I had a coach tell me once, "There's one thing you should know. I'm never going to give up on you, and I wouldn't try so hard to be what you needed if I didn't think you were worth it."

That's what it's all about.

You can draw up the best plays in the world and run the most effective drills, but sports require a personal touch that no coach should neglect. Here's to my coaches. Good and bad. Thank you for getting me to where I am today.

Thank you for the lessons you have taught me.

Thank you for teaching me how to step back and take a deep breath, for teaching me how to trust the process and take everything in stride. Thank you for teaching me how to control my effort and my attitude, and for reminding me that those are really the only two things I can control.

Thank you for sending me messages of encouragement, even when I was trying out for a team that wasn't yours.

Thank you for supporting me no matter where I was, and always letting me know that I could come back to a safe environment, that I could come back to open arms and a coach that was as willing to coach as I was to learn. Thank you for being someone who supports me, rather than someone who just coaches me. Thank you for encouraging me to do well in school and in my outside activities and for stressing the fact that there is more than just sports in life.

Thank you for making me better, not only a better athlete but a better person.

Thank you for being a role model, someone I look to in times of need. Thank you for being there when I needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to my endless rants or someone to give me a hug when I need it. Thank you for being there when no one else was.

Thank you for challenging me and looking out for my best interest.

Thank you for teaching me how to focus on the positive aspects of every moment, no matter how horrible that moment might be. Thank you for encouraging me to trust the process, and to look at the big picture in front of me, rather than focusing on every little mistake.

Thank you for teaching me that every small thing makes a big impact.

Thank you for helping me develop my basic skills. Thank you for putting in extra time with me because you know I want the reps. Thank you for staying late and coming early to work on every aspect of my game to help me reach my goals. Thank you for teaching me that when you focus on the little things, you find that there really are no little things.

Thank you for never giving up on me. I won't give up. I'm never giving up.