To every coach I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from,

Thank you for teaching me what it means to be an athlete. I grew up thinking that I was living in the shadows of my sister’s success. When I first touched a ball at the age of eight, I remember feeling a pang of uneasiness. The thought of living up to the legacy that was in my family shook me. Thank you for teaching me the fundamentals, the basic principles that the entire sport is built upon. It was with you that I learned how important each player is on either side of the court. It was with you that I conquered my fears of a ball hitting my face. I started my love for the sport because you taught me to love it.

Thank you for giving me a chance. Walking into my first sports tryouts was incredibly nerve-wracking. I had never tried out for an organized team before so my expectations were just all over the place. When I stepped onto the track on the first day of try-outs for the timed run, I felt my entire body sink into the ground. I felt even more humiliated when I found out that I didn’t make it in time for the run. With the hot August sun beating down on my back and the beads of sweat dripping down the sides of my face, I thought I gave it my best effort. But a part of me knew for certain that it wasn't enough. Thank you for giving me another chance and giving me a spot on the JV team. It was with you that I spent every afternoon with. It was at those practices where I met the most amazing people in my entire life, people who I was fortunate enough to spend the next four years playing next to.

Thank you for being patient with me. Club season must have been the most exciting part of the year mainly because it was stretched from mid-December to early May. Practices were only two days out of the week, but tournaments were long, all of which was a different learning experience. There were times when I sailed the ball out of bounds and times where I wasn't in the right place to play defense. It was these tiny errors that ignited my temper. I'm sorry that I didn't know the answers to most of the questions that you asked me. I'm sorry that we had a losing season. I'm grateful, however, for the many teaching moments that you had with me to make me a better player.

Thank you for throwing me into every position known to man. It was my senior year and the only thing on my mind then was college. I wanted to continue my playing career after high school, just like my sister. I mean, what athlete didn't want to get an athletic scholarship to the school of their dreams?

Needless to say, my skills weren't enough to play competitively for the school that I wanted to attend in the upcoming fall. Despite this adversary, I continued to play my heart out at every tournament. This was the year that I was thrown into every position as a means to benefit the team. It was a little uncomfortable at first because I felt like a deer in headlights whenever I was on the court, but I wanted to do anything and everything for the good of the team.

Thank you for teaching me the ins and outs of each position, and having the patience to tell me that everything was okay when I messed up (miserably, I might add).

Thank you for teaching me how to fall in love with the sport… again. I believe that there is no better love than your first love. For the last two years, I spent the late afternoons of my fall semester with you. You taught me how to play at another level, a level that tested me physically and mentally. I never put much thought into every play until I was pulled aside during every time out to discuss an appropriate game plan. It was with you that I wanted to deliver 2000 percent instead of 150 percent. It was with you that I went out of my way to find every opportunity to get back on a court, whether it be inside a gymnasium or outside in the sand, to better myself in the game. It was with you that I got the opportunity to coach my first club team where I developed special relationships with young athletes that will hopefully last a lifetime.

And to all the coaches that I will have an opportunity to work with in the future, whether it be as your player or as your assistant...

Thank you for the memories.