"My second family." "My best friends." "My support system." "My people."

If you asked any athlete how they would describe their teammates, they would likely use one of those terms.

Teammates are more than just friends. They are the people you lean on, the people who push you past your limits, the people that tell you that you can do it even if you think you can't. They are there for the highs and for the lows. They experience the same pain, pressure, nerves, excitement, exhaustion, pride, and the love for the game by your side. There aren't many people in your life that will ever be the support system your teammates are for you; not only as an athlete but as a student and a person.

You can count on them to hear your complaints and you can count on them to be a shoulder for you to lean on 24/7.

If you're going through something hard in any aspect of your life, you are fortunate enough to never have to go about it alone. Your teammates are there for you through thick and thin, even when there are no words to say that will help. They will always pick you up when you're down, and won't let you fall again. They do all of this without thinking twice. It just what family does for family, and that is what makes being a team so special.

As athletes we are trained to give everything we have to our sport; to never give up, to always go the extra mile. That training we were taught far surpasses the field. It goes into the lives of every athlete, and is what makes the fabric of a team the special bond that it is.

As you get older, you learn that sports aren't all about winning and losing. I would rather lose every game I ever played with my team than win every game with a bunch of athletes wearing the same jersey. I'm glad to have learned that lesson, because it's taught me that nothing is as important as the people you surround yourself with.

All that being said, I want to thank every teammate I've ever had but especially a special group of girls who played a huge part in making me who I am today on and off the lacrosse field.

Thank you for making me grow.

Thank you for making me challenge myself.

Thank you for pushing me.

Thank you for wanting the best for me, as much as I want it for you.

Thank you for laughing with me, crying with me, sweating with me, complaining with me, and working with me.

Thank you for being my best friends, and the sisters I never had.

Thank you for being my family.

You made being an athlete mean more than anyone else could ever imagine, and more than I ever could've asked for.