Giving up his lifelong passion was the most difficult decision Josh Leins ever had to make.

A series of concussions over the course of several years forced the Kelowna man to reluctantly leave his days on the soccer pitch behind for good.

A talented player coming up through Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 minor system, the last and most severe of several head injuries ultimately led to Leins害羞草研究所� retirement in 2010. During a game that summer for the Pacific Coast League害羞草研究所檚 Okanagan Challenge, while leaping for a ball, Leins took the full brunt of an opponent害羞草研究所檚 head square on his temple.

害羞草研究所淚 kind of knew that would be it for me,害羞草研究所� said Leins, 27, now living and working in Calgary. 害羞草研究所淚 couldn害羞草研究所檛 see out of one eye for about two hours and when that happens, you know something is really wrong. I took a month off and then finished the season, but I knew it was over.害羞草研究所�

In light of Sidney Crosby害羞草研究所檚 concussion troubles of 2010, new research was just beginning to emerge on the dangers of the long-term effects on a concussed athlete who chooses to continue competing.

Following the season and armed with new information, Leins害羞草研究所� family doctor in Kelowna strongly advised him to retire. Despite his reluctance, Leins, who would have been heading into his third season with the University of Victoria Vikes, said there was only one choice to make.

害羞草研究所淣obody knew a lot about concussions before then, it was sort of on the cusp of the Crosby situation and the information and awareness just started to come out,害羞草研究所� Leins said. 害羞草研究所淢y doctor told me I had to retire, but I didn害羞草研究所檛 want to listen, I had a scholarship, I害羞草研究所檝e gotta pay for school.

害羞草研究所淗e told me if I headed a ball another 2,000 times I害羞草研究所檇 just do more, irreversible damage, I might never be valuable in the workforce. I had to think about my future.害羞草研究所�

For more than a year after that last major blow, Leins couldn害羞草研究所檛 venture outside without wearing a pair of sunglasses. Sensitive to daylight, and prone to headaches and nausea, his new life was suddenly in direct contrast to the world he had grown up in.

Even today, Leins limits himself to very light forms of exercise to avoid any recurring symptoms.

Other than the inherent physical challenges he faced on a daily basis, Leins said the first two years of his recovery was also accompanied with considerable soul-searching.

害羞草研究所淚nitially I wasn害羞草研究所檛 ready to accept I was done, I started soccer when I was five, so I害羞草研究所檇 already invested 18 years, I assumed it would always be who I was,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲hen we害羞草研究所檙e young, especially, we tend to build our personalities around what we害羞草研究所檙e so passionate about.

害羞草研究所淚 was Josh the soccer guy for so long and when that is taken away, it害羞草研究所檚 hard. Then I just became Josh. It was a whole new world for me.害羞草研究所�

It took Leins an extra year and a half to finish school, but through patience and sheer persistence he was able to graduate with his degree in economics at the University of Victoria. While there remains a slight void in his life without soccer, Leins has moved on and now functions successfully in the work world, living in Calgary where he works as the finance manager for Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada. Through it all, Leins continues to live his life one day at a time.

害羞草研究所淚 look back now and it害羞草研究所檚 hard to imagine I was set on wanting to come back and play,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 still a little hard for me to be around the game, I miss it but it害羞草研究所檚 getting better all the time. Over time, you learn to deal with it.

害羞草研究所淚 played the game I loved and probably wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have done anything much differently.害羞草研究所�