillness that came with it. There were no coaches, no teammates, no fans—just me and the rhythm of my feet on the ground. The longer I ran, the more I realized that running had a way of helping me process my thoughts. It became a space to reflect, to think through the chaos I often felt off the field.
In soccer, I always had to be "on." It was about being competitive, about pushing yourself harder and harder. In running, I found something different. It wasn’t about competing with anyone but myself. I didn’t have to perform for anyone’s approval. The more I ran, the more I began to find peace—peace that had been hard to find in the competitive grind of soccer.
From Anxiety to Clarity
One of the biggest shifts I experienced was how running allowed me to work through my anxiety. The pressure, the constant need to prove myself—it all created a storm in my mind. But on a run, I could escape that chaos. Each step, each breath, felt like a release from the mental weight I had been carrying. It wasn’t always easy, but running gave me time to process, to breathe, and to reflect on my own terms.
For the first time in a long time, I found peace in movement. The anxiety I had once felt on the field, the self-doubt that crept in during games and practices, started to dissipate. Running didn’t judge me. Running didn’t care if I made a mistake. It was a simple act of freedom!
Letting Go
It wasn’t easy to let go of soccer. It had been my entire world for so long. But over time, I realized that stepping away from the game didn’t mean losing myself. It meant finding a new version of me, one that could still enjoy movement and challenge but in a way that was more aligned with where I was in life.
Running taught me that it’s okay to let go of something—even something you’ve loved for so long. It doesn’t mean it’s the end; it just means that it’s time to explore new paths. I’ll always love soccer, and it will always have a place in my heart. But running? It helped me find peace in a world that felt like it was constantly rushing by.
The Journey Continues
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this transition, it’s that it’s okay to change! It’s okay to outgrow a passion, to evolve into something new. What I’ve found in running is a form of peace that I didn’t even know I was missing.
And maybe, just maybe, I’ll always carry a little piece of soccer with me—because it shaped who I am. But I’ve also learned that it’s okay to find new ways to move, new ways to reflect, and new ways to live without the pressure of the game.
So, if you’re feeling the weight of your own transitions, or if you’re stepping away from something that used to define you, just know: there’s always room for something new. The journey might not be what you expected, but it’s yours to embrace.
I love you guys and I hope you enjoyed today's blog!
XOXO,
Aves
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