What’s the hardest part about playing a sport? For many Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) athletes, it’s not lifting, running or losing. It’s the opposite: not playing at all. TSL talked to some of these athletes across various sports who were forced to hang up their jerseys after season-ending injuries.
During summer training before his sophomore year, baseball player Matt Eichner PO ’26 felt his back suddenly give out during a routine session in the weight room.
“I was lifting weights, warming up for deadlift and felt a pop in my back,” Eichner said. “I kind of knew I was done.”
For Julianne Louie PO ’26, lacrosse practice became a constant source of concussions.
“I had gotten two already, and then getting another one just made my head way too sensitive,” Louie said. “It just came to the point where I would get a concussion if a ball glazed my helmet or something.”
Owen Kobett PO ’25 was out on a run, gearing up for the track season, when disaster struck.
“It just all came on at once, my shin just began really hurting,” Kobett said.
Despite each student’s individual challenges, Eichner, Louie and Kobett share a similar experience: Their injuries presented them with unique opportunities to reflect on their time playing.
For Eichner, hanging up the glove meant giving up on a lifelong dream to play college ball — a dream that heavily influenced his decision to commit to Pomona.
“In high school, that was kind of the whole goal,” Eichner said. “It was something that was part of my life for so long, and it was part of the reason why I came here. I could have gone other places if I just wanted to go to school.”
After receiving lower back surgery for a slipped disc, Eichner’s back never fully healed. When he returned to campus in the fall of his junior year, he had missed a whole year of playing, and the decision to quit felt inevitable.
“I was tired of playing not to get hurt,” Eichner said. “I knew at that point it was the right decision.”
For Louie, continuing to play lacrosse threatened both her physical and cognitive health. After ten years of playing, the risk of concussion became too great.
“[Concussions] definitely made school work a lot more difficult because of constant headaches, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, memory issues, stuff like that,” Louie said. “So after the fourth time recovering from one, it just wasn’t worth it to me for the pain that it was causing.”
Unlike Eichner and Louie, Kobett sees a future in running once his injury heals. However, recovering from stress reactions in his shins will likely cost him his final track season at Pomona-Pitzer.
“I’ve dealt with pain during a run before,” Kobett said. “So, I was thinking, ‘Oh, maybe this isn’t that big of a deal.’ But then the doctor said two to three months, so that was when I was like, ‘Oh wow, okay, I might not be around at all this season.’”
For all three athletes, deciding to give up college sports has helped remind them what made their sport so special in the first place.
“I remember the competition and stuff, but I also remember the feeling of just running,” Kobett said. “It’s such a euphoric feeling.”
“I was a pitcher and an outfielder,” Eichner said. “During the season, you’re out there at 2 p.m., and you’re there till 6 p.m. And then you go hit the weight room — I love being with the guys every second of it.”
“I really miss contributing to a win and sharing a win with the team,” Louie said. “I just miss the feeling of succeeding athletically.”
But losing their sport doesn’t mean they’ve lost their team. Eichner explained how he manages to stay connected with teammates off the field.
“I work broadcast commentating for the guys, so I try to be around them as much as I can be, but it’s definitely harder,” Eichner said.
Louie also stays connected to the team, even working out with them in ways that don’t risk injury.
“My coach was really great in keeping me included,” Louie said. “I’m still lifting with them, I still see them for meals, and I’m welcome to sit in at practice, so I’ve definitely tried to keep at least the social aspect of lacrosse in my life. Even just watching it is better than not.”
Despite not being able to run, Kobett similarly finds a new purpose in helping his teammates succeed.
“I always show up to practice,” Kobett said. “I’m still trying to make an impact on the team. As long as I can be there and feel like I helped other people reach their potential, then it won’t feel as bad when it’s over, and I didn’t race.”
Stepping back from their sports has also allowed these athletes to pursue new goals. As a math major, Eichner finds more time to engage with academics without the stress of constant back pain.
“I’ve been able to focus a lot on [statistics] research,” Eichner said. “And physically, my injury is better. I don’t wake up with nerve pain anymore.”
Louie has learned to enjoy all the free time she has without the commitment of lacrosse practice.
“It’s definitely made me appreciate how much more time I have to go hang out with friends or just relax,” Louie said. “I didn’t [used to] have as much time to sit and enjoy myself.”
Despite the new opportunities and reflection that stepping away from sports can bring, the process is difficult for these athletes. Kobett warned about the dangers of overthinking while injured.
“If you really enjoy the sport, it can be difficult on your mental health,” Kobett said. “The reflection is important, but sometimes you need to step back from constantly thinking about it — you don’t want to obsess over it.”
For Eichner, taking that step back is hard, especially as an athlete at the 5Cs.
“At a [school] like this, people are playing for the love of it,” Eichner said. “You’re not getting any money to play here. So, you’re playing because you love the sport. And I think when it’s taken away from you, it’s like you’re losing something you love.”
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