Let's be honest, or in softball terms for my high school team, lesbihonest. Some of your best friends, if not all of your friends, come from your former high school sports teams, clubs, or what have you. Sports have changed my life.

I played softball and basketball during my high school career, and dabbled in the area of cross country. And because of all three of those sports, I've made lifelong friends that I probably would not have met otherwise.

Teammates are something bigger than just playing on the field, or on the court, or around the track together. They become family. You cannot go through long and extremely difficult practices and not bond with each other. It is those hard times when you think that your body is at your limit, that someone on your team pushes you to do better and pushes you to continue that you form that strong bond. Practices and games are not a piece of cake. You can be at your worst during either, and it is in those moments when you not only find out who you are, but who your closest friends are. That is the beauty of being on a team. Pushing to do your best for not only yourself, but for the benefit of others too.

The hardest thing about going off to college was leaving my teammates, my extended family I should say. I miss the handshakes, the laughs, the tears, and the excitement of being on the field or court with them.

It Is through those hard times that I mentioned before that we are able to have the good times.

(Talk about April showers ;))

I never thought that I could love people as much as I love my blood-related family, yet here I find myself loving these guys just as much.

We all have our own personalities, some of us are loud (cough cough Jules), some of us are weird, funny, quiet, and just straight up bizarre. But one thing that we all have is unconditional love.

While that saying that goes, "All good things must come to an end" rings true, for the seniors that left last year, we never stopped loving each other. We still hang out, talk way too often to each other, and occasionally reminisce. But whenever we see each other it's like no time has passed.

What is cool about being on a team is that you are not all the same age. Not only did I make incredible friendships with those the same age as me, but also some older and younger than I.

My froshies.

That's my sister on the far right. We're more friends than anything because we were on the same team together.

I was able to send some young ones off to prom.

And recreate some field memories.

And even though I am way too old for a Sweet 16, I was invited to one anyways!

Sent some oldies off to graduation.

I've made lifelong memories with people that I have played with for not only my entire high school career, but I've played with some of them since fourth grade. My love runs deep for every teammate I've had the pleasure of playing with, they've changed my life forever.