Someone once wrote: "It has little to do with the number on my shirt, or the roar of the crowd, but everything to do with the dream in my heart, and the desire to give to the game."

There is nothing in the world like high school sports. The passion kids play with, and the determination you see in their eyes is an amazing thing so many get to witness. Just like mostly everything, you don't know what you have until it's gone. Sports are no different. This is for every high schooler who is running onto the field, the court, the mat, and consistently giving their all for the sport they love. Maybe some of you are good enough and are continuing your love for the game in college, but for a lot of kids, this is it.

Next time you step onto the wet grass and look into the cheering crowd while trying to catch your breath, soak it in. Remember the "we will win" chants that echo through the air and keep your adrenaline pumping and your heart hopeful. Appreciate the grass stains and dirt on your jersey, the jersey that someone else will be wearing next year. Take pictures with your teammates before every single game, make them silly, make them fun. Don't take for granted those cold bus rides that seem to be too long. Don't forget that stupid warm up drill your coach made you do before every game. Or the never ending practices in the blazing hot sun. Remember the impatience you felt on a game day, sitting in class in your new red dress, obsessing over the stats of the other team.

Any season will seem too short, and when it's over maybe at first you'll be happy. Yeah, you don't have to practice 2-4 every day, and maybe you can start doing your homework at a normal time, but eventually you'll start to miss it. The small inconveniences your sport causes you won't even cross your mind. When you look back on the season you had, some of you will remember winning state champs. Some people will remember the heartbreaking moment of losing by 1 at the buzzer. Some of us will remember throwing a no-hitter on senior night. Maybe you'll even remember the game you scored three goals. There is so much to appreciate and while everything is happening it's hard to take a second to realize it.

Senior year is filled with so many ups and downs and exciting moments for everyone. Don't forget to look up at the crowd, or to sit in the gym when everyone has left, don't forget to soak in every second of every game. The end comes so much quicker than anyone expects, game to game, to playoffs to the last time. Whether your last game is a regular season game, or you're playing at UMASS in the championship, play with your heart. Indulge yourself into the atmosphere of the game. The smell of hotdogs and popcorn, the way your mom is screaming for you, the wheezing in your breath, and the sweat dripping down. Recognize the way your whole town will come to support your team, and you'll have five seconds of fame in the newspaper the next day.

From the actual sport itself, to the fans, to the emotions you feel, do not dare take a single thing for granted. Before my last time stepping onto the field my coach read us a quote from Mia Hamm - "Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back...play for her." So take her advice, play for the kid who fell in love with the game. Play for the little kids sitting in the stands admiring you. Play for your parents who spent so much of their life driving you from practice to game no matter how far. Play for the coach who knew you were better than you were preforming and pushed you until they saw it. Play for the girl who came to your game just for you. Play for the people who can't anymore. Play because this may be the last time you do, don't forget that.