AMOS SHAPIRO-THOMPSON

"When I was young I moved to Europe to chase my dream of playing professional soccer. Being alone in a foreign country with no support network made me miss the normal connections and experiences of a young person. After every game, my teammates would go to their families, friends, and girlfriends in the box and I would be the only one walking to the locker room alone. And that wasn’t even the hardest experience I’ve had following my soccer dreams. Last year, suffering multiple injuries pushed me to try to begin to focus on my mental health to the same degree as I take care of my physical health. As athletes, we are always inherently focused on outcomes — our performance, team results, winning. I found that tying my self-worth to these things took a huge toll on my mental health. Now, I try to reposition my mindset to focus on controlling my own actions and choices each day — on the process rather than any end result out of my control. I used to feel that I needed to carry my burdens alone, and I struggled to open up to people about what I had been through or was going through. Sometimes it can be hard to realize, but the strongest thing we can do is ask for help."

- AMOS SHAPIRO-THOMPSON

BOSTON COLLEGE SOCCER