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This is the one conversation every athlete should be having that almost none of them are having: We can often embrace an identity around what we do (“I am an attorney, a sports agent, a founder.”), rather than who we are (“I am a husband, a father, a follower of Christ.”) Unfortunately, this is especially prevalent in the world of sports. As an athlete, it is easy to fall into the trap of describing yourself by your sport, your position, your rank or your accolades, but it is just that: a trap.  You are more than an athlete. You are more than your sport, position, or rank. You are more than the result of your most recent at-bat, your last game, or your stats from this season. When you define yourself by these external factors, you not only end up equating your self-worth with on-field results, but you set yourself up for an inevitable identity crisis. Sports end—whether at 18 or 40, eventually we all have to hang up the cleats. If your identity is based on your status as an athlete, you lose more than your ability to compete when the lights turn off, you lose yourself.  Instead, resist the urge to define yourself by what you do.  Recognize that you are more than an athlete, and you are more than the results on the field.  Define yourself not by what you do, but by who you are.  Embrace an identity beyond your sport and bigger than yourself.