Anyone who knows me, knows that my father is my absolute best friend. Growing up, he has always been my biggest supporter, encourager, and the ultimate sports dad. He has done everything with me and for me, such as driving me hours to practice, traveling the country to watch me play, and teaching me how to train. My father never let me feel like my sports were a chore, but that he ultimately enjoyed doing all these things so that I could play the sport I love. Growing up, we don't see the sacrifices that our parents make for us to be the athletes we want to be, but looking back now, I couldn’t be more grateful or feel any luckier to have had such an amazing No. 1 fan in my father.
Dear My No. 1 Fan,
I want to thank you for everything you have done to make my sports dreams come true. Without you, I would have never been as successful as I was or have all the opportunities that I was able to have. Your dedication to my dreams is not something every child is blessed to have. I am so appreciative of the sacrifices you have made in order for me to be a competitive athlete and play the sports I loved. Although my drive and work ethic are all my own, you are the one who taught me that I have to give it my all and work hard for everything I want, if I want to be the best. Without you, I wouldn’t be the athlete, or person, that I am today.
First, I want to thank you for making the love I have for my sport about me, and never about you wanting me to do it. You always encouraged me, but never forced me to continue in my sport. That encouragement allowed me to foster my love of the game and have the drive to push myself, rather than having to be pushed. That encouragement not only made me a better athlete, but will help me excel for the rest of my life.
Thank you for instilling confidence in me, but also keeping me grounded. You have sat through almost every practice, so no one in the world could tell when I am having an off day or am not as focused as I should be, the way you can. When I am playing well, you make sure to let me know, but when I am slacking or not doing my best, you never would blow smoke up my butt. You would tell me that you could tell I was not focused or not playing the way I normally do. In a world full of helicopter parents, thank you for always keeping it real.
Thank you for leaving work early to make sure I got to my practice on time every night, and thank you for all the miles you put on your car to bring me an hour each way to travel practice four nights a week for seven years. Thank you for waking up early to get me to tournaments and driving and flying me all around the country. I wouldn’t trade a minute of those rides that I got to spend with you, making memories, listening to our favorite radio station and bonding.
Thank you for working extra jobs to pay for my travel volleyball bill. Playing club ball is expensive, as in thousands of dollars a year. Thank you for working extra to make sure that I could play and continue to work towards my dream of playing in college. Thank you for letting me focus on my goals rather than focus on the cost. I hope that the college scholarships I was able to earn as a result of playing sports made the investment worth it.
Thank you for sitting through hours of practice on hard bleachers, full days of tournaments in convention centers, and the hot sun for beach tournaments. For washing my sweaty kneepads, spandex and 100 shirts I would sweat through in one practice. But most of all, thank you for airing out my sweaty jersey by hand between games at tournaments so that it was dry before the next match started.
The time you have invested, the sacrifices you have made, and the all out commitment you have made to me and my dreams is the greatest gift you could ever give me. I cherish every moment that we have spent together on our journey, from the car rides, to the games, and to the ultimate goal- going on my recruiting trips for college. I hope I have made everything you have done for me worth it, and have made you proud. But most of all, thank you for always being my number one fan.
Love,
Your Grateful Athlete
