How Sports Saved My Life
“Addiction teaches you to run from discomfort. Sports teach you to move through it.”
— From My Book
There’s something sacred about lacing up your cleats, tightening your shoelaces just right, and stepping onto a field with purpose. Whether it was soccer, the weight room, or a late-night pickup game—sports weren’t just a game for me. They were medicine.
In my recovery, I came to realize something deep: sports had been preparing me for life all along.
1. The Work You're Avoiding Is the Work That Sets You Free
I used to think change started in your mind. But real change? It starts with movement.
When I was lost—mentally, spiritually, physically—it wasn’t some sudden inspiration that got me back on track. It was doing pushups. It was putting on a pair of running shoes. It was choosing movement over stagnation. That movement turned into momentum, and that momentum gave me belief.
“The work you're avoiding is the path to your progress.”
— From My Book
You don’t have to want to do the work. You just have to do it. That’s the difference between people who stay stuck and people who change.
Mike Tyson said it best:
“Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but doing it like you love it.”
2. Progress You Can See Builds Confidence You Can’t Fake
Mental health can feel like walking through fog. You don't always know if you're getting better. But in sports? You see it. You feel it. You jump higher, lift more, run longer. You see the numbers, and those numbers start to rebuild your confidence brick by brick.
That’s what I love most—sports don’t lie. You can’t fake strength. You can’t fake endurance. You earn it. And that kind of progress teaches your brain that you can change, even when everything else in life feels stuck.
3. The Little Things Aren’t Little
The higher you go in sports, the more you realize—everyone’s talented. So what separates the good from the great?
It’s the little things.
How you put on your socks. How tight you lace your cleats. What you eat two days before the game. How you breathe before a free kick. How often you stretch, hydrate, sleep, journal, pray.
Every tiny decision matters.
And here’s the key: it’s the same in mental health.
“Once you understand that everything matters, the world starts to conspire in your favor.”
— From My Book
Your mindset, your morning routine, your late-night habits, your willingness to show up—these are your socks and cleats in life. Mental health isn’t one big moment. It’s thousands of small ones.
4. You’re Still an Athlete
This one’s personal.
Just because you’re not competing doesn’t mean you’re not an athlete. You’re an athlete because of how you approach life. How you train. How you think. How you recover. How you show up when no one’s watching.
If you’re reading this, I challenge you: go play again.
Join a local league. Sign up for a tournament. Start practicing again. Compete. Move.
And if you’re like me, start small. Hit the gym. Run a mile. Get your body moving and let your spirit follow.
You were never too old. You just forgot.
“You don’t stop being an athlete when you stop playing.
You stop being an athlete when you stop caring.”
— From My Book
Final Thought
Sports gave me a second chance. They reminded me that progress is real. That discipline is power. That confidence is built, not found. And that movement is the medicine.
So if you’re struggling right now—mentally, emotionally, spiritually—don’t just sit there.
Move.
You’re still an athlete.
Act like it.
One love.
