Having been a student athlete, you never think that it’ll come to an end. You never think that the ball will stop bouncing or being thrown.

It always creeps up on you, you never know what to say when it’s over.

The years of dedication that you have put into your education and sport, the hard practices and games, and the most a family of coaches and teammates.

It’s hard putting down something you picked up and played with your whole life, it’s not easy to do but the time will come when everyone will need to put the ball down.

Some people may go on to play at a higher level, and some may never play the sport again that they once fell in love with.

Moving on to the next chapter is hard, but we all must do it. You put blood, sweat, and tears into the sport and the game was always fun and gave you exactly what you worked for.

Hours in the gym, on the field, in the weight room. Sure, you may not like putting in the work but it’s what made you the person you are. When you look back at it you’ll miss it all.

Going into the final season many athletes train the most they’ve ever trained before and are constantly getting prepared to play their last season.

You aim for nothing short of greatness and you give it your all, just like you do in life.

The mindset of the student athlete must be right, it is not just about winning games, and playing for championships.

You go to college to get an education and get a degree. The sport you play doesn’t define you, it helps shape who you become after you’re done.

 “I loved playing at Southern. I spent all four years there and loved every second of it. In the hard moments I may not have shown it, but I miss it. I would give anything to be able to play again and be with my teammates. Basketball was amazing, but saying I graduated from college was an even better feeling”. said Austin Wright a former Missouri Southern basketball player.

When it’s all over, and you realize you’ll never be around that group of guys again, it hits different.

You start to learn how the sport got you so close with the team and how the team made the sport fun. Going into the final season is hard, tough, and very emotional.

But the lights will always turn off and there will be no more ball to play with.

Leave it all out on the floor, because you may never get the chance to do it again.