In this project, I have identified the major areas in which female athletes face the most struggle. In studying these a common theme has emerged. We fall into or encounter many of these struggles because of our need to control and maintain OUR identity, the one the world gives us and the one we want to hold onto. This leads us to do anything to hold onto our identity. In researching identity I learned that the loss of athletic identity is like the death of one's self. We place all of our worth and purpose in athletics and when that ends we have no self apart from athletics. We fall into eating disorders in a bid to try and keep our athletic identity. We fall into depression because we fear losing or we have lost our athletic identity. I am not saying athletics and athletic achievement is bad but when we take the glory for ourselves it becomes bad. We become rooted in something that will eventually fail. Our bodies will eventually give up and we will no longer be athletes. We will fail and will our worth then be equal to our season statistics, no, not if we are rooted in something greater than worldly, deteriorating things. When we are rooted in God our worth is not determined by worldly accomplishments. We should root our identity in Him because his love for you and your identity in Him is not dependant on your accomplishments, it is unconditional. So when we are performing remember to attribute all glory to God. 

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