Dear Coach,
I don’t think you will really ever fully understand the impact you have had on my life. I had bad experiences with sports and coaches, but you were my saving grace. You restored my faith in a sport I had fallen out of love with, as well as restored my faith in the ability of a coach to actually help me. Ultimately, you reminded me that a coach can be more than a coach; he can be your mentor, cheerleader, and confidant.
You inspired me to be the best athlete possible. And I had never felt that before. I pushed myself on the days when I didn’t want to because I felt like I owed it to you. I tried to refuse to accept mediocrity because I knew you had never done that as an athlete. I didn’t have as high of aspirations as you did as an athlete, but I know you saw something in me, so I tried to set my sights high.
You became like a second dad to me. I can’t count the number of times that you sat down and talked to me during practice because I was upset about something that had happened that day. You knew the perfect balance of when I needed to be yelled at, and when I needed a gentle reminder of what I was doing wrong. We developed inside jokes and spent lots of time just laughing at the absurd things that would occur during practices.
I will never forget all of the times I felt like I failed you. More often than not, my anxiety would get in the way of my performance and I would never advance or place as well as I should have. You were always there when I would fail and you would greet me with a hug and kind, reassuring words. You would gladly sit with me as I cried and vehemently apologized for failing you, and constantly assure me I had not failed anyone, especially you. You were always proud of me.
You were such a tremendous coach that my fellow athletes and I became friends. The four of us, your little throwing squad, still talk and support each other to this day. You taught us that one of the keys to success is to surround yourself with people who push you to be better, so we did that for you.
Even though my days in that sport are over, those memories are still some of the most valuable things I have. As we near the time when the season would be starting again, I can’t help but miss my most beloved sport, fellow athletes, and friends. I learned more about this crazy thing called life and everything it entails from you and this sport than I ever could have in the classroom. The lessons you taught me go far beyond the field.
At the end of the day, you are the best coach I have ever had. You helped shape me into the person I am today. You were my inspiration, trainer, counselor at times, shoulder to cry on, and ultimately friend. You were a Godsend to me, and I thank Him every day for blessing me and my teammates with the gift of your presence in our lives.