To the discouraging coaches I encountered throughout my 14 year softball career, I've spent hours among hours thinking about what I would say to you if I ever worked up enough courage. Lucky for you, I was raised with morals to respect others (unlike you) so I will never be able to directly say these things to you so now I will indirectly write you a letter. I don't think I will ever fully understand why you treated me the way you did. You tore me down day after day but because I loved the game so dearly I continued taking it. I like to think I did so with the utmost respect to you and the game I love so much. I always used my very best manners and never once back talked you. The few times I was recognized you even mentioned how great of an attitude I had and how I was always encouraging my teammates. You probably didn't know, but those few good things you said to me meant so much. It made me feel as if I finally got a little bit of approval from you. (why I wanted your approval, I will never know) Many of you probably think I'm going to talk about the negative side of things, but I'm not. I would like to think I am a very positive person, especially when it comes to the game of softball. In this letter I want to focus on the things I learned from the cards I was dealt.

With anything I do in life my goal is to always be the very best I could possibly be. So playing for you it was no different. Sadly for me, I didn't make the team I wanted to. I didn't let that tear me down though. I took it as a learning experience. I worked so much harder that season and I got so much more playing time than I would have if I would have made the team I wanted. That season lead me to hit my first home run of many. I was able to grow so much as a player. For that I thank you.

When I finally made it to where I wanted to be on your team I did not receive the playing time I would have like to have, but that's okay. Through that I learned to be a positive influence for my teammates. I also leaned to always be ready to be put in the game at any possible moment, because Lord knows I was always thrown in at very stressful times. So I leaned to be positive and prepared for anything thrown my way. For that I thank you.

My final year playing for you might have been the worst. You took my jersey away. The jersey I worked so hard for. The jersey I fought for. The jersey I dreamed of wearing as a kid. You were polite enough to ask me, but who was I to tell you no? I gave it up without a fight. I also gave up the pants that fit me when you asked for them. I understood I wasn't going to get as much playing times so I gave in. From that I learned not to be so giving. I should have fought to keep it just like I fought to earn it. For that I thank you.

Also, hank you for letting me make the best memories with the PRC (pine riding crew).

So to the coaches who almost made me hate the game I love so dearly, thank you for teaching me life lessons. Thank you for helping me grow as a person. Thank you for helping me learn to always hold my head up high & thank you for teaching me that some people's opinions truly do not matter.