Racing Louisville FC forward Bethany Balcer announced on Wednesday that she is stepping away from soccer to focus on herself.
"I've always preached that when soccer is no longer fun, and you don't find joy in doing it, something needs to change," she wrote in a post on her Instagram page.
The news comes only days after Angel City FC forward and 2015 World Cup winner Sydney Leroux announced she was taking a mental health leave. Leroux announced the news less than 24 hours before Angel City's NWSL season-opener.
Balcer is an NWSL veteran who was traded from Seattle Reign FC to Racing Louisville last year. She first joined the Reign in 2019 as a preseason walk-on and became the first NAIA player to sign with an NWSL team. Balcer has scored 42 goals in all NWSL competitions.
She earned her first and, to date, only international cap with the United States in 2021.
"The last year and a half I've found my identity slowing [sic] slipping away being consumed with soccer and being a professional athlete," she wrote. "I've been chasing things that are material, I've become bitter, and I've lost my love and joy for the game."
Balcer has been an advocated for players taking care of their mental health throughout her career. The NWSL's collective bargaining agreement grants players up to six weeks of mental health leave -- or the remainder of their contract, whichever is shorter.
A Racing Louisville spokesperson confirmed that Balcer has not officially decided on taking leave and she remains on the team's active roster as an excused absence.
"In due time, I'm confident I'll return to the field with a new passion and energy for doing something I love," Balcer wrote. "Until then, I'm gonna keep doing my best, for me."
