Coaches. The people who are there day in and day out to push you to become a better player. The people who pick you up when you fall down, then pat you on the back and say keep on keeping on. If it weren't for my coaches I would have never developed an eagerness to get better. If it weren't for my coaches I would've never found a sense of confidence, motivation, and determination to be the player I am/was today. That being said, I want to say thank you.

I remember how I felt my first day of junior high basketball. Although I had spent many days with my friends on the playground playing street ball, or the many hours I had spent at basketball camp in 80 degree weather in the high school parking lot, I was still nervous to finally be apart of a team. I was nervous that I might make a fool of myself. What if the coach didn't like me? What if they thought I was a joke?

All my worries went away when I knew who my coaches were and what they had in store for me. My worries went away when I knew I had someone who had my back. I had a handful of different junior high basketball coaches, but each and everyone of them impacted my basketball career and life as an athlete in more ways than possible and I want to thank them for that. If it weren't for every travel tournament that coach took us to, or every time he'd open the gym for us on a Sunday afternoon, I don't believe I would be the person I am today. If it weren't for every "Don't you pick that ball up in that corner!" I would probably still be stuck in that same spot that I was all those years ago.

After four years of junior high basketball with the coaches who provided me with a solid foundation, things only improved when freshman year rolled around. This was the real deal. We weren't just playing to play anymore, we were playing to go places. To districts, divisionals, and maybe even state. These were the years that brought me closer to my coaches than ever. High school can be crazy. High school can be cruel, stressful, and sometimes it can be unbearable. But when I look back on the last four years of my crazy high school experience and it pleases me knowing who had my back through the hardest times, my coaches.

Whether it was months of being sick and on the bench, or maybe even getting into some disciplinary trouble, my coaches never left my side. I had my bad days and I had my good days but there's no doubt I could come to them when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Not only did I have support from my coaches off the court, but on the court as well. Not only did I have my coaches support as an athlete, but they supported me as a person too.

Having amazing coaches is like having a constant hype-man. I don't know how many turnovers I've had or layups I've missed just to come into the huddle and hear, "You got this next one, keep on going." Or the few times I had fouled out and my coaches just chuckled and rolled their eyes knowing I was just having an off day. I had never had a coach who didn't pick me up when I was feeling down. Having coaches who motivate you on a daily basis to become a better player is something you should never take for granted. Having coaches who believed in me and my ability to do something great is something I will hold on to forever.

Now that my high school basketball career has come to an end, I want to thank everyone who made me the player I am, or was, before my career was over. I want to thank everyone who had my back through thick in thin, everyone who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. Thank you for spending countless hours of your time on athletes and helping them grow to become the players they dream of being. I want to thank my coaches for every moment of laughter, anger, frustration, and enlightenment that they have brought me. Thank you for all the memories I have to carry with me throughout this crazy journey called life. Most importantly, thank you for being you.

Sincerely,

A has-been player