There are a few very special people in your childhood who mold the kind of person you're going to be in the future. Sure, your parents, your grandparents, an aunt or uncle, and maybe the occasional favorite teacher. But even then, teachers are only in your life for a few years max. There's one special person who helps shape you. While not related by blood, they're certainly family. They watch you grow and are there for you every step of the way. You trust them, your parents trust them, and they trust you to give them your best. Our coaches are some of the most important, influential, and strongest people we know, and I want to thank mine for everything that she has given me, aside from the wins, despite the losses, and because of her impact on me as a person.

Thank you for making me not only a better athlete but a better person. You have taught me so much about field hockey but also taught me so much more about myself.

Thank you for always believing in me, even on days where I couldn’t. There is a quote out there somewhere that says that “sometimes we need others to believe in us even if we can’t believe in ourselves.” For me, you have been that person. Regardless of the circumstances, you always knew the right words to say to get me back on my feet. Whether it was in practice or on the side line, you have given me the confidence to do what needed to be done and then take it even further. To this day, you refuse to let me or anyone else accept anything less than what we set out to achieve, and I am grateful that you never allowed me to give up on myself. Your encouragement and support meant so much to me then and even more to me now.

Thank you for keeping me motivated on the times I wanted to give up. There were many times I would tell myself I was quitting, or that I would never get this new skill, but you always kept me involved. While my passion for the sport would sometimes wear thin in frustration, my trust in your judgment was never questioned. Thank you for making me feel as I was enough.

Thank you for your passion and interest in every single one of us. Thank you for raising a team of hard workers and people who wanted to succeed. If not for you, the success we achieved together would not have been possible. Each and every day, we worked for each other, but more importantly, we worked for you. Your persistence in pushing us to our absolute limits, and your ability to make us feel good about the work we put in every day was absolutely crucial to the development of not only my athletic ability but also the athletic ability of every single person on your team. Together we grew, and together we fought. You taught us not only how to be excellent athletes but also how to be better people and what it means to care about something with every ounce of our being.

Thank you for creating a safe haven that I could flourish in and be myself. The turf was a second home to me for four years. I found myself there. Along with the safe haven, I gained the friends of a lifetime. You created not just a team, but a family. It didn't matter that we were conditioning or running in the blistering heat. We had each other's backs and still do today.

Thank you for amazing memories. Thank you for helping me become the woman I am today: stronger, more confident, and happier. Thank you for your passion that went beyond just field hockey. It's with the passion I learned in field hockey that I continue to live my life without any hesitation.

No words in the world can thank you enough for taking the extra time out of your days to be not only our coach and teacher but a mentor and great role model to look up to, most of all, for taking the time to make us believe in ourselves. I would not be who I am if it weren’t for the lessons I’ve learned from you. You have given me the tools to succeed. Thank you for teaching me the lessons far beyond the game, I am forever grateful.