To The Coach Who Murdered My Passion,
You knew exactly what you were doing, and you didn't care. You chose favorites instead of favoring the athletes who worked hardest. You chose athletes whose parents had high names in the community instead of the kids who worked the hardest to make a name for their families. You continued to put popularity over hard work, and I didn't get any credit for the hundreds and hundreds of hours at the field house. I spent hours perfecting my drop-ball and my batting form, but you just couldn't put you coaching ahead of friendships, could you?
I chose to dedicate a large amount of my elementary, junior high and high school years to softball. Why? Because it was FUN. If you would have ask me if I could ever hate the game, I would have said, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" But that's not true. My college signing day came, and I wasn't even excited. It should have been a big deal, but it wasn't. I didn't even want you to be in my picture because I knew I wouldn't want to remember all the time I spent under your direction in "your program." We made it to state, and I remember losing out and being relieved because I knew I was DONE with you. I didn't even attend my athletic awards banquet where I received high honors because I couldn't stand to look at you. By the time I left "your program" I literally couldn't look at my softball equipment without getting nauseous because you had create this hatred for the game inside of me.
I look back on these years now, and I literally laugh out loud because all I wanted while I played under you was your approval. But now I realize it was completely irrelevant. You weren't a coach; you were a fake who got paid to make friends with a select few kids on the team. From what I hear, you are no longer employed with my alma mater, and that truly makes me happy because now students have a chance -- a chance to leave the program still in love with the game, a chance to have good instruction and a chance to chase their dreams with a REAL coach rooting them on.
As a coach, it was your job to fuel my passion for the game I loved, not burn it to the ground. But guess what? I still played in college, I pitched a shut out, I hit a home run and some of my best memories are reconnecting with the sport that you drove me to hate. But you know what the best part is? You can't take credit for a single accomplishment of mine, and to me, that means the world.
I just want to say, I'm not bitter anymore. I was at first, but looking back, I realized you taught me a really valuable lesson. You taught me life isn't fair and that just because I work the hardest, life can still hand my spot to someone else. And that's OK. Want to know why? I would NEVER want to have something I didn't bust my butt for. I would never want to take something away from someone who out worked me for it. Whether it be a position on the field or a job.
Sincerely,
The Athlete Who Made It WITHOUT Your Help