Dear Sports Injury,

I hated you.

You almost ruined my love for my sport. You almost made me give up. You almost took everything I loved away from me. But instead of hating you, I want to thank you.

Thank you for showing me that when I was at my worst, I still had the best support system surrounding me. You let me know that my parents, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, and even my teachers had my back through it all. When I was feeling down, there were people around me to pick me up (literally).

Thank you for showing me that not everything lasts forever. My injury may have seemed like it was the end of the world. And although it takes time in order to heal and get back out there, it too will pass. Realizing that I was pushing my body too hard was a tough reality, but it was a lesson I needed to learn. Rest is important and thanks to you, I now know my body's limit.

Thank you for showing me that sports are only a fraction of my life. Even though I spent every moment of every day either thinking about practice, going to practice, or recovering from practice, there are other things that matter in life. Being injured allowed me to grow closer to my family and pay more attention to my schoolwork.

Thank you for showing me what a team really means. Even though I hated not being out there working together with my teammates in order to win, I learned that the most important thing about a team, is coming together through the tough times. When I was hurt, they were hurt. When I felt strong, they felt strong. Injuries happen and I realized that when a teammate is out because of an injury, the slack is picked up by the others.

Thank you for making me fall in love with my sport all over again. Not being able to practice and compete was the worst feeling. But it made me realize how much I love it. Watching my teammates compete allowed me to see the sport from a different angle, I was able to learn and grow from it.

But, most of all, thank you for giving me the determination to overcome. Working hard to rehab and get strong again is one thing, but setting goals and trying to become stronger and better than I was in the first place made me an all around improved athlete. Working hand in hand with my teammates, coaches, and trainers I was able to not only get back out there, but I was able to outshine the athlete I used to be. Thank you for giving me the determination to overcome all odds.

So to you Sports Injury, I thank you for ruining my season, but making me a fighter.

Sincerely,

A Much Improved Athlete